Selling your home can be both difficult and stressful. Even in prosperous times, home owners usually wait months before they sell their home to another family. If the housing market in an area is suffering, home owners wait even longer. It is not unusual for homes to be on the market for years. If a homeowner is relocating because of a new job, this causes major problems. Sometimes, individuals are forced to make two house payments. They live in their new house in a new town and hope desperately for their old home to sell. If you need to sell your home quickly, there is a way for you to increase your Read the rest of this entry »
Increase Your Home’s Value with Trim Moulding
February 18th, 2010
Just Moulding Opens Franchise in Washinton, DC
January 20th, 2010January 11, 2010 – Gaithersburg, MD – Just Moulding’s second franchise recently opened for business in Washington, DC. Homeowners in the District, Prince George’s County and the City of Alexandria will now have a company they can call on to design and install high quality trim carpentry in any room. Whatever the application, custom crown moulding will make a dramatic improvement in any room, in addition to increasing a home’s value for less than the cost of quality carpet, yet lasts a lifetime.
Natalie Dhakhwa is the owner of the Washington, DC location. Dhakhwa, 35, has a sales and marketing background and left Read the rest of this entry »
Family Justice Center Open House
December 21st, 2009Family Justice Center Open House
“I had a dream and you made it a reality. Thank you so much for that, not only for myself, but for all the victims in Montgomery County who come here.”
These are kind words to me from Jo Ann Ricchiuti, of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office regarding the lobby at the Family Justice Center in Rockville, MD. The Family Justice Center was created to provide a “one-stop shop” for domestic violence victims seeking assistance.
I had the privilege of working as a volunteer with Jo Ann to help design the lobby of the Family Justice Center. I had such mixed feelings about the project – I was honored to participate, and at the same time I was so sad knowing that a facility such as this was needed in Montgomery County. The goal was to create a lobby that made its visitors feel welcome and safe.
Knowing that I could not do this alone, I recruited several of my trusty sources to assist with this endeavor. My many thanks go out to Homer Mitrakas, painter extraordinaire, Steve Bournias of SCB Woodworking, and Kevin Wales of Just Moulding. Homer painted the entire lobby, Steve constructed an arch to camouflage the metal detector, and Kevin donated their time to install wainscot moulding throughout the lobby.
Just Moulding Sells A Franchise In Richmond, VA!
November 30th, 2009Good news! We sold our first franchise in the great state of Virginia. I’ll post more details after the ink dries.
Just Moulding Launches New Media Campaign
July 6th, 2009Just Moulding is pleased to announce the launch of its new media campaign – The Beauty of Innovation.
This campaign will cover print, display, online, franchise branding and advertising. The campaign was designed by EMM Creative, the company behind the Next Day Blinds ads. We are extremely excited about the positive feedback we’ve received about the latest designs and will continue to enhance the campaign over the years to come.
Just Moulding – The Beauty of Innovation
Just Moulding Opens New World Headquarters
January 29th, 2009
January 29, 2009 – Gaithersburg, MD
Mayor Sidney Katz has proclaimed Jan 29, 2009 as Just Moulding Day in the City of Gaithersburg, MD. Company Founders Mark Rubin and Kevin Wales held a ribbon cutting ceremony along with an open house and tour of their newly expanded franchising headquarters and training facility.
The new facility which is more than twice the size of the original Just Moulding office will support a national call center handling all inbound customer communications including lead qualification, opportunity scheduling, customer support, franchise sales, and general information requests. In addition, this facility has the production capacity to fabricate moulding for several regional franchises. The facility is also a state of the art training center at which all new franchisees will learn the Just Moulding systems, processes, and techniques.
Approximately 40 investors, clients, vendors, and business partners attended the event.
Just Moulding Starts Expanding
December 29th, 2008GAITHERSBURG, Md., Dec. 29 /PRNewswire/ — Just Moulding, a home improvement company founded in 2005 by Mark Rubin and Kevin Wales is now offering franchise opportunities to potential franchisees across the U.S. Recently, the company sold its first franchise, which is located in Boston, and will open in early 2009. In addition, Just Moulding moved into a new corporate office space with a state-of-the-art workshop.
“We are excited about the many things that are happening with our company in all areas. As our local business grows, our new headquarters and workshop will support the increase in business as well as being used to support our franchisees, and we are thrilled that our first franchise will be launching in the coming weeks in Boston,” said Mark Rubin, CEO. The new location will house a training facility, franchise support and a centralized call center.
With fluctuations in the market for new home sales, more homeowners are choosing to invest in their current home. “Consumers are predicted to continue spending money on their homes, and our concept focuses on existing homes, which may be a little older and in need of renovations or some additional personality,” explains Rubin. “Plus, the average moulding job is in a much lower price range compared to a more extensive remodeling like an addition or kitchen renovation.”
