Do you know the Rule of Three's? Come watch and learn. Brent shares this great design secret.

[@tomiossi8092]

After learning of Brent after viewing a Matt Risinger u tube video, I’ve watched several videos of how to’s and some historical videos. I love old homes and history and this just sparked something in me. I made a comment ( not like me) because of the memories that Brent brought to me. It was more of a therapeutic vent for me. To my shock and dismay Brent took the time to thank me for it. Just wow’d that someone with some many irons in the fire took the time to acknowledge that. A true class act and you can bet I’ll be a life long fan of his and this channel.

[@BrentHull]

Your kind. I appreciate you watching.

[@disklamer]

Lovely video, lots of good information. Historic profiles make a lot more sense if you consider how they were created in the first place. Modern machinery allows you to create just about any profile you can imagine. From the perspective of an old world generational craftsman, historically this was not as much the case, there were severe limitations and challenges, and those require a specific thought process for a successful design and execution. The features are only meaningful in the context of their use: heavier features for heavier elements, basic beads as accents for structural items, concaves for bridging depth, there is a reasoning for each element. To outfit a building, you would need to take inventory of all the different elements, choose your basic design elements, sizings and order, and then you arrive at a more or less complete plan that will present a coherent, standardized look. So you take a simple board, 4 1/2 x 3/4 or whatever you have that fits the build. Get all the profile planes, chisels and scrapers that you can find to create your offsets, roundovers, beads, grooves and flats. Each of these tools offers a "primitive , a geometric shape that can be cut with it. Now it’s time to figure out how to make a profile that is compound, in such a way that each functional element receives a proportional adornment or trim. Important sides get larger features, edge details get small features, large areas get a concave, that sort of stuff. Consider that your tools need a certain amount of space or an angle to work in, or only work on one side. All kinds of limitations pop up: you can try to rough out the proportions, but that makes it rather difficult to use a small profile plane afterwards. That same profile plane can only cut to a limited depth, and needs a certain amount of space on the offside, so it can't be used for deepseated features. So you can only use the small fixed bead plane on those areas. Separately, each tool does not offer a lot in the way of exciting visuals, so you really have to rely on the combinations to create something interesting. Think of it as pairing tools to make consistent visual features. Don’t forget to consider how light and shadow will enhance or diminish features depending on their juxtaposition. So there emerges the why and how for example a the roundover needs an edge, the concave needs an accent in order to stand out, the flat needs a bead to create a shadow outline, and how the S needs a groove to highlight the alteration of the curve. The beauty of generational craft is the accumulation of knowledge, each generation transfers all the previous information and techniques, and then some, on to the next.

[@BrentHull]

Nice. Thanks for sharing.

[@daveheckman9388]

Nothing better than sitting down with a cup of coffee and a Build Show video drops. Thanks Brent!

[@jonathanscalabrelli2867]

So true! Great video Brent

[@BrentHull]

Cool!! Thanks for watching.

[@BrentHull]

Thank you!!

[@lisalaufenberg6002]

Thank you, you just explained why I had an internal discussion with myself this past week, when I thought how I loved 1920 and 1930 homes the best, then I realized how I loved the homes built earlier, but was not interested in homes built after 1940. I had no idea why I felt that way, but you explained it in one minute. I learned about the rule of 3 when watching a landscaper on KZbin, I didn't realize it was about a focal point, but that makes complete sense. Thank you Brent for sharing all your knowledge.

[@BrentHull]

Thanks, I'm glad it helped.

[@lizzapaolia959]

Outstanding video.! The depth of your knowledge on architecture is second to none. We can't thank you enough for sharing your outstanding videos. Merry Christmas 🎄🙏❄️

[@BrentHull]

Merry Christmas! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@tc9148]

Love these design and build videos. I learn so much.

[@BrentHull]

Awesome, thank you!

[@oldskoolwayy]

Brent videos has allowed me to see the true architecture older buildings has, before brent videos I didn't pay attention to trim details and size and design. I visit newer built 1 million dollar homes and they are all just thrown together all build the same with no signature character..

