An earthy oasis achieves added depth and texture in this living room with picture frame molding. The molding spans the entire back wall, separated into smaller squares on the bottom and larger rectangles on the upper half. The walls are left bare to let the architectural feature shine, with decor instead coming through in the plants and furnishings.
30 Picture Frame Molding Ideas To Give Your Walls Character
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Published: January 19, 2024
Updated: December 27, 2023
We often spruce up our walls with a fresh coat of paint or a new piece of artwork. But wall trim is a great way to infuse elegance, too. Picture frame molding, in particular, is a type of decorative trim set in a square or rectangular shape — hence the name. The design is often found in historic homes and formal designs. “Wall trim and molding add character and charm to any room,” says Naïka Andre, head designer and founder of NJA Interiors. “It’s a beautiful way to give any space a finished look.”
Picture frame molding is used as a decorative element on its own; however, it can also be used to actually frame art or as a backdrop for your favorite pieces. There are many styling options for picture frame molding, but in general, it can evoke a particular vibe or era. “Spaces that opt out of using molding tend to read more modern and contemporary,” Andre explains. Still, if you’re looking for depth, picture frame molding fits the bill, regardless of your design style. Ready to give your walls an update? Check out our gallery of the best picture frame molding ideas to inspire you.
02 of Traditional Bedroom With Picture Frame Molding
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Picture frame molding naturally lends itself to traditional design since the feature is common in historic homes. Here, the back wall of the bedroom is accessorized in picture frame molding with varying sizes of rectangular shapes. The design even extends to the door, which features rectangular panels. The whole space is shrouded in a dove gray hue to soothe the senses.
03 of Regal Picture Frame Molding
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The dining room is another space that commonly features wainscoting. Here, a formal dining room amps up its sophistication with widely spaced picture frame molding. The center square frames a piece of artwork, while the two rectangles bookend it and frame symmetrical pendants. This creates a clean, regal look that’s sure to impress.
04 of Elegant Millwork in Classic Home
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Elegance abounds in this cottage-style vignette. The intricacies of picture frame molding complement Parisian-style spaces beautifully, as they inject a dose of grace and refinement. This space lets the walls shine, bringing in pops of color through vintage furnishings and pretty florals set against it.
05 of Modern Picture Frame Molding on Walls
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Picture frame molding is often incorporated in more traditional spaces, but it can also work great in modern spaces. Here, a simple rectangular trim decorates the living room’s back wall. The clean lines riff off the geometric tables and provide a perfect frame for a large piece of artwork to take center stage.
06 of Balanced Nursery With Wall Trim
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Equal parts cute and classy, this nursery is the perfect spot for kids and adults alike to enjoy. Painted in deep charcoal, the trim offers depth and a grounding feel. Plush items like a cozy chair and a high-pile rug decorate the space to help balance out the refinement.
07 of Moody Picture Frame Molding With Artwork
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Picture frame molding gets a moody treatment in this bedroom, which is painted a deep gray hue to match the bedding and furnishings. The bed frame is crafted with industrial lines matching the molding design. Note that a piece of artwork hangs on top of the bed over the molding as if it’s not there — proof that you don’t have to frame artwork within wall trim and can instead work around it.
08 of Symmetrical Bedroom Inspiration
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Picture frame molding provides an ideal backdrop to this bedroom. Two rectangles bookend the walls, essentially offering a template to align the nightstands. Meanwhile, a shorter rectangle spans the center top portion of the wall, optimally highlighting the bed frame. The molding as a whole creates a satisfyingly symmetrical space.
09 of Cozy Farmhouse-style Nook
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This farmhouse-style space gets a healthy dose of wall ornamentation through millwork, so there’s not a lot of artwork needed to embellish the space further. Rather, decorative elements are brought in through throw pillows and wooden furnishings, which provide textural contrast.
10 of Hotel-inspired Sage Bedroom
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This bedroom feels like a hotel room with an elegant accent wall and minimal decor. The design features wide, roomy rectangles, making the area feel spacious. Plus, it’s coated in a deep sage green for extra drama. Ambient lamps help highlight the design and illuminate the dark hue.
11 of Pink Picture Frame Molding to Display Artwork
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Picture frame molding allows for a natural gallery wall in this room, with artwork neatly framed within each rectangle. The molding is painted over in a muted pink, providing richness to make the wall stand out without overbearing the space. Striped pillows play off the molding’s lines, while black and white hues are dotted around the furnishings to match the artwork.
12 of Grouped Gallery Wall Decor
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Another take on a gallery wall, several pieces of artwork are grouped together and placed within the center frame of this wall. To the left, a larger portrait sits in another frame. The molding is the perfect vessel to achieve the look, as it easily consolidates the different groups together.
13 of Soothing Dining Room in Neutral Shades
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A rustic, earthy space gets an elegant facelift with picture frame molding on the back wall. The center rectangle is larger than the two on either side, creating a sense of spaciousness. A console is placed against the wall to draw attention and incorporate more decorative elements.