Boston was selected as the first franchise location because it is a city with traditional taste in design and architecture. Boston is also a key market where homeowners are keen on adding value to their homes. Once the Boston franchise opens, Just Moulding expects to expand with more locations in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast US. “Our goal is to open 5 – 10 Just Moulding franchises in 2009,” says Wales.
About Just Moulding
Just Moulding is a niche concept in the in-home service industry segment. The company offers custom design and installation of interior architectural mouldings such as crown, chair rail and wainscoting in homes and commercial facilities such as hotels and offices. The concept is based on using an effective, well-designed system to measure and install moulding. These advanced processes and techniques differentiate Just Moulding from competitors. Whatever the application, Just Moulding will add value and elegance to any room.
For more information contact Claudine Rubin, Director of Marketing at 877-377-6922, or visit www.justmoulding.com. For franchise inquiries, visit http://www.justmoulding.com/franchising/
Give a Room a Crown
December 28th, 2008An investment of $300 to $500 a room can set a home’s “tone.”
By Margaret Loftus
U.S. News & World Report
If you’re not up for spending five figures on home renovations, consider a smaller fix, like decorative molding. While many new homes include at least some trim, others are left bare, with nary a window casing in sight. “Trim work can really add interest, depth, and sophistication to your house,” says RealEstate.com’s consumer expert Holly Slaughter, “and put money back in your pocket at resale.”
An investment of $300 to $500 per room ($8 to $12 per foot) to install crown molding, for example, can help set the “tone” of a home, giving it a more finished feel. “When you’re comparing two houses, the one with the crown molding is going to show better,” says Steve Berges, author of 101 Cost-Effective Ways to Increase the Value of Your Home (Kaplan Publishing; $18.95).
But this is not a do-it-yourself project. Unless you’re handy with a compound miter saw and have a mind for geometry, you’re better off leaving installation to the pros. Kevin Wales, president of Just Moulding in the Washington, D.C., area, says he often gets calls from homeowners who’ve made a couple of attempts themselves. “They buy 120 feet of material and realize they’ve done it all backwards.” He explains that crown molding has to be cut upside down and backwards at a 38- or 45-degree angle. Complicating matters is that few ceilings and walls meet at exactly 90 degrees. The carpenters at Just Moulding cut the trim in their shop with high-tech equipment, turning most jobs around in one day. Wales suggests asking at your local lumberyard for recommendations on specialists.
Before you get your checkbook out, however, make sure you choose a molding that jibes with the architectural style of your home. “Suppose you have a Mediterranean revival house and you throw in a crown mold that is more appropriate in a colonial house,” says Paul Winans, chairman of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. “You’ve lowered the value.” As a general rule of thumb, mission or craftsman-style homes look best with the cleaner lines of plain-profile trim. Save the fancy molding, like wainscoting and multiple-piece crown, for more traditional homes.
This story appears in the December 25, 2006 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.
Mad About Molding
November 7th, 2008Scope out the wide variety of molding styles and start accessorizing your walls
By Amy Rose Dobson
When it comes to molding, people are beginning to think outside the crown. While elaborate moldings add beauty and sophistication to the traditional homes they adorn, the selection is no longer limited to stacked, intricate designs.
Choose a style
Richard Feldman, of Just Moulding in Gaithersburg, Md., says homeowners use molding to quickly upgrade the look of a room without having to invest a lot of time, money and hassle. They can choose something as simple as a clean-lined 1-by-8-inch or 1-by-10-inch size, perhaps with a simple backband. Or they can go the distance and have wainscoting installed all around the room.
Feldman adds that homeowners often don’t realize that molding can mean much more than trimming the perimeter of the room. “We can do a lot with doors and windows too. For doorways we can put headers across the top and place an ornamental shelf that complements the rest of the room. Windows can stand out a lot more if they have trim around them rather than just drywall.”
Molding can also be used on the inside of a tray ceiling or to create fireplace mantles. Feldman says another dramatic use for molding is to create a paneling effect on the side of a staircase. A few pieces of molding can completely transform the overall impact of the stairs.
Molding can be made from wood, PVC, polystyrene, medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and other materials. In some of the homes around the Capitol Hill neighborhood in Washington, D.C., you might find old plaster molding from England. That is very expensive, however, and thus, difficult to replace or repair.
Make it match
When deciding which type of molding to incorporate, consider things such as style, proportion and consistency throughout the house. If you remove or add a new wall, it is best to match what is in the other rooms. Scott MacIntyre, of MacIntyre Painting in Silver Spring, Md., often encounters molding when repainting a home. A bulk of his jobs require repairing or painting existing molding in an effort to unify the appearance of the walls with the outdated or worn trim work. According to MacIntyre, people are becoming slightly more adventurous when it comes to color, but for the most part moldings tend to come in the traditional colors of white and off-white. However, homes with a natural-wood look are best off choosing stained options to remain consistent.