[@BrentHull]

AMEN! Thanks for watching!

[@jeffmorris6381]

Brent, I recently discovered and subscribed to your channel. I've been doing trim work for years (for our homes) and fortunately my wife has a great sense of proportion so we have made "good" design decisions given our combined skills. We are now embroiled in a renovation of a guest bedroom and I have been using your videos as an excellent guide, especially when considering proportions and material. My wife and I thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and in particular crafting simple build models in order to gain perspectives. Very well done!

[@BrentHull]

Thanks so much! I'm glad to hear it.

[@karenolvera5539]

Thank you Brent Hull I will be doing Rocco wall moldings and crown moldings on my girlfriends apartment in Slovakia and make her apartment feel and look like a French luis 14 Versailles apartment your videos are a great help thanks Brent Hull I look forward to showing you the process of the interior design and the final result fully furnished.

[@BrentHull]

Sounds great! I can't wait to see it!

[@rtta51]

Don't be surprised that when you are done she dumps you.

[@iamtheuse6321]

The paneled wall lets you showcase the height of the room, the implied rail is nice as it lets the wall look elegant or formal without being to busy. Personally I am a fan of transitional design and this lends it's self to that look. Great video, thank you.

[@BrentHull]

Nice, thanks for watching!

[@RyanAllendorf]

Keep doing what you're doing! Perfection.

[@BrentHull]

Thank you! Will do!

[@dompellegrini5520]

Excellent stuff! I glad Finished Carpentry suggested you.

[@BrentHull]

Cool, thanks for coming over.

[@robertbamford8266]

Very interesting, straightforward concept. Ideas to experiment with in a space with 8’ ceilings and little character. Thanks for the video.

[@BrentHull]

Glad you liked it!

[@angellas.1314]

Could you please teach us how to work with the 8’ ceiling planning?

[@fredrobinson6990]

I thought you would have centered the space between the door and moulding and the other end of the wall to the moulding. Looks good anyway.

[@BrentHull]

Thanks.

[@achillesbuchanan2095]

Brilliant, yet again. This is something that could be used to improve many a home and the atmosphere and visual comfort it provides. However, as you’ve shown us so well, Brent, there’s nothing better than the full gamut of classical mouldings such as we see in the Georgian style. My own goal, God willing, is to be an owner builder for a Georgian home for my family, commencing in a year or so. I am not a tradesman, but I have been an enthusiastic informal student of formal architecture all my life. I live in Queensland, Australia, so if you’d ever like to come for a holiday over here Brent, I could sure use your fine company and skills. 😉

[@BrentHull]

That's a great goal. I'd love to see pics. Yes! If I ever make it that way, I'd love to drop in. Cheers!

[@maureenlangerfeld8489]

Great teacher...its a great course!

[@BrentHull]

Many thanks!

[@ladydiana2905]

This was excellent. Thanks!

[@BrentHull]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.

[@PhD777]

Excellent video!

[@BrentHull]

Thank you.

[@rogerhodges7656]

Another great video. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@BrentHull]

My pleasure! Thanks for watching!

[@rogerhodges7656]

@@BrentHull Some content providers in inclue a comment along the lines of; "If you enjoyed this, don't forget to subscribe, like and comment." These things all help with the KZbin algorythms that affect how widely your content is distributed. Good Luck,

[@mikeprokop8947]

Real Good!!!!!

[@BrentHull]

THx!

[@coolhand6656]

So informative and exceedingly helpful. Many thanks Brent for your great channel. I watch all your videos and have a learned a great deal.

[@BrentHull]

Great to hear! Much appreciated.

[@matthewhicks6895]

Implied chair rail! Brilliant. The pre 1950 builders had a pretty good idea what they were doing. How would you approach an angled ceiling? Is there a rule of thumb on distance from ceiling or above door frames with the panels?

[@BrentHull]

Thanks. I do not trim angled ceilings. No rule.

[@matthewhicks6895]

So top of panel mold will always be flat?

