Adding Wood Beams to Your Home for Architectural Interest

When decorating, it's easy to forget that adding architectural interest like wood trim or beams can instantly increase the perceived quality of your home.  The furniture and decor can remain a neutral canvas and act as a supporting role, letting the architecture have the spotlight.  

Many homeowners want a soothing color palette, but don't want boring design. Wood beams are a great way you can make a bold statement without needing to use bright colors.  

Here are some model home inspiration photos that show how to incorporate wood beams in unique ways. In the living room, the ceiling beams run parallel to one another, but are perpendicular to the beams framing the kitchen entry.     

The dining room also incorporates the dark wood trim on the brick accent wall.  Open floorplans need a cohesive flow as you walk from room-to-room - this is such a great way to tie all of these rooms together, yet give them each a distinctive design.  

And notice how the dark wood framing the kitchen entry is balanced by the dark wood fireplace mantle on the opposite wall in the living room. 

One final observation: these almost-black wood beams are not the same color as the medium-brown wood floor stain.  Your wood colors don't have to match!  The reason this works is because they don't have fighting undertones, and it's obvious the designer was NOT trying to match them.  (For example, this would NOT work if the beams were a reddish-brown stain.  That would fight with the orange-brown wood floor.)

^{inspiration photos taken at Ashton Woods Homes (builder) model home, Allen Tx. Designer unknown.} 

Hope these photos gave you a bit of inspiration for how you might be able to add some special architectural features to your home. Think of where you can highlight tall ceilings, frame out a room entry, or create a unique feature wall.

Happy Decorating!

-The Decorating Coach-

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