An architrave is the moulded timber trim fixed around the frame of a doorway or window, covering the joint where the frame meets the surrounding wall, framing the opening, finishing it neatly, and protecting the plaster edges from knocks and damage over time.
Architraves are one of the smallest details in a room, but also one of the first things that reads as either properly finished or not quite right, because they sit at eye level around every door and most windows. When we fit new doors, replace windows or reconfigure a floor plan, matching the architrave to the rest of the house is part of getting the joinery to feel considered rather than an afterthought.
On period properties across London we regularly find openings where the architrave has been replaced at some point with a thin, flat modern profile that has nothing to do with the rest of the house. Reinstating a profile that suits the property’s age, and keeping it consistent from room to room, makes a noticeable difference to how finished the whole space feels.
An architrave is a moulded length of timber or MDF fixed around a door or window frame to cover the gap between the frame and the plaster, in the same way skirting covers the gap at floor level. Architraves are usually 70mm to 120mm wide, mitred at the corners, and painted, stained or finished to match the door and skirting in the room. Profiles range from a simple flat or chamfered edge to more elaborate period mouldings, and the choice generally follows the style and age of the property.
Where Architraves Are Used
Architraves appear around internal doors, external door openings on the inside face, and window reveals, wherever a timber frame meets a plastered wall. They hide the rough edge of the plaster and the fixings that hold the frame in place, giving the opening a crisp, defined outline. In a bespoke joinery project, we specify architrave profile and width alongside the doors themselves, so skirting, architrave and any panelling in the room work from the same design language rather than being chosen independently.
Edwardian Architrave
Edwardian architrave, typical of houses built roughly between 1901 and 1910, is generally simpler and flatter than the deep, heavily moulded architraves found in Victorian houses. Where a Victorian opening might carry a bold torus or ogee profile, Edwardian joinery tends towards more restrained, streamlined mouldings, reflecting the wider shift in the period towards lighter, less ornate interiors. It is worth checking before ordering replacement architrave for a period property, since fitting a heavier Victorian-style profile in an Edwardian house, or the reverse, can look subtly out of place even when the timber and finish are otherwise well matched.
Related Terms
Architrave is closely related to other period trim. See Skirting Board for the matching detail at floor level, Cornice for the equivalent moulding where wall meets ceiling, and Panelling for how architrave integrates with panelled walls around a doorway.
Planning a project that involves this? See our Bespoke Joinery service, or get in touch to talk it through.