14 of Dainty Bedroom With Mixed Patterns
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Patterns can mix when done right. In this bedroom, the back wall is finished in a dainty triangular print wallpaper. To keep the elegant look while adding depth, the adjacent wall is embellished with classic molding. It’s kept white to match the creamy tones, and the simple lines don’t distract from the back wall’s design — allowing for the best of both worlds.
15 of Modern Design With Picture Frame Molding
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Picture frame molding offers a clean silhouette to center a console in this living space. The console is slightly wider than the width of the center rectangle, making it an easy fit. A lamp and ceramic vase bookend the console to highlight the lines. Plus, artwork hangs above it to further emphasize the molding’s rectangular shape.
16 of Sweet Child’s Room With Classic Details
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Kids’ rooms are such sweet spaces to decorate, and millwork offers an easy opportunity to put items on display. The top rectangle panel in this room houses multiple pieces, including artwork and a fabric flower. Butterfly accessories embellish the spaces between the molding for a whimsical look.
17 of Modern, Parisian-inspired Living Room
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A lavish mirror, ornate hearth, and traditional furnishings meet their match for an exquisite space with wall panels. The architectural feature immediately adds sophistication, which pairs well with more refined Parisian styles. Wall-mounted light fixtures are placed within the molding for symmetry and added embellishment.
18 of Contemporary Dining Room With Millwork
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A clean-lined travertine table and rattan chairs are complemented by the sleek lines of picture frame molding in this dining room. The center molding is wide and spacious, while the outer molding is narrower and shorter to frame the windows. Organic vases and decor offer more rounded shapes to balance the space out.
19 of Teal and Wood Staircase
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Teal picture frame molding envelops this staircase, creating a color-blocked look to highlight the depth of the walls and the height of the stairs. Plants and warm wood on the floor and handrail help infuse the space with organic warmth. Meanwhile, a sliver of white is kept at the top to match the ceiling and surrounding walls.
20 of Olive Bedroom With Floral Accent Wall
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Playing off the olive green tones in the wallpaper, the same hue pours over the adjacent wall’s molding for a sense of cohesion. The rectangular panels match the paneling on the door, which is also painted in olive green. This results in an earthy, floral theme that works great for a kid’s room.
21 of Contemporary Picture Frame Molding Idea
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To add visual interest to this contemporary space, simple picture frame molding is placed on either side of the television. The wide panels keep the room feeling open and airy. The subtle addition emphasizes the minimalist look rather than detracting from it, as artwork or other decor might have done.
22 of Minimalist White Living Room
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Want another minimalist idea? Regarding this style, you don’t want the walls to feel crowded. Millwork offers a way to infuse a room with charm without relying on your decor. Here, the molding is made up of rectangles that span the full height of the walls — elevating the appearance of the ceiling’s height. The large format used throughout helps maintain the minimalist tone.
23 of Softened Living Room With Organic Accents
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Picture frame molding can feel refined with its clean lines, but it doesn’t have to feel stuffy. Here, faux fur rugs drape over the floors and seating to soften the space. Organic elements like wood beams and a ficus tree ground the space by bringing in more imperfect grains and textures found in nature.
24 of Contrasted Picture Frame Molding Idea
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For more drama, you can paint the trim itself a different color than the actual wall. In this living room, for instance, the molding is kept white to stand out against the baby blue walls. It creates a pretty spot to hang artwork above the dresser while also acting as its own decor.
25 of DIY Project for an Elevated Living Room
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Wood filler, caulking, and molding sheers are all you need to DIY wall trim. It’s what the owner did in this living room, where tall rectangles line the top and smaller rectangles line the bottom portion of the wall. It adds dimension to the light and airy space, allowing the furnishings to get their spotlight in the room’s interior design.
26 of Dusty Rose Parisian Living Room
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Intricate Parisian-style trim forms the panels in this living room, keeping in theme with the elegant furnishings throughout. The decorative mirror and pillar play into the elaborate look. The hearth and ceiling are painted a dusty rose to make the walls, and especially the molding, stand out.
27 of Picture Frame Molding in Dark Bedroom
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A moody swath of paint instantly creates a sense of coziness. The inky hue makes this bedroom more intimate, grounding the senses and tying into the bedding’s dark shades. Picture frame molding can help visually break up a dark wall, preventing it from becoming overwhelming. Note that a moody gallery wall is placed over the molding to make it pop out.
28 of Classic White Living Room With Molding
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Varied rectangular shapes span the back of this living room to create an accent wall that doesn’t feel too rigid. A piece of artwork is framed right in the center as a showpiece. Meanwhile, more color comes in through the throws and pillows since the walls are a classic white hue.
29 of Detailed Molding in Feminine Sitting Room
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Trim can always benefit from extra ornamentation, especially in a frilly, femme space like this living room. The rectangular panel features lines that don’t quite meet, topped with an elaborate crown decoration. The unique design helps separate the reading nook from the rest of the space. as well as add flair.
30 of Home Office With Encapsulated Picture Frame Molding
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Another creative take on wall molding, this space features large rectangles that encapsulate smaller shapes with inverted corners. The design appears sleek, exuding a contemporary feel, which works great in professional settings like this home office. Rectangular artwork sits in each frame to match the shapes.
