They Match Your Aesthetic and Complete Your Space
You can’t start a kitchen remodeling project without knowing your ideal end result. After you’ve selected your countertops, cabinets, wall color, and appliances, it’s time to pick the molding and trim you want.
These small details create nuance and depth within a room. Because you’re not remodeling a kitchen everyday, you might have overlooked molding and trim. Keep reading this blog to bring your kitchen remodel ideas to fruition with the right finishing touches.
Why Molding and Trim Matter In Kitchen Design
Trim and molding aren’t just finishing touches. They make your kitchen look thoughtfully completed. As a homeowner, they help you get the feel of professional design, and as a contractor or investor, they make your projects stand out from the rest!
Molding and trim tie your cabinets into the architecture of the kitchen, cover unsightly gaps, and add layers of dimension. Without them, even the most expensive cabinets can look unfinished.
They also allow for creativity: mix-and-match styles, custom details, or even two-tone finishes can help you create a kitchen full of personality. Whether you’re going for classic elegance, farmhouse charm, super modern, or minimalist, molding and trim elevate your style (and increase resale appeal).
Toe Kicks
Toe kicks are the recessed areas at the base of your lower cabinets, typically about three inches high and three inches deep. They serve both ergonomic and aesthetic purposes. They let you stand closer to the counter without bumping your toes, while also giving your cabinets a finished look that flows seamlessly from the countertop to the flooring.
In a kitchen remodel, toe kicks should match the cabinet finish, although kitchen remodelers say contrasting or stainless steel toe kicks can also be a design choice in modern kitchens. Toe kicks seem subtle, but they enhance comfort and polish the look of your cabinetry.
Fillers
Fillers are narrow strips of wood used to close small gaps between cabinets and walls or between two cabinets where the standard sizes don’t perfectly align. They’re especially important in older homes where walls may not be perfectly square.
Located wherever precise spacing is needed, fillers make your cabinetry layout look intentional and seamless. To fulfill their function, they should be the same color and finish as your cabinets.
Crown Molding In the Context Of a Kitchen Remodel
You’re probably already familiar with traditional crown molding, which is mounted on walls at ceiling height, usually with ornately carved trim, where the two surfaces meet.
Crown molding in the context of a kitchen remodel is installed at the top of upper cabinets where they meet the ceiling. This trim piece draws the eye upward and adds a dramatic, architectural touch to your kitchen.
Crown molding also can hide uneven gaps between the top of the cabinets and your ceiling or soffit. This adds height and elegance to your design. Your crown molding should coordinate with your cabinet finish for a cohesive look – unless you’re looking for kitchen remodel ideas with bold contrast or two-tone style.
Risers
Risers are used with crown molding to help upper cabinets reach the ceiling or to add height to cabinetry. They’re typically plain vertical boards that sit on top of the cabinet, providing a base to attach crown molding to.
When you want your cabinets to have a built-in custom look, risers are right for you. They should match your cabinetry because they are designed to extend it, both visually and functionally.
Shoe Molding
In your kitchen remodel, shoe molding, such as quarter-round, is installed at the bottom edge of base cabinets, where the cabinet meets the floor, or to cover the transition from toe kicks to flooring. It adds a furniture-like finish and can make cabinets look more grounded and elegant.
This molding is both for protection and decoration. It should match the cabinets or toe kick for visual flow.
Skin Panels
Kitchen remodelers use skin panels, or end panels, to elevate the look of the spaces they’re designing. Skin panels are decorative boards used to cover the exposed sides or backs of cabinets, islands, and peninsulas. They create a cohesive appearance and are especially important when cabinetry is visible from multiple angles.
Skin panels often feature the same door style or finish as your cabinet fronts, or they can include contrasting textures, like fluting. Skin panels should match your cabinets in color to ensure your kitchen looks complete.
Start Your Kitchen Remodel With Elegant Kitchen and Design
At Elegant Kitchen and Design, Baltimore-area kitchen remodelers – whether DIYers or pros – can find the cabinetry and countertops they need to carry out their vision.
Visit our showroom located at 1727 E. Joppa Road in Parkville, Maryland, to get more information for your upcoming remodel, or to order cabinets and countertops. Our dedicated team of experts is ready to help you shape your dream kitchen. For questions about our products, call (410) 882-8383.
