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Rustic Millwork Overview

The rustic wood millwork offered by Ekena Millwork is a prime example of our dedication to excellent workmanship and classic style. Each decorative element, from corbels and brackets to outlookers, rafter tails, gable vents, shutters and gable brackets, is proudly handcrafted in the USA from either rough or smooth western red cedar or douglas fir to achieve the ideal balance between aesthetics and practicality.

Each piece in the rustic collection is a one-of-a-kind display of the artistry of the maker. Get the perfect piece to meet your needs, whether you’re searching for something basic and subtle or more ornate. Curved, angled, and straight corbels and brackets, as well as outlookers and rafter tails, are just some of the options for sprucing up the facade of your home or business.

The rustic line of millwork also features gable vents, which come in a huge variety of shapes such as triangles, rectangles, circles, octagons, and more. In addition to their aesthetic value, these vents can have a functional purpose as they aid in ventilating the attic. If you don’t need ventilation and simply want the look of a gable vent, they can also be ordered in a surface mount style which is purely decorative and installs flat up against your siding.

All of the products in the rustic collection come in many different sizes to accommodate a wide variety of uses. You can locate the right piece to suit your needs, whether you’re wanting to decorate a cozy craftsman home or a large apartment community. If a customer’s preferred size or shape is not already available, they can always reach out by phone or email and our team of specialists can quote out the design and provide architectural drawings.

This series is made from air-dried, not kiln-dried, western red cedar or douglas fir depending on your preference. Because of their longevity and resilience, these woods are ideal for use outdoors. Due to their inherent durability and resistance to insects and decay, they require minimal upkeep.

Ekena’s line of rustic wood millwork is the perfect solution for those seeking to infuse their spaces with a touch of warmth, character, and timeless beauty. This series successfully captures the essence of rustic charm, elevating any space around the home to a whole new level of sophistication. So, whether you’re looking to enhance the appeal of your cozy cottage or modern loft, Ekena’s millwork offerings can effortlessly transform your space, creating a harmonious balance between rustic allure and contemporary elegance. Embrace the natural textures and organic aesthetics of Ekena’s rustic wood millwork, and watch as your interiors and exteriors alike come to life with an undeniable, enchanting ambiance.

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Mango Wood Shutters

Living life in a good-looking home is one thing, but knowing you’re also doing your part for the planet is quite another. That’s a big reason why we are excited to be bringing a new product to our already comprehensive catalog – mango wood shutters.

As a more eco-friendly way of adding some character to the home, mango wood shutters are both fantastic for the forestry industry, as well as being a low-maintenance wood that is easy to love.

Naturally, as with any aspect of home care, this new product comes with a few tips and tricks to really bring out the best in your mango wood shutters – as we’ll explore today.

What is Mango Wood?

Mango wood is the term for the lumber that comes from trees that grow mango fruits – themselves delicious and healthy both to eat and in juices or smoothies.

As you can imagine, mango trees are vital to many farmers’ livelihoods all over the world. They are harvested for their delicious fruits annually but only have a useful lifespan of seven years.

After their fruit-bearing years are over, mango trees are essentially in farmers’ way – unless, of course, they are cut down and repurposed for, in this case, mango wood shutters.

If you’re worried this is wasteful, fret not – in fact, it’s quite the opposite, and very eco-friendly.

What Makes it an Eco-Friendly Option?

Our new product, mango wood shutters, proves eco-friendly thanks to the life cycle of mango fruit trees overall.

Because fruit only grows on mango trees for an average of seven years, the tree that’s left over needs to be taken away and repurposed for effective use.

It’s especially eco-friendly because mangos can be replanted and grown so rapidly. Once the tree is no longer useful for farmers, it can be harvested for their lumber which then allows farmers to replant mangoes and regrow their orchards in as little as four years.

Why Choose Mango Wood Over Pine or Cedar Shutters?

Mango wood is a sustainable and environmentally friendly material for window shutters. Mango trees grow quickly and abundantly, making them a sustainable resource for wood products. Furthermore, because mango wood is hardwood, it is more durable and long-lasting than pine or cedar.

Mango wood is also known for its resistance to warping and cracking, making it an excellent choice for outdoor window shutters. This means that your shutters will retain their shape and integrity even in high humidity or extreme temperatures.

Another advantage of mango wood window shutters is their ease of maintenance. They don’t need to be painted or stained on a regular basis and can be cleaned with a damp cloth. This makes them an excellent choice for busy homeowners who want to reap the benefits of window shutters without the hassle of upkeep.

Mango wood window shutters are also less expensive than pine or cedar. They are typically less expensive than other hardwoods, making them an excellent choice for budget-conscious homeowners.

The unique characteristics of the wood give each slat of your shutters its own unique identity. Mango wood shutters feature wood that is never the same twice, with natural colors that weave in and out of one another throughout the grain for a gorgeous natural effect.

Affordable, stylish, and easy to maintain, we’re excited to bring mango wood shutters in as our new product. Where will you fit yours?

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DIY Wainscot: A Quick and Easy Way to Add Value

Whether you want to sell your home or just give it a facelift, you don’t need expensive renovations. A few inexpensive changes can go a long way. For example, consider a DIY wainscoting kit, or look into accent wall kits.

Traditional wainscot is the trim that runs along the bottom third of walls. However, some homes may just have an accent wall made of wainscoting. This architecturally appealing design accomplishes a lot of goals at once. It covers visible gaps between the floorboards and the walls or it can conceal and distract from unsightly drywall repairs. And of course, wainscot wall panels add a decorative touch.

Even though wainscot wall panels accomplish so much, they don’t have to cost a lot of money. In fact, by using an Ekena Millwork wall panel kit, you can add a sense of character and style to any room, and you can do it at a fraction of the cost of hiring a designer.

What is a DIY Wainscoting Kit?

In the past, Traditional wainscoting required expensive materials, designers, and installation contractors. These days, you can get the same results with a DIY wainscot kit. Panel kits provide a simple and inexpensive way to add character to your home. Wainscot trim kits come with pre-measured wainscot panels, baseboard moulding, and chair rail. You can install the panels with construction glue and finishing nails.

Wainscot Wall Panels Can Upgrade Your Home’s Appearance

When you want to increase your home’s value, a simple change of appearance can make a big difference. Think about your home from a buyer’s perspective. Just like people, homes give first impressions, and those first impressions matter.

Wainscot wall paneling provides a strong first impression because it adds contrast. Being a different material from your walls, it adds interesting texture that draws the eye. You can add even more contrast by painting your wainscot and your walls two different colors.

Adding flat panel wainscoting all around the perimeter of a room can instantly make it feel more sophisticated. This simple addition will turn an ordinary living room into something elegant and luxurious with just a