[@Shahrdad]

I would say some of the great houses of the art deco era (and I mean art deco in the original French sense, not art moderne or motor deco) were also truly great, because they were rooted in the great design fundamentals of the past.

[@BrentHull]

Agree 100%. Thanks

[@indyregen]

Can you do some videos on French Second Empire please?

[@BrentHull]

Did you see this one? kzbin.info/www/bejne/emnRn56lqq2Npdk Let me know if that helps.

[@viewera8038]

What about 10' ceilings? If you follow 1/3, that would put you around 40" which seems really high. Also in that scenario, how do you consider incorporating with window sill? Move window height to match (new construction)?

[@BrentHull]

The rule of 3's is not commonly used on the height of a room. On the height of a room you are trying to punctuate or ground the room. Watch my video on proportions in a room. It deals with heights. Thanks.

[@carmencolon3520]

My home have beadboard in some room and hallway. Others room just wallpaper . All the rooms have pictures rail to the ceiling. Can I add molding to the rooms that doesn't have beadboard after removing wallpaper? When to much us to much? Can we mix details . I thought beadboard were used on farm houses but also I have seen some in Second Empire homes. What's going on here?

[@BrentHull]

Bead board is a very common interior sheathing. A slight upgrade over shiplap. I see it from the 1860's into the 1930's. Yes, you can add molding, just don't over do it. Thanks

[@carmencolon3520]

@@BrentHull Thanks

[@pitsnipe5559]

I know you’ve probably addressed this in other videos, but I am wondering why you don’t put chair rails at 36 inches. Going by the rule if thirds, if I have a nine foot ceiling and divide the height by thirds, wouldn’t the chair rail capping wainscoting be at three feet? I’m asking because I have nine foot ceilings and am thinking about adding wainscoting in my front entry hall. The molding you applied here reminds me of the apartment we lived in in New York City when I was a boy. It was a 1920’s tenement and the living room had moldings the full height from baseboard to picture rails.

[@BrentHull]

The rule of thirds does not divide the height of the room into thirds, rather it is a way of breaking up a wall or space that helps your brain see hierarchy. Thus it is a horizontal rule not a vertical rule. I see the confusion and will work to clear it up. Thanks.

[@michaelgreaves3886]

Brent when you use a picture rail Instead of a crown, is that representing the taenia of the architrave. Also I guessing that goes hard up to the ceiling. Your content is awesome very inspiring 👏👏

[@BrentHull]

Michael, Gold Star to you my friend. Yes, that is exactly what it is meant to detail. The 2nd part has a couple of answers. 1st. Historically, in bungalows from 1900-1930, we see the picture mold pushed up to about 1" below the ceiling. It does not function as the taenia here (its too high) but does allow pictures to be hung in a room. 2nd, is the more classical use where the picture mold is dropped down from the ceiling and provides a proportional line where the taenia of the architrave would go, had there been a full entablature. Sometimes in Victorian rooms we'll see it 12-24" below the ceiling. If you are doing a classical space, it should drop down. Thanks

[@carmencolon3520]

@@BrentHull I have picture rail up the ceiling but this doesn't dress up the room. I think to cover it with crown molding and lover the pictures rail. Will that correct .

[@mweissinger]

Brent - Very helpful - Just one question please... The 3 sets of panels weren't centered between the outside edge of the door casing and the corner of the room. Was this intentional? P.S. Love your channel - Good stuff.

[@BrentHull]

Thanks Mitt. Yes, the rule of 3's helps on breaking up a mass. It was just a demonstration on the concept. Thanks for watching.

[@zephyr1408]

1939 Brett ; you’re a history guy and you must be accurate! 1939 Germany kicked off the War invading Poland ! Coming from a little one man finish carpentry business in Nor Cal ! Where ppl are cheap! So I am going to watch you videos and dress up my house as a sample for pre 50’s moldings! Keep em coming !

[@BrentHull]

WIll do! Good luck.

