The History of Colonial Moulding
"Here in Seattle, our rich history helped to shape the local architectural landscape, including the use and variety of moulding profiles."
Depending where you go in the country, you'll find all kinds of different moulding styles. Take Seattle as an example, where our rich history helped to shape the local architectural landscape, including the use and variety of moulding profiles. At Dunn Lumber, we know that moulding can be extremely regional, which is why we went to several local remodeling contractors and asked what mouldings best represent the homes in Seattle's neighborhoods. They picked six different styles—including the Colonial profile—which are all on display at our Bellevue moulding showroom.
With style DNA that extends all the way back to the quirks, beads, cymas, ovolos, and ogees of the Greeks and Romans, the colonial collection of timeless moulding carries the same beauty and elegance found in Colonial Revival and Classical Revival interiors of the early 20th century into the aspiring traditional homes of the modern day. Richly detailed profiles with crisp shadow lines can be used individually or stacked to create greater impact and visual presence.
I sat down with certified interior designer Keith Miller of Miller Interior Design, who walked me through the history and appeal of colonial-style moulding in Seattle:
“The colonial style is based on what was happening in architectural trends at America’s founding, including a response to styles throughout Europe during the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries. There was an embrace of Greek architecture which evoked the intellect, power, and nobility. The White House is an excellent example of colonial style, defined by its traditional design.
As we were establishing ourselves as a country, the colonial style represented fine taste for people in power, so it became the go-to style for commercial and government buildings. Neighborhoods also built with greek colonnades, pediments, wainscoting, and crown moulding—all essential to the American colonial era.
The colonial style was finding its way to Seattle as wealth migrated to the city. The University of Washington is a prominent example, which incorporated Roman architecture synonymous with the authority and strength of the colonial style. Today, colonial architecture endures in many of our residential neighborhoods.”
At Dunn Lumber, we know moulding is worth experiencing firsthand. That’s why we created our Bellevue moulding showroom, where you can tour six different styles to see how they uniquely complement floors, walls, windows, and doors. The showroom is a place for homeowners to envision their dream home, get answers from our experienced team members, or sit down with their contractor to lay out some plans and talk.
You can find the right style of moulding for your home at all nine of our Puget Sound Dunn Lumber locations.
