Original Woodwork in Old Houses
Staircases, mantels, wainscots, inglenooks, and more: a quick review of some outstanding examples shows that historic woodwork is a treasure-trove of design ideas.
Woodwork is where we look for clues about the style and date of an old house. Back issues of Old-House Journal is where we look for both the classics and some astonishing surprises . . . something I noticed as a scanned back issues on the occasion of our 50th birthday.
Woodwork plain and fancy; Greek, Palladian, or Jacobean; painted in white enamel, gleaming mahogany, oak with shellac. Some examples truly are one of a kind, whether that be a scrolling newel, bold and musical, or a three-dimensional Gothic carving done by German immigrant craftsmen.
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Woodwork and Trim Style Variants
Wainscots and chair rails date to Colonial times, though floor-to-ceiling wall paneling was the main event in houses of the Georgian era, especially on fireplace walls and in entry halls. Raised panels became popular around 1750. Formal raised-panel wainscoting consists of floating wood panels held in place between vertical stiles and horizontal rails.
Beveling the panel’s edges creates a three-dimensional surface with visual depth. A variation, the flat-panel wainscot, is probably a Shaker invention. In the Adam style that followed (Federal period in the U.S.), wall paneling receded to a low wainscot, over which wallpaper might be hung. This is the look emulated during the Colonial Revival ca. 1885–1940; sometimes, only the chair rail is used without a wainscot below.
Formal and with high ceilings, Victorian rooms demanded treatments that began at the baseboard and rose to the ceiling, like a classical entablature. The Arts & Crafts era brought back the high wainscot, often made of vertical battens framing wood or decorated panels.
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Unique and Historic
Most houses have predictable trim that falls into just a few style categories. Still, a house might have one knockout element. High-style homes built for wealthier patrons present rooms full of raised paneling, hand-carved mantels, and a grand staircase with turned balusters and decorative spandrels.
Spectacular examples come from Greek Revival buildings ornamented with classical mouldings and ornaments (anthemions, dentils, laurel wreaths). The Victorian era brought some fantastical trimwork that includes bold casings around unusual windows and huge pocket doors. The endless variety of built-ins found in Craftsman-era bungalows elevated those interiors that otherwise had plain, flat trim.
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Whimsical and Classic Woodwork Inspirations
Elements built into the house deserve special consideration. Save and restore woodwork that is original. Those planning an addition or replicating details gone missing have multiple avenues for information and inspiration. House museums are a good source but so are intact houses in your neighborhood or town.
Books with photos of old houses, historical trimwork, and even new houses in the classical tradition all provide examples to spark ideas. While your design vocabulary should remain consistent with the house, know that unique, creative, and odd variations have been expressed in every era.
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Woodwork and Trim Glossary
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RELATED STORIES
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The carved and turned stair is part of a monumental hall under a glass dome, in a Queen Anne house. Photo by Dan Mayers. -
Photo by Steve Rosenthal. -
The Willows is a Gothic Revival house in Morristown, N.J.; its foyer mantel of carved oak and chestnut is a showstopper. Photo courtesy of the Old-House Interiors Archive. -
This quintessential Colonial Revival entrance hall is complete with a raised-panel wainscot, barley-twist stair balusters, and a full suite of mouldings. Photo by Steve Rosenthal. -
Assemblages: Whether in medieval Craftsman mode or Neoclassical Revival, some rooms present as a portfolio of woodwork, from the crown moulding to the baseboard, wainscot and mantel to the staircase, all speaking one language. Photo by Paul Rocheleau. -
A floor-to-ceiling keyhole window is inset with stained-glass panels in an 1884/1897 Queen Anne house, in Bloomington, Illinois. Photo by Gross & Daley Photography. -
In an 1840 country Greek Revival house, the scrolling staircase newel is a musical highlight. Photo by William Wright. -
Arts & Crafts and Tudor: “No other treatment gives such a sense of friendliness, mellowness, and permanence as does a generous quantity of woodwork,” wrote Gustav Stickley, of precedents medieval to Elizabethan. Photo by William Wright. -
Notched Ends: A clothespin notch was a favorite motif for the sawn ends of rafter tails and pergola beams during the bungalow era. Barry Dixon designed this new staircase for a Delaware beach house. Photo courtesy of Old-House Interiors Archive.
