Give the Room Definition While vaulted ceilings make rooms feel large and airy, they do pose one problem. If they are left blank, the ceiling can reach a point where it becomes hard to see clear lines. This can make the room feel empty, instead of achieving the inviting look you were going for. Enhancing your vaulted ceiling with beams can clearly help the peak of the vault and create direction and warmth in the room.
Category: Architectural Product Blog – Design Tips, Inspiration, Industry Trends
Are Your Home Shutters Helping Your Curb Appeal?
Size and Shape When choosing home shutters, first make sure that they are the right size and shape to match up with your windows. Shutters come in many stylish designs, with curved tops and unique design elements. However, when placed on rectangular windows, these home shutters look very out of place. A similar visual effect happens when shutters are shorter than windows and do not cover their entire surface. Home buyers will instantly notice when home shutters do not match windows, and this will detract from your home’s curb appeal.
Color
Choosing the perfect paint and finish are also important considerations for your home shutters. Most often, shutters are painted to match the trim around the your home. However, if you have vinyl siding or other synthetic materials for your trim, it can be difficult to find a color match on wood shutters. Mismatched shades can look odd, especially in sunlight, and this can hurt your home’s curb appeal.Mounting
Shutters only add to the curb appeal of a home if they look natural. When shutters are nailed outside a window and onto the sides of a home, they look like cheap replicas instead of an authentic part of a cohesive exterior aesthetic. This is also true for shutters that are mounted backward, upside down, or with large gaps between them. To get the most curb appeal out of your home shutters, make sure that they are mounted properly: just slightly overlapping the edge of the windows, not flat against the surface of the wall. Perfect mounting not only adds dimension and depth, but also makes your home shutters look natural. If you need help finding your ideal home shutters, contact Volterra Architectural Products. We have a wide range of beautiful shutters to amplify the curb appeal of any home, and we can install them for a picture perfect finish.]]>Faux Truss Installation Tips from Volterra
Know How Many Beams You Need While the design of your trusses is ultimately up to you, most installations space trusses about 4-6’ away from one another. In addition, some people like to have an end cap truss at each end of the room, although this is not strictly necessary. You may need to measure your room to determine how much spacing will look appropriate and use blue painter’s tape to mark the locations so you can visualize where the trusses will be.
Use Blocks of Wood to Secure Your Beams to the Ceiling
Since the center of your beams are hollowed out, all you need to do is secure a small block of wood to your ceiling every 12-18” along the line where your beam will be placed to support the beam. The block of wood can be installed using long screws, and you can slide your faux beams directly over the block and secure them with shorter screws. Just make sure not to overdo the screws through the faux wood to prevent causing cracks.Don’t Forget to Cover Edges
If you have to make any cuts to your faux trusses and beams, you will want to make sure the edges are covered. Pick up a little bit of extra stain for paint that matches the shade of your trusses to cover any raw edges. This should only take a few minutes, and won’t be highly visible to most people, but you don’t want any unfinished surfaces to stick out like a sore thumb. The hardest part of installing faux trusses is deciding exactly where you want the beams to fall. Once you have it laid out with tape, it should take no time at all to secure mounting blocks to the ceiling and install your brand new faux trusses over them. For inspiration and installation tips, visit Volterra Architectural Products online or speak to one of our team members today.]]>How to Overlap Hollow Beams
beams can be a bit challenging if you are not used to working in all dimensions or if you’re worried about cutting in the wrong place. Fortunately, hollow beams are extremely easy to overlap with a few simple tools.