Whatever colors your walls, adding accents will bring in a new level of sophistication. During your next remodel, be sure to take a closer look at molding choices to find the option that suits your style best.
Above and Beyond
June 1st, 2008Take Your Ceiling to New Heights
Written by Kelli Rosen Photography by Morgan
Howarth
When artist John Kiernan, principal of Blue Line Studios, was
commissioned last year to design a custom ceiling treatment for a
Leesburg, VA, home’s two-story library, he knew it was the
ideal project to flex his creative muscles. “The homeowner
wanted a mural based on American history and discovery, based on
books she read as a child,” Kiernan says from his studio in
Warrenton, VA. “My vision was to give it the feel of the face
of a grandfather clock with a gilded compass rose,” he says
of the magnificent ceiling pictured above.
Adorned with incredibly detailed images including Christopher
Columbus, Galileo, Native Americans, and the Wright Brothers, the
exquisite painting even incorporates the night sky with a
constellation pattern, complete with fiber-optic lighting,
identical to the night the homeowner and her husband were married
back in 1985. “It was amazing to see their faces as the mural
progressed,” he recalls. “The most exciting time was
when the scaffold was removed and the ceiling was able to be viewed
in its entirety.”
Decorating the ceiling, sometimes referred to as the
“fifth wall,” is becoming increasingly fashionable,
whether that means commissioning an artist to create a personalized
mural, or simply adding a little color for warmth. “The
ceiling is a vista for the eye that accentuates the other five
surfaces in the room, so I usually recommend at least some soft
color on the ceiling,” says Interior Designer Stephen N.
O’Brien of Easton, MD. “Just adding a cup of wall paint
to one gallon of ceiling white helps to break the stark contrast of
only using the white.”
When selecting a hue for above, consider the size of the room,
especially the ceiling’s height. A high ceiling painted a
darker color can make it appear lower and more intimate. For lower
ceilings – in a powder room, for example –
O’Brien suggests choosing a high-gloss sheen, which will
reflect light and visually enlarge the room.
Wallcoverings can also be installed to make what’s
overhead more interesting. “In England, it is very common to
use the same pattern of wallpaper on both the ceilings and
walls,” O’Brien says. “It creates a very cozy,
womblike space.”
Coffered Ceilings and More
Architectural elements are another excellent way to infuse drama
into almost any space. Coffered ceilings are especially popular in
this area, says Kevin Wales, president of Just Moulding in
Gaithersburg, MD. “I think it’s because newhome
builders are putting them in the model homes and once people see
them, they want coffered ceilings in their homes, too.”
Depending on the height of the ceiling, the size of each coffer
(or each box within the grid design) varies, with deeper coffers
usually installed on higher ceilings. “Within each box we can
also add multiple layers of moulding to create an ornate
appearance,” Wales says. “This can also make the coffer
look like it’s rising up into the ceiling, giving the space
an illusion of depth.” The bigger the room, the bigger the
coffer, he adds.
Other decorative moulding applications – shadowboxing, for
example – are becoming de rigueur as well. (Shadowboxing is
when moulding is used to frame various shapes on a ceiling or
wall.) “This gives you the artistic ability to divide the
ceiling into quadrants,” Wales says. “It’s also
another way to make the room more architecturally appealing by
adding depth to the whole room. By putting a treatment on the
ceiling, it draws your attention upwards, making the room appear
taller.”
O’Brien says tin ceilings are also making a comeback,
especially in Arts and Crafts, Victorian-style homes, and
restorations. He points to a new product from Armstrong called
Metallaire decorative metal ceiling tiles, which are constructed of
steel and available in a dozen patterns and multiple finishes.
Rosettes
Medallions installed above a hanging light fixture, such as a
dining room chandelier, are another way to add architectural flair
to a ceiling. “I’ve done projects where we’ve
even designed the moulding from the corner of the room to the
medallion, to create the effect of four triangles,” Wales
says.
He suggests, however, that you should not underestimate the
effect of crown moulding. “It joins the ceiling and wall
together, softening the transition and finishing the room, just
like baseboard moulding joins the walls to the floor.” Wales
adds that if there’s one ceiling treatment you should
consider, this is it – regardless of your home’s
overall design style. “If you have a contemporary home, for
example, you wouldn’t use the thicker, traditional moulding
but you could opt for a flatter version to complement the baseboard
moulding,” he says.
Crown moulding also allows for greater flexibility when it comes
to paint color on the ceiling. “It allows you to use a
completely different color on the ceiling, which I like,”
says O’Brien, adding that without moulding, it is very
difficult to achieve the desired straight lines to separate the
multiple hues.
Regardless of how you choose to bedeck your ceiling – be
it coffers, historical figures, or wallpaper, the key to success is
honoring the space with a bit of flair. “The ceiling should
be able to have a personality all its own,” says
O’Brien, “even if it’s as simple as just a paint
color.”
