open floor plan foyer front door side lightsHere we have a really large, open floor plan/great room combo foyer with eighteen foot ceilings.

Without moldings to define the space it just felt like you were standing a big furniture warehouse.

My plan: Highlight all of the original artwork by turning the foyer into an art gallery by adding a functional picture rail molding.

My plan also included a bold wall color below the picture rail and a much lighter color above.

You can imagine my disappointment when I returned to the home after the painters had finished and saw this.

White walls.  Sigh.

foyer front door open floor plan with half circle window

The red wall you see at the end of the hall is this one right here.

Historic Hardware: A Decorating Opportunity Lost

Using picture rail molding to hang your artwork gives you the opportunity to add another layer of fine detail to your home in the form of the beautiful, historically accurate, period reproductions of picture hanging cords and hooks available from quite a number of antique hardware retailers.

I was sad to see all of this original artwork re-hung on wall hooks instead of the picture rail molding I installed.