What Is Finish Work and Knowing When To Use It — KINDRED HOMESTEAD (2024)

We may not all be familiar with the coined term, “finish work” when it comes to interior design lingo but I assure you, all of you KNOW what finish work is. Like it sounds…finish work describes anything that is used to “finish” off your home (i.e. trim work, crown moulding, window casings, millwork, shiplap, paneling, coffered ceilings etc). All of these things are typically found in a home BUT they aren’t necessarily a “necessity” of building a home.

While we’ve become accustomed to finish work like trim work and door casings some of the items I listed above are the “extra extras,” the the accessories of your outfit. If you know what I mean? They are what make your space go from plain Jane to glam! But like anything extra, most of these glamorous add ons come with a high price because of the craftsmanship involved. I mean you can always try to DIY them yourself but some craftsmanship is worth hiring a professional for. Here are some great examples of finish work being used.

Wall Paneling & Shiplap Ceilings

As you can see, finish work takes a space and instantly elevates it. It draws you in to its character, charm, and detail. I talked in my most recent blog post about paint and using bold colors - but back in the day, paint, as well as, these different types of finishing work were signs of wealth. And you can see why!

But if you’re thinking about using finish work in your home, it’s important to know when to you use it. Like anything…you can always have too much of a good thing if not used in the “properly.” That’s why I always tell people that the best place to implement finish work are in spaces that have a real clear start and end point.

Meaning, adding finish work in a large open concept space is hard to do because there is no real start and end point. You would just have to continue this finish work and it could end up looking like tooooo much of a beautiful thing or make your space look choppy if you don’t follow through with it. That’s why I like to advise that spaces like: the entryway of your home, an office (or library), the living room, or a master bedroom or any main bedroom are perfect locations for adding finishing work to. Having finish work in pockets of your home like this (unless you have a incredibly large 150 year old mansion like Jean Stoffer where finish work was built into the bones of the home) adds interest, character, and charm without making it feel too overwhelming.

I also think it’s important to note that knowing the style of your home is important. You wouldn’t add a bunch of country, cottage-y charm like coffered ceilings and intricate crown moulding to a mid-century modern built house right? That just wouldn’t be cohesive with the bones of the home. So knowing your home and it’s history is key to implementing the perfect finish work in your space.

I hope this was helpful and if you need any other useful tips and tricks when designing your space check out my Guide to Choosing the Right White Paint, as well as, the 6 Moody Paint Colors that You Need In Your Home.