When to Overlap Beams
Interior designers and contractors alike are getting more creative with their ceiling beam designs these days, often creating patterns that involve boxes and grids at differing heights. These designs offer a complex, elegant look, but it also takes some planning ahead to get them right. If your pattern involves beams that cross, you will need to have a plan to either overlap them or cut them to fit the intended space.Use Eye Bolts and Safety Cable
If you don’t think you can notch your beams out accurately enough to fit together, the next best solution involves using eyebolts and safety cables to achieve the grid look you’re going for. Using a hole saw, you can create a small hole in the beam closest to the ceiling wherever there is a block of wood supporting it. Then you can install an eye bolt in that support and loop a strand of safety cable through the bolt. Next, secure your second hollow beam to a block of wood in the space and install another eyebolt facing upward. When you lift the beam into place, all you have to do is loop the safety cable from above through the lower beam’s eye bolt and clamp it down. Now the beam is suspended tightly against the upper beam. When it comes to creating complex layered grid patterns on a ceiling, hollow beams are significantly easier to work with than real wood. They are lighter weight and they offer more flexibility with the placement of eye bolts for securing additional layers as you go. For more information about hollow beams, contact Volterra Architectural Products on our website or call us at 602-258-7373.]]>Influences on Today’s Interior Design
architecture. Some of the earliest influencers can still be seen in our homes today, from the placement of our windows to the colors that we use together. Here are some of the biggest influences we see today:
Americana
The Americana style is a revision of an early 18th century style known as Adam. Americana continues to be popular, bringing natural wood cabin looks into modern living spaces. You will see designed with the help of wood beams and planks throughout the home, accented by traditional copper fixtures that blend into the look seamlessly. Ornamented with rustic art, Americana styled homes can be found across the US.Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau was popular in the early 1900’s, pulling ideas from natural structures. Builders and designers hoped to mimic the miracle of design that happens in nature. This can be seen with some of the more whimsical fixtures and structures that look like interwoven tree branches, or buildings featuring a-symmetrical spaces.Art Deco
Interior design underwent a major change following the first World War. Due to changes in the economy and lifestyles of people around the world, home design became more of a practical matter than an aesthetic one. Art Deco was characterized by long, clean lines and fluid movement between the pieces of a home. Much of today’s minimalist design calls upon principles of art deco to organize spaces.Modern
Now we are looking at a whole new era of modern design that continues to change the way we think of space. We have seen a resurgence of open-concept builds that welcome sunlight in and help us feel connected to nature. These designs are often accented by using wood-looks to bring pieces of the outdoors inside and blur the line between our living spaces. All of these influences continue to play a part in design today. Volterra Architectural Products has a portfolio full of examples of these design elements in play with our very own faux wood products. You can see for yourself how you can create a perfect visual based on your favorite design themes and styles by calling us at 602-253-7373.]]>Give Your Restaurant Design a Makeover
faux wood beams and planks, you can change up your restaurant design to meet this trend. Here are few ideas for improving the look of your restaurant both inside and out.
Create a Dreamy Patio Space
Patio spaces are highly desirable for restaurant guests these days. They offer an opportunity to enjoy some sunshine while sharing a meal with friends. However, most guests prefer a patio that is partially covered to a completely open patio. With faux wood beams you can dress your patio space up with grand pergolas that look super modern or you can go for something that is more rustic and authentic.Wood Ceiling Designs
Captivate your guests with an exotic wood ceiling design that makes the room glow. Faux wood planks and beams can be used to create a range of intricate patterns that draw the eye upward. When used with recessed lighting, you can give your restaurant space a warm, welcoming feel that radiates elegance. Choose beams in a variety of different colors and patterns, including regal moulded shapes that look like they were hand carved by master woodworkers.Accent Walls
Change up your wall spaces with interesting textured planks featuring looks like reclaimed barn wood and more. You can easily create an eye-catching pattern on a section of wall that breaks up paint colors. The planks are easy to mount to the wall and they feel real to the touch so your guests will never know the difference! Volterra Architectural Products offers a range of faux wood products that can give your restaurant space a whole new look. Whether you are hoping to renovate inside or out, our products are durable and easy to use. Their lightweight foam makes it possible to create complex designs without struggling under the weight of real wood beams. Visit our catalog online today to see our full collection and get ideas from our portfolio. For more information, contact us at 602-253-7373. ]]>Unique Interior Trim Ideas for Any Home
Stepped Moulding Nearly everyone has started adding crown moulding to their homes to create a premium touch. Stepped moulding goes one step further by combining multiple trim styles in a layered fashion along the ceiling and wall crease. This layered effect can be very striking, but can also be used to hide flaws along the ceiling and walls by covering a wider swath of the space.
