Budget Friendly Projects to Boost Curb Appeal

curb appealBoosting curb appeal is one of the most common reasons that homeowners undertake new projects in their homes. The real question is which projects will earn you the highest returns for the time and money that you put into them. Here are a few budget-friendly ways to boost your curb appeal in no time.

Add Front Door Trim

In most cases, you probably don’t pay much attention to the front door of your house, but adding a big block of trim over your front door can make a bold impression on buyers. Make sure to paint your front door to match the trim and you will have achieved a major visual effect. It makes your entryway look grander, and draws people in.

Add Shutters or Window Trim

Buyers look at your windows to get a feel for how open and well-lit your house will be. If you want to draw attention to your windows, consider adding colored trim or shutters that will stand out. You can also add flower boxes or other decorative elements that will enhance the look of your windows from the street.

Fix Your Front Porch Railing

Nothing stands out worse than a rickety front porch railing. Clean up the look of your porch instantly by fixing any broken boards and anything else that may look a little off. It should all be safe and secure when a buyer comes looking at your house. With these three tips, you can drastically change the exterior of your home with only a few hundred dollars altogether and an afternoon. For more great ideas on how to boost the curb appeal of your home, visit Volterra online today and check out our gallery.]]>

How Does Interior Paneling Work

interior panelingInterior paneling is coming back into favor as young homeowners look for ways to make their houses feel more like homes. It also offers a number of added benefits over plain drywall or other wall materials. Here are a few highlights about interior paneling and how it works.

Made from Durable Materials

If you’ve ever had to patch a hole in drywall, you know that it is not the most durable or resilient material around. By contrast, today’s thin paneling options are made of high density materials that are extremely durable and resistant to damage. When installed over drywall, they can actually protect the drywall underneath and keep your walls looking good without having to constantly patch or repaint.

Easy to Install

Aside from the durability of modern paneling, sheets of paneling are also extremely easy to install when compared to drywall. Most paneling now uses a tongue and groove system or some other overlapping edge that makes it simple to line panels up and then nail them into place in just minutes. You don’t have to worry about sanding, grouting, or filling any holes. If you’re looking for a quick way to dress up your space, you can find paneling in all kinds of different patterns and colors to get the job done over a weekend. You don’t even need a ton of specialized tools to do the job. If you are thinking about using paneling in one or more rooms of your home, we invite you to contact Volterra Architectural Products today and speak with our expert design team. We can help you come up with the best paneling and moulding options to turn your space into a relaxing retreat.]]>

What Are the Advantages of Baseboard Moulding

You probably haven’t given much thought to the baseboards that run throughout your home, but you should. The purpose of baseboards is to help keep your home in good condition while providing a finished look to your décor.

At Volterra Architectural Products, we are a leading manufacturer of faux wood beams and other high-quality polyurethane architectural details. We carry an extensive line of base moulding profiles that are perfect for any home. Here, we review the advantages of baseboard moulding and why it should be a key component in your home’s design.

Seals the Joint between Wall and Floor

The primary purpose of baseboards is to cover the joint between your walls and floor. This joint may be a bit unsightly on its own, but more importantly, the baseboards keep water from running under your drywall and flooring, causing mold. In addition, baseboards keep insects and other pests from finding easy entry in that space. With the baseboards in place, your room looks finished and pristine.

Leaves Room for Settling and Shifting

As your house ages, your floors and walls will eventually begin to settle. Likewise, during different seasons, moisture in the air may cause your floor boards and walls to expand or contract at different rates. During construction, your builder left a small gap between the floors and the walls to account for these changes. A baseboard is able to easily conceal that gap without getting in the way of the shifting pieces.

Protecting Your Paint

Finally, baseboard trim keeps your walls clean and scratch free by adding an extra hard layer of protection between the painted wall surface and your vacuum or broom. If you took the time to decorate your walls, you don’t want dark lines or deep scratches to ruin the look along the bottom edge.

Adds Visual Interest

While the other three benefits are based on the functionality of baseboards, this one is all about looks. Baseboards are available in a variety of styles, colors, and materials to perfectly match your room’s aesthetic. By adding or changing the trim in a room, you can easily update the entire look without having to do a complete makeover. When choosing baseboards for your space, consider the following:

  • The Overall Aesthetic of Your Home – When you’re picking out baseboards, you want to ensure they fit in with the aesthetic of your home. For example, if you have a modern home, you might want to choose sleek, angular baseboards made of metal or glass. If your home has more traditional features, then you might want to choose wood baseboards that are more ornate.
  • The Color of Your Walls and Flooring –  Another thing to consider is the color of your walls and flooring. If you have dark floors and light walls, you might want to choose baseboards that are darker than your floors but lighter than your walls. This will help create a sense of balance in the room.
  • The Size of Your Rooms – The size of your rooms can also play a role in your baseboard selection. If you have large rooms, you might want to choose wider or taller baseboards to make a statement. Conversely, if you have smaller rooms, you might want to choose narrower or shorter baseboards so as not to overwhelm the space.

As you can see, there are many hidden benefits to having baseboard moulding in place throughout your home. While you may not think of these benefits on a day-to-day basis, you would surely notice them if your baseboards weren’t there to conceal the space beneath them. If you’re interested in some of the best baseboard moulding available on the market, check out our selection at Volterra Architectural Products.

Applications for Flexible Trim Moulding

flexible trim moulding exists. 

Advantages of Flexible Moulding

Flex moulding sets a new standard in contemporary design because its elastic composition permits contractors and homeowners to apply it in numerous ways. The most immediately recognizable advantage is how it is able to seamlessly fit over uniquely formed walls, floors and ceilings that twist and turn their ways around rooms. Aside from surfaces that take on unique forms, flexible trims can also be the perfect fit for a staircase that doesn’t just narrowly ascend to the second floor. Twisting staircases that swirl their way up look all the more ornate when adorned with a flexible trim along their paths.

