10 Best Door Trim Ideas For Interiors And Exteriors

What Is A Door Trim?

During the building of a home, there are often gaps left in doorways that can be visually unappealing. By installing door trim, you can cover these gaps and add a sense of elegance and formality to your space. Also known as door casing, you can use door trim in both interior and exterior doorways, and you can use different textures and styles to complement the design of your home.

At HB ELEMENTS, we install door trim and window trim, and we work with both new and older homes, replacing old door trim to refresh your space. So, if your doorways are looking a little worse for wear, you can always replace your door trim and instantly elevate your space.

What Is The Best Door Trim For Your Home?

When choosing the best door trim for your home, you can use your existing interior trim and window trim to gauge which style is already present in your home. For your front door, it’s best to match your exterior door trim to the rest of your home’s exterior, including your existing exterior window trim. If you want to understand which door casing style is best for your home, it’s best that you first understand the distinction between mitered casings and butted door casings.

Mitred Ends

Mitered casings are seamless, and the side casings line up perfectly with the top casing in an angled joint. These angled joints (mitered joints) create the look of a seamless corner surrounding your interior door or exterior door. Mitered ends can be simple, or you can opt for more complex and intricate woodwork to add texture.

Butted Ends

The butted door casing does not have angled joints. Instead, the top section of the door casing is placed directly onto the side casings. The top section can be wider or be angled to be wider, at the top. Butted door casing helps draw your attention upwards to the top of the door trim, making this style ideal for homes with high ceilings.

Mitred Vs. Butted Ends

If you’re wondering which door trim style would be better for your home, it’s best to analyze your home’s current style. Consider whether your home’s style is classic, rustic, modern, or dramatic. Butted ends generally reflect a traditional or rustic feel on interior doors. They are ideal for homes with higher ceilings, whereas mitered door trim is more understated and works well on homes with a contemporary and understated minimalist look.

Door Trims’ Materials

When it comes to choosing which door trim ideas will be best for your home, you must consider the material and the design. There are a few options you can choose from, and it’s best to opt for the style that will best suit your home and also the material that will be the most durable.

Solid Wood

Solid wood casing is one of the most popular door trim materials, as it is not susceptible to warping from moisture. The solid wood won’t streak when stained, and the joints will be seamless, so as not to interrupt the pattern in the wood. Wood can be left unpainted and add a rustic feel to your home, whereas darker trim colors can make your home feel more vintage.

MDF

Multi-density fiberboard casing consists of sawdust and resin, and you can often cover it with wood veneer and stain it to your taste. MDF can expand when exposed to water, making it unsuitable for use in areas prone to dampness, or bathrooms. MDF is more expensive than plywood and can be complicated to install.

Plywood

Plywood is similar to MDF and comes primed ready for painting. This is one of the most popular options for door trim. Before choosing plywood for your door trim, you need to know that staining plywood will not hide the joints, but, if you do decide to paint it, the joints will blend seamlessly for an immaculate finish.

How To Replace Door Trims

If your current door trim has deteriorated due to damp or old age, it might be a good idea to invest in some new door trim for your home. Your interior door will look fresher and cleaner, and your home will get the refresh it needs.

Here’s how to replace the door trim in your home.

Remove Old Or Deteriorated Door Trims

The first step in replacing an interior door trim is to remove any old or deteriorated door trims. You must first remove the door hinges. Then, you can remove the door frame, gently ripping the old trim from that door frame. You should dispose of the old trim as you go.

Use The Proper Tools For Removing Baseboards

You should remove your baseboards and old trim using the nail end of a hammer, slotting the hook under the wood surface, and gently pry it from the wall.

Measure, Cut, And Remove Hard Edges

Once you have removed the old wood, you must measure the door frame and remove any hard edges caused by residual wood and wood glue. Measure your doorway from the inside corner down to where the doorway meets the floor. Measure the top of the doorway similarly. You want the edges of your new trim to align perfectly once you have installed them. Then, cut the boards in line with the measurements you have just taken.

Install Decorative Doorway Cases

Once you have cut your boards accordingly, it’s time to install them. You can install your doorway cases using a nail gun. Remember, you don’t want to use too many nails, as you will have to fill all of the holes later, and you don’t want to make the job harder for yourself. Try to position the nails as close to the edge of the siding as possible, without disturbing the pattern, as this positioning will help you to secure the casing using fewer nails. Once you have attached your new interior door trim, it’s time to fill the nail holes using wood filler and then you can either paint or stain your new, decorative door casing.

If you’re not a fan of DIY, or simply can’t find the time for a new project, our door trim experts at HB ELEMENTS can replace your old interior or exterior door trim with both ease and perfect results. Don’t hesitate to get in touch. A minor refurbishment can make all the difference when it comes to the visual appeal of your home.

10 Amazing Door Trim Ideas For Interiors And Exteriors

We have come up with these 10 fantastic doors trim ideas for your home to provide you with some inspiration. Check out these gorgeous interior door trim ideas! If you still need a little more inspiration, you can also check out this list of the top 50 best interior door trim ideas.

Minimalist Design

A minimalist design can help you to achieve that simple and clean look in your home. The minimalist design does not have any intricate details, and you can make them look even more intentionally bare by using butted casings.

Victorian Design

The Victorian design is one of the most decadent interior doors trim ideas. A Victorian casing design is intricately carved and can create a classic, sophisticated, and elegant look in your home. A Victorian casing design often has circular carvings at the corners and is fluted to provide a complex texture. The Victorian design suits hardwood casing, and you can paint them in many colors.

Colonial Design

Colonial designs have raised edges and are traditionally mitered casings. The colonial design is simple yet textured, with cove and bead casing, and it can help to provide an elegant and classic feel to your home. Like the Victorian design, the colonial design looks excellent as stained wood casing or looks good painted in a color of your choosing.

Country Decor Design

If you’d like more rustic interior door trim ideas, a country decorative trim might suit you. Country decor design is a simple butted design with an ornamental design on the top section. Country decor design can help to add a cozy feel to your space and looks good in both wood, white, and beige colors.

Rustic Home Style

The rustic home style is simple and usually has little to no embellishment on the door trim boards. When thinking of interior door trim ideas that would suit a no-frills, earthy decor, the rustic home-style makes an excellent choice, particularly when you opt for a hardwood interior door trim.

Craftsman Design

The craftsman-style interior door trim is characterized by the thick border framing the door. The Craftsman design works well on an exterior or front door, for a sturdy, classic look. The thickness of this trim makes it ideal for painting in bold, darker colors, as it can add dimension to your space, creating a lot of character with a simple change.

Square-Edged Style

The square-edged style is simple and sophisticated, perfect for homes with a minimalist design or homes with a busy interior that doesn’t necessarily need an extra statement feature. The square-edged style is thin and understated and is usually in the mitered fashion.

Beach Style

Beach-style door trim is usually in the butted composition, with a pattern on the top piece of the interior door trim. The top part usually has a simple bead casing pattern, with only one layer of texture. This look is simple yet classic and can be used as interior door trim and exterior door trim in your beach-style home.

European Design

If you’re looking for a genuinely luxurious trim for your door, you might opt for the European design. You could choose a greek design with the cyma recta embellishment or opt for a renaissance leaf pattern. Either way, you’re sure to achieve a decadent and intricate look for your home.

Arched Design

If you wish to have an arched doorway, this can add a lot of character to your home. The arched design is available with mitered corners and butted corners. You can choose any material or pattern with an arched design, to ensure the doorway matches your other door casings.