There was a time before the “less is more” cliché when rooms came with built-in character with handsome woodwork, including molding around windows and doors, along ceilings and floors. There were interesting nooks and eccentric crannies, too, all of which added personality to the room. Alas, those times have changed.
So I’ve found a designer magician to give you some ideas on how to convert a plain-Jane room into one with built-in visual interest. The living room we show here is a Manhattan apartment designed by Hal Adams, who tells me it was almost new and altogether plain when his clients moved in. They wanted a feeling of tradition and of solidity, and he has found clever ways to provide it — or at least the illusion that this is a grand old-fashioned apartment. Perhaps his sleight of hand will be helpful.
Widen and deepen doorways. Since you own the condo, reconstruction is not out of the question, and there’s no question that generous doorways and thick walls add to the grand-manor feeling. Designer Adams built the walls a foot or so forward to gain deep window reveals and enough space to sink the bookcase you see here.
Add stock wood moldings around the ceiling and floors and around all door and window openings. You’ll find the moldings in a variety of sizes and styles at any lumberyard. Buy them unfinished by the running foot and use a miter box to bevel for installation. If your room’s really generously proportioned, consider putting several moldings together to create a custom look.
Give walls the illusion of depth by painting first, then stippling or sponging with a slightly lighter or darker color of paint.
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