Millwork 101: An Inside Look at Its Artistry

interior with millwork

Whether you’re restoring, renovating, or building from the ground-up, utilizing a millwork specialist is what offers not only the finishing touches, but the grounding elements to your home. We asked four scouted millwork specialists across the country to share the importance and significance of their craft, and explain why this artisanal element is the ultimate icing on your home. To find a millwork expert near you, browse The Scout Guide Directory.

millwork interiorMillwork by Hull Works. Photography by Stephen Karlish. 

Know your terminology. “Millwork is custom-made woodwork that is fabricated either in a mill shop or onsite and then installed within a home by very experienced trim carpenters,” explains Catherine Purple Cherry, AIA, LEED-AP, founder and principal of Purple Cherry Architects based in Charlottesville and Middleburg, Virginia and Annapolis, Maryland. The term encompasses a number of applications, including built-in cabinets and shelving, wall paneling, staircase detailing, crown molding, coffered ceilings, trim pieces, among others. “The development of custom millwork is a highly creative process involving the design, fabrication, and installation—often by hand—of these beautiful embellishments. In essence, creating custom millwork offers the opportunity to turn a piece of natural wood into practically any design you might envision,” she says.  

millwork interiorMillwork by Purple Cherry. Photography by Durston Saylor.

Going custom makes a big impression. When you’re executing a beautiful, well-designed home, bringing in an artisan who creates custom millwork is what will set your home apart from the rest. “This level of detail adds a level of character to the interior and exterior of a home that you can’t typically find with materials in your large retail lumber yards,” explains Kyle Treloar, project manager at Hollingsworth Design in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. “Having someone who is knowledgeable in both materials and style of your project is important to a holistically well-designed space.”

millwork interiorMillwork by Purple Cherry. Photography by Durston Saylor.

Keep up with current trends in real time. Another benefit of going with custom millwork vs. a large lumberyard, Andy Hanbury, president and owner of Wood Stile Palm Beach in Palm Beach, Florida, explains, is an artisan shop’s ability to implement new trends, or a specific client request, instead of being limited to mass-produced styles that were designed years ago. Additionally, supply chain delays are still very real with larger cabinet companies, and a custom shop can get it done much faster. 

millwork interiorMillwork by Hull Works. Photography by Stephen Karlish.

Opt for a design expert to realize your vision. Purple Cherry explains that there are many steps that go into the final millwork project, but the first involves the vision of a skilled design professional. “In order to fabricate custom millwork, a detailed set of shop drawings must be developed, either hand-sketched or for more intricate elements, 3D models are created,” she explains. “These are then provided to a millwork shop, who creates the full set of shop drawings.”  

millwork interiorMillwork by Purple Cherry. Photography by David Burroughs.

The right wood choice matters. When you hire an expert architect or millwork shop, Brent Hull, founder/owner of Hull Millwork and Hull Homes in Fort Worth, Texas, explains that a part of what you’re paying for is knowledge about wood species. For example, pine used today by mass window and door companies will last five to 10 years because the wood quality is low. An expert will search for wood that is old growth, will stand the test of time, and has a history of being decay and rot resistant. You may pay a bit more for these options, but you are more likely to get a lifetime’s use—or more—out of them. Hanbury further details with wood finishes coming back in vogue, working with an artisan who not only knows which wood works best for each situation, but is also able to source desirable varieties like Italian sycamore, European white oak, and pecky cypress, is key. 

millwork interiorMillwork by Purple Cherry. Photography by Durston Saylor.

Architectural details tell your story. When you’re restoring an older home, or replicating a specific architectural style, Hull explains that the most expressive determinant of the style of a house is the millwork on columns, molding, stairs, and paneled rooms. Whether it’s French (Parisian or Country), English, or American, Victorian, Federal, or Georgian, all of the millwork will be unique to the style and time period. Working with a designer, you can complete that story through paint, window coverings, and furniture choices. “But it’s the execution of artisan millwork that will determine the success of you being able to tell a period story,” he shares. 

millwork interiorinteriorMillwork by Hull Works. Photography by Stephen Karlish.

Cozy up large spaces. Purple Cherry finds one of the greatest benefits of custom millwork is its ability to humanize the large-scale spaces found throughout a home. “Layering custom millwork adds complexity to walls and ceilings and is significant in helping to break down a large-scale space into a human-scale room,” she explains. Beautiful millwork details help divert attention away from overall gross heights or dimensions and refocuses it on the beauty of the microscopic design. This generates a real emotional feeling of warmth, comfort, and hominess within an environment. 

millwork exteriorMillwork by Hollingsworth Design. Photography by Kyle Treloar.

Feature photo: Millwork by Hull Works; Photography by Stephen Karlish. TSG Tip 445 from Catherine Purple Cherry, AIA, LEED-AP, founder and principal of Purple Cherry Architects based in Charlottesville, Virginia; Kyle Treloar, project manager at Hollingsworth Design in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Andy Hanbury, president and owner of  Wood Stile Palm Beach in Palm Beach, Florida; and Brent Hull, founder/owner of Hull Millwork and Hull Homes in Fort Worth, Texas. Purple Cherry Architects appears in The Scout Guide Charlottesville and The Scout Guide Hunt Country. Hollingsworth Design appears in The Scout Guide Baton Rouge. Wood Stile Palm Beach appears in The Scout Guide Fort Worth. Hull Millwork and Hull Homes appears in The Scout Guide Palm Beach.