[@zephyr1408]

@@BrentHull by the way I am not young but I served 30 yrs in let’s say public service ? Now I hv found my calling in this area of service! I am thrilled everyday to build cabinets , doors, base , crown, window trims ! And at 1st I thought you were a bridge to far! Not so! You putting the class back in class! Heck I started collecting some huge router bits to make these things! I believe buying fixing up to appropriate time match is profitable !! Great content !

[@gunsightranchtx]

Enjoy all of your videos and the knowledge disseminated. It would be wonderful if today's builders could or would give a little more thought into their homes. But then again we, the house buyer, need to understand that details and quality come with a cost. I was surprised with the book "Building with Assurance" in the video. I have a book very similar to it, the same type of red cover and same style of black & white and color printed pages . The artist who did the drawings (especially the color drawings) for your book and mine had to be the same artist. The book that I have is from an Indianapolis, Indiana millwork company of the 20's into the 40's, Bilt-Well Millworks a part of Adams-Rogers Lumber Company. One of their original buildings is still standing and being used as an event center. Do you have any history of these books? Were they produced by one company and printed for builders and millwork companies nation wide?

[@BrentHull]

Very insightful. YES! That's exactly what a bunch of companies did. In the 1890's it was Rand McNally (the map people) that were publishing these books. There is a good book on the millwork industry by Seth Hinshaw. old-doors.info and you can read about the millwork catalogs. You can also try my book Historic Millwork. Good places to start.

[@pcatful]

Residential design lost a lot in the post-war US. But they satisfied a lot of people's dreams, especially veterans who literally saved the world. You have to appreciate what was done after WWII. This set the basis for an unprecedented era of prosperity and progressive equanimity for the US, and much of the rest of the world. There were, of course, consequences to this expansion, that started long before.

[@BrentHull]

Very true. Thanks.

[@petemclinc]

Post WW2 G.I.s needed afordable housing for their new families, hence tract building with minimal detail and labor costs.

[@BrentHull]

yep. thx.

[@aalleexx.]

You should do a video of how you can convert an ugly 1940-present home to a classical home

[@BrentHull]

Great idea!! I do. I just need an ugly 1940's home. . . .

[@StayPositive050]

So don’t use 36” but do use rule of 3 which would put bottom at 36”? I mean I do see you have about. 4” implied chair rail here and it seems to be centered at 32 which makes it 34” high. Isn’t that darned close? In another video you suggest 5ths which would put it closer to 22. So what height do you suggest in a 9’ room? Because if anything “getting close to 36” doesn’t look right but 34” is fine…I’m just super confused.

[@BrentHull]

It can be confusing. My rule of thumb is between 28-32".

[@ncooty]

Thanks. A nit to pick, given your profession: "heighth" is not a word.

[@BrentHull]

Hmm, never thought of that.

[@YSLRD]

It is a word, in older use. It's still a perfectly functional word.

[@AsHellBored]

I see those panels on the wall and I think, what happens when you put a desk or shelf or TV in front of it. And they didnt have computer desks or TV's back then. I feel like the trim out has a lost context from how people lived 100 years ago. So I'm kind of lost thinking about how to do this high end trim to match the way we live today. And I dont know if this is another reason trim changed, but WW2 created a big demand for potassium. The way we made potassium back then was to burn hardwood trees and extract it from the pot ash. It makes me sad thinking about all the things that could be made with those tree that just got destroyed.

[@BrentHull]

The architecture (trim) in your home is permanent, the furniture/tv's are temporary. I would not let your furniture drive your architecture. That is the tail wagging the dog. As for lost trees. Tragic.

[@CredibleHulk10]

I see this comment and I think, 'It makes sense how we have fallen so far." You've decried an integral component of the structure's aesthetic in favor of a transient object. Akin to relegating a Victorian writing desk to the junk pile because "mUh lApToP." Sad.

[@MAGAMAN]

Please tell your camera man to cut back on the Depth of field. Having half the picture blurred out does not make it better.

[@BrentHull]

Noted.

[@sauliuskucinskas1526]

dailiai

[@BrentHull]

Thanks!