Customizable Trim Moulding

Just like regular trims that remain straight and rigid, flex moulding can be easily altered to fit the owner’s preference. It can be cut to meet particular lengths or be used in conjunction with already existing trims, or different fixtures altogether. For maximum customization, these trims can also be easily painted or stained to match with the rest of the layout. A strong brown, for example, creates the warm, captivating ambiance that is associated with authentic wood. A soft white is synonymous with regality, complementing marble tile and cream walls. Flexible moulding has all of the decorative advantages of regular moulding with a whole host of benefits that are exclusive to its unique makeup. For more information on flexible trim moulding, call Volterra Architectural Products at 602.258.7373 today.]]>

Make Your Walls Come to Life with Panel Moulding

Size and Scale of the Panel Mouldings The size of the mouldings you decide on will dictate whether the room will light up or look stifled. The size of the mouldings directly depends on the size of the rooms and the number of elements contained in the rooms. If the rooms are large, then purchasing smaller mouldings would not be advisable as they will blend in too much and disappear. Large rooms look perfect when they are dressed up in deep and heavy panel mouldings which are proportional to the size of the walls.

Color of the Mouldings

Use panel moulding colors that are brighter than the wall paints if you want the mouldings to be focal points in the room or colors with a darker shade if you don’t want the mouldings to stand out too much.

Orientation of the Mouldings

There are many types and patterns of panel mouldings you can use in modern interior design. The choice of mouldings will depend on your preferences and how original you dare to be. Whatever type of panel mouldings you use to spice up your interior and add a decorative element, we have got you covered here at Volterra Architectural Products. Browse through out mouldings and purchase quality products at an affordable price. To learn more about our selection of panel mouldings or any of our other architectural products, visit our website or call (602) 258-7373.]]>

Custom Designed Decorative Millwork

Benefits of Custom Moulding Design

  1. Eye-catching crown moulding draws the eye upward, giving the illusion of space and height in your interiors.
  2. Custom millwork allows you to restore and imitate historical styles that are now hard to find.
  3. Thoughtful millwork creates consistency in design from one room to another.
Volterra offers special decorative moulding that can be customized, giving your home a look that’s utterly unique. Decorative moulding comes in a wide variety of designs. There are a few styles that are especially distinctive, and give a nod to different historical periods and famous buildings, which can add a feeling of timelessness to your home. Here are a few styles that you might see in luxury homes: Dentil Moulding: Dentil moulding is strongly linked to Greek, Roman, and Neoclassical architecture, and features neat geometric rows of squares projecting below the cornice of a structure. Egg and Dart: Egg and dart moulding (also known as egg and tongue moulding) is a highly ornate style that appears as alternating egg shapes interspersed with darts or other decorative features. Cornice: Cornice moulding is also closely linked to classical style, although it often features a more streamlined design built to imitate the appearance of columns, especially in corner blocks. Bead: Bead moulding appears as a repeated pattern of small circles offering a subtle yet distinct decorative effect. You might also see pearl moulding, which is similar, but smaller in detail. Floral or Greenery: Want something unavoidably ornate? Try a floral, leaf, or fleur de lis pattern like those found throughout the palace of Versailles. Leave it to the French Baroque style to be lavishly ostentatious.

Contact Volterra for Custom Millwork

Custom design for hardwood moulding and millwork can be hard to find. You need to find a manufacturer who is detail-oriented, and able to give you a consistent, high-quality product. Visit Volterra for decorative millwork custom designed with exactly the aesthetic you want.]]>

Finish Your Bathroom Redesign With Volterra

Crown Mouldings Crown mouldings add elegance to any bathroom redesign. Not only do mouldings make a bathroom appear more refined, but they also add visual interest to walls that may be bland or bare.  

Shutters

Many bathroom redesign projects seek to create a space that feels private but not cramped or closed-off. Adding shutters to your bathroom windows creates an additional layer of privacy without cutting off natural light.  

Window and Door Trim

Like crown mouldings, window and door trims make rooms feel more elegant and finished. Incorporating trims that are similar to the architectural products you already have in other rooms can lead to a bathroom redesign that ties your whole home aesthetic together.  

Ceiling Beams

Adding ceiling beams can be an exciting bathroom redesign project for expansive spaces or attic bathrooms — especially if you love a rustic or traditional design aesthetic. Faux wood beams replicate the look of natural wood with less maintenance and greater durability.   Volterra Architectural Products offers a wide range of architectural products that can help you create the unique, luxurious bathroom redesign of your dreams. With mouldings, shutters, trims, and beams for any size space, Volterra can help you create a bathroom aesthetic that blends seamlessly with the rest of your home. For redesign ideas for any room of your house, visit their online gallery.]]>

Creative Uses for Flexible Moulding

Frame Your Arched Doorways Arched doorways have a strong visual effect all on their own, but nothing is more impressive than an arched doorway with a gorgeous piece of trim roped across the top. With flexible moulding, you can easily install a piece of moulding to frame your arched doorways and make them look that much more exotic!  

Create a Beautiful Ceiling Design

One of the hottest trends of the movement involves adding faux wood beams or moulding to your ceiling to create interesting patterns. This same project can be done with flexible moulding to create intricate designs that look like something out of a Victorian palace.  

Celebrate Your Home’s Curves

Naturally, the best way to use flexible moulding is around curved walls and other areas where there is already a curve to follow. Whether you’re working around a tub or a sink or following an arched window, flexible moulding can serve as the perfect accent.   Volterra Architectural Products carries flexible moulding products for any project you have in mind. If you have a moulding project in mind, visit Volterra online for a full gallery of project ideas or to order your flexible moulding today.]]>

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.]]>