In the right mould: Skirting boards, architraves, cornices and sills

Kya deLongchamps shows how to treat your home's skirting boards, architraves, cornices and windowsills

This simple slow skirting typical of the 1960s contemporary home, perfectly suits this mid-century-inspired space of today. File picture

Moulding includes skirting boards, architraves, cornices, and even windowsills. These are largely decorative, second-fix elements today, but this architectural joinery was originally developed to guard more fragile materials from damage, staining, and wear. This was especially important where different kinds of surfacing met, at the junction between floors and walls. 

The quality of wet plastering varied wildly in the 1700s and 1800s. Socially mobile householders wanted to put on the best show possible. As wood panelling disappeared from interior walls, moulding remained as its essential protective adornment, refining a rough wet-plastering job.