Pilasters for Door Trim

Exterior Pilasters

Pilasters are classical trim details for interior of the house as well as for exterior. Pilasters appeared on exteriors of different style houses. Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, and Italianate, to name a few, all made use of these architectural details. Pilasters were designed to look like square pillars that supported the corners of a house. Most pilasters were projected just slightly from the facade of the building. In this respect, pilasters look and function like ornate corner boards.

Usually a pilaster is a very wide board with a fluted surface that rests on a base and is topped with a capital. Depending on how substantial they are, pilasters project from the wall about 1 to 4 inches. Some of these components are relatively plain, but many grand examples can be found on luxury houses. These can feature Corinthian capitals that look like inverted bells surrounded by leaves.

Pilasters aren't used only on the corners of a house. Sometimes pilasters are evenly spaced across the front facade to create a bas-relief version of a portico or colonnade. Much more common is the practice of installing fluted pilasters on the sides of the front door. Paneled pilasters are also used to support the back side of small entry porches.