Trusses
Natural wood looking trusses are great way to add rustic beauty to any home. These exposed beams can be added to any great room with high ceilings, breaking up the space and adding visual intrigue. There are many different truss styles and wood textures that range from very decorative to plain and simple.Window Casings
If you’ve gone to the trouble of adding crown moulding in your home, you should definitely consider adding interior window casing trim to finish the look. Window casings make your windows look more like framed pictures and can include many decorative elements along the header to open the space up even further.Wall Decor
Whether you’re thinking of a simple chair rail or something more complex, wall trim options are nearly limitless. One of today’s most popular trends includes creating shadowboxes on the upper half of the wall, rather than decorating the bottom half. This is a modern twist on an old favorite and definitely adds some flair. With these unique interior trim ideas, you can transform your home to fit your aesthetic. These custom ideas go a step beyond the standard trim options you will find in a tract home. Volterra Architectural Products can help you add fine trim details to your home with our catalog of faux wood beams, trusses and trim options. Contact us today at 602-253-7373 to learn more about the best trim products for your home.]]>How to Install Your DIY Moulding
moulding can save a boat load of money. However, you must be sure to use the proper tools and techniques to get the job done. Otherwise, you could be left with trim that sits poorly or has too many gaps. Here’s what you need to know:
The Tools You Need
To prepare for installing your DIY moulding, you first need a tape measure and a pencil to measure your walls. You will also need a miter saw that can be adjusted to multiple angles for cutting your corners and a coping saw for inside corners. You will also need a hammer and finishing nails, or a finishing nail gun to attach the moulding to your wall.How to Install Your DIY Moulding
Start by measuring your walls. Keep in mind that you will need to make adjustments for the corners to ensure that the pieces fit tightly together. Before you begin cutting, you might want to set the pieces together so you understand which direction your cuts need to go. You will not want any visible gaps in your corners, as they can be very hard to hide. If you do have gaps you may be able to fill them with some caulking or cover them with a corner cap. Once you have made your cuts, it is time to start putting your trim up. You will likely need an extra person to help you hold the trim pieces in place while you nail them up. You need to be sure that they are fit snugly up against the ceiling and into each corner before you begin nailing. After you have installed your trim neatly to the walls, you can finish filling in any gaps and painting your trim pieces. The installation process can be very time consuming when done right, but will certainly be worth your patience and attention. To view a full collection of moulding profiles and options, visit Volterra Architectural Products online. We can help you find a moulding that enhances the style of your home and meets your needs for a simple DIY installation. Call 602-253-7373 today to speak with our product experts.]]>Learning to Layer Trim
Start With a Basic Frame The first step to layering your window and door trim is by creating a basic frame to work off of. Typically, the header piece will be wider than the sides and the footer because this is where more of the detail will appear and you want to draw the eye upward. For instance, a 1×4” piece of wood on the sides and bottom of your window is sufficient, while you will want a 1×6” piece for your header. Think in Three Dimensions You will need to think about the window and door trim. Not just in terms of how far it extends outward from the window or door itself, but also how far it comes off of the wall. Some trim designs are flat against the wall, and simply stack pieces upwards, while the more complex designs feature small pieces of trim layered onto the front of the frame to add depth. Now is the time to decide how simple or complex you want your trim to look. Mind the Edges While your base frame can have square edges, you want to make sure any additional features you have are blended well. Usually this is done by cutting the ends of the cap at an angle. This creates a gentle transition into the wall from the window or the door. Check Out Examples Online If you visit an online gallery of trim products you can usually see how a builder layered different types of trim products together to create a beautifully textured design. This will give you some inspiration as you go. Once you’re familiar with the parts you should be able to see how they fit together to form this exclusive-looking finish. To learn more about trim options available for your windows and doors, check out Volterra’s huge gallery of custom trim products or contact us at 602-258-7373. You can mix and match trim designs that you love to create something uniquely your own. Plus, you can see some successful trim installations using their collection in real homes.]]>
Stairway Wainscoting with Panel Moulding
visual feature in any home. For the most part, we rely upon detailed banisters to add some flair to the staircase. With the help of panel moulding, you can even add a gorgeous backdrop behind your banister on the opposite wall. Here are a few tips: