The Federal style — sometimes called Adam style after the Scottish brothers who popularized it — shaped American homes from roughly 1780 to 1830, just after independence. Where Georgian trim is robust and Greek Revival is heavy, Federal moulding is delicate and refined: slim reeded pilasters, fine bead-and-reel detailing, oval and elliptical motifs, and crisp, narrow profiles that feel almost neoclassical-jewelry in scale.
Mason’s Mill carries 44 Federal & Adam profiles suited to early Republic townhouses, New England center-hall colonials, and Charleston single houses. They pair beautifully with our Georgian and Greek Revival profiles when layering periods on a single restoration.
Also known as premium frame alder direct from the Pacific Northwest. Because of its grain pattern, alder is frequently used as a substitute for walnut and cherry. Knotty alder cabinets and mouldings are very popular in high-end homes as well as rustic cabins. Alder machines well and is excellent for turning. It nails, screws and glues well, and can be sanded, painted, or stained to a good finish.
When stained, it blends with walnut, mahogany or cherry. It dries easily with little degrade and has good dimensional stability after drying. Alder, a relative of birch, is almost white when freshly cut but quickly changes on exposure to air, becoming light brown with a yellow or reddish tinge. Heartwood is formed only in trees of advanced age and there is no visible boundary between sap and heartwood. The wood is fairly straight-grained with a uniform texture.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER A $10.00 SAMPLE in your choice of species that will be credited towards your full order.
In rustic or knotty grades of lumber, there will be a percentage of degrade during the milling process. Some knots may shake lose and/or fall out during the milling process. Mason’s Mill is not liable for these defects in moldings produced from knotty grades of lumber.
Contact Mason’s Mill to start your custom Moulding or Profile order.
