Hardwood Architrave

Why solid wood architrave?

Solid wood architrave frames a door or window and covers the joint between the lining and the plaster, which is never as tidy as anyone would like. In hardwood it survives being knocked by furniture on the way through a doorway, and the mitres at the head stay closed rather than opening as a softwood section dries out.

Hardwood or softwood architrave?

Most wooden architrave sold off the shelf is pine, which dents at ankle height and needs its knots sealed before paint. Hardwood holds the profile and the paint line. For a painted finish at a lower price, the same profiles run in MDF architrave.

Matching architrave to skirting

The usual rule is that door architrave sits narrower than the skirting it meets — 70mm against a 145mm board reads well, 95mm and up suits a tall period skirting. Every width here has its partner in the hardwood skirting boards, with dado rails and panel moulding to carry the same line round the walls.

Victorian, Georgian and Edwardian profiles

If you are working to a particular era, start with Victorian architrave for heavier ornament, Georgian architrave for restraint and proportion, or Edwardian architrave for the lighter lines that followed. Each spans both solid hardwood and MDF.