The Wood Trim of Victorian Houses

Victorian trim is complex and delicate.

Victorian trim is complex and delicate.

Painted ladies are not just women of the night. The term also refers to a colorful, intricate blend of architectural features found on many Victorian homes. This style is defined by craftsmanship and creativity on the exterior trim of the home. It's basic trim carpentry taken to the next level. Certain pieces of the elegant trim are easily identified while others have obscure names.

Corbels and Carvings

Nothing says Victorian like corbels. These graceful wooden support blocks go beyond function. They impart a regal look to porches, eaves or anywhere a cantilevered overhang has room for them. They are also used on opposing sides of support beams on porches. The basic corbel has a square back. One side fits flat against a vertical surface and one side fits tight against a horizontal surface at the top. The front of the corbel may be carved, scalloped, cut with a graceful french curve or all of the features combined. Victorian architecture is typically not complete without corbels.

Clark Gableboard

Gableboard, or bargeboard, (commonly referred to as "gingerbread" trim) is a type of fascia. It's typically carved into a pattern of scallops, dips, curves, swirls or a combination of graceful patterns. It's attached to the front of a gabled roof, and may be used in conjunction with corbels. Gableboard is one of the features that help define Victorian trim around the eaves. It's sometimes painted with colors that contrast with background colors on the home, or may simply be painted the same color to blend into the roof line or eaves.

Spindles in Proximity

Spindles are widely used in Victorian trim. Look for them lining the top of a porch, along a gabled end or anywhere along a roof or porch line. The spindles are typically part of a railing that can be short or tall. It can be functional or, as in the case of an angled eave or gable, nothing more than aesthetic. Spindles can have any number of carved or rounded profiles, and are usually placed in close proximity to each other to give the railing a complex, complicated appearance.

Shutters and Crowns

Not all Victorian trim is complicated. Simple shutters on either side of a window are also an important feature of exterior Victorian trim. Most often the shutters are simple architectural features and serve no other function than to adorn the window. They are typically painted in contrast to the color of the siding to make them stand out. Windows with shutters -- or even without shutters -- are sometimes capped off with cornice molding. It makes the window appear as if it has a crown. The combination of shutters with cornice molding is a typical example of Victorian trim.

Keystones and Ladies

One overlooked feature of Victorian trim includes the use of keystones. These angular blocks are used to join two different pieces of trim together, or simply placed at the conjunction of two roof lines. They are common in masonry, but when wooden keystones are added to Victorian trim, it helps to add complexity to the architecture. They can be simple angled blocks, or ornately carved with almost any design imaginable. Unless you're looking for them they might go unnoticed, sandwiched between two pieces of trim on a long roof line or gabled end, but when placed at the crown of two roof lines, keystones add the finishing touch to a painted lady.

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