Skirting boards and architraves are easy to overlook, yet they have a strong influence on how a room feels. Their width, thickness and level of detail can make an interior appear formal, relaxed, traditional or modern.
In New Zealand, these timber features often reflect the period in which a home was built. Villas tend to carry deeper, more decorative mouldings, while bungalows usually use broader but simpler profiles. State houses and modern homes generally favour cleaner lines.
What is the difference?
Skirting runs along the bottom of an interior wall. It covers the junction between the wall and floor while protecting the wall from knocks, cleaning equipment and everyday wear.
Architrave frames the sides and top of an interior door or window. It conceals the joint between the wall lining and the jamb, creating a finished transition.
Although they perform different jobs, skirting and architraves are usually selected together. They do not need to have identical profiles, but their proportions and details should relate to each other.
Villa-style profiles
New Zealand villas are known for generous stud heights, decorative interiors and substantial timber finishing.
Villa skirting boards are often tall and may feature curves, beads, steps or shadow lines. Architraves can carry similar details, creating a consistent frame around doors and windows.
These profiles suit rooms with high ceilings because their scale helps balance the height of the walls. A narrow modern skirting can look undersized in the same space.
When renovating a villa, it is worth checking several rooms before deciding which profile is original. Previous owners may have replaced mouldings in kitchens, bathrooms or altered areas while leaving the hallway or front rooms intact.
Bungalow-style profiles
Bungalows became popular in New Zealand during the early twentieth century. Their interiors generally moved away from some of the ornament found in earlier villas.
Heritage New Zealand describes the finishing timbers in a documented 1915 transitional villa as partially bevelled and much plainer than traditional villa mouldings. This reflects the wider shift towards bungalow design, which placed greater emphasis on simplicity and utility.
Bungalow skirting is often broad and solid, with a bevel, small step or restrained shaped edge. Architraves tend to follow the same substantial but less elaborate approach.
This style works well where a homeowner wants traditional proportions without highly decorative detailing.
Church-style profiles
“Church” is commonly used by timber manufacturers to describe a formal, traditional profile rather than one single nationally standardised shape.
Church-style skirting and architraves generally feature deeper steps, stronger shadow lines and more visible detail. They can suit churches, halls, heritage buildings and formal rooms where plain mouldings would lack presence.
Because the term can refer to several profiles, selections should always be confirmed using a drawing, catalogue reference or physical sample.
Chunky profiles
Chunky skirting uses greater height or thickness to give the base of a wall more visual weight. The face may be plain, bevelled or lightly stepped.
This style is particularly effective in large rooms and high-stud homes. It can also bridge traditional and contemporary interiors, providing generous proportions without ornate curves.
Thicker architraves may be paired with chunky skirting, but care is needed where the two meet. The junction should be planned so one profile does not project awkwardly beyond the other.
Fancy and decorative profiles
Fancy profiles use combinations of beads, curves, rebates and steps to create a more detailed finish. They are often chosen for villa renovations, feature rooms and interiors intended to retain a strong period character.
The surrounding architecture should guide the selection. An elaborate profile may look convincing in a formal hallway but out of place in a modest cottage or mid-century home.
Decorative mouldings also collect more paint around their fine details. During restoration, heavy paint build-up can disguise the original shape and should not automatically be treated as part of the profile.
Square and bevelled profiles
Square-edged and bevelled mouldings are common in newer homes, renovated state houses and contemporary interiors.
A square profile creates a clean, simple line. A bevelled or splayed edge softens the transition while remaining understated. These styles are generally easier to paint and clean than deeply moulded alternatives.
Simple does not necessarily mean small. A tall square skirting can create a strong architectural effect without decorative detail.
Custom-matched profiles
Standard mouldings will not suit every renovation. Older New Zealand homes can contain profiles that vary from room to room or were produced by a regional joiner many decades ago.
Where an exact match is needed, a sound original sample can be measured and converted into a machining profile. Overall dimensions, curves, steps and rebates must be recorded accurately, with allowances made for wear and paint build-up.
Botica Timber can produce custom skirting and architrave profiles from a sample, drawing or measurements, including church, chunky and decorative styles across a range of timber species.
Choosing the right style
Before ordering, consider:
- The home’s age and architectural style
- Ceiling height and room size
- Existing original profiles
- Skirting and architrave thickness
- The junction between the two mouldings
- Door jamb and wall-lining dimensions
- Timber species and moisture condition
- Whether the finish will be painted, stained or clear coated
The best profile is not always the most detailed. Good skirting and architraves should feel connected to the proportions and character of the home, providing a quiet visual framework for the rooms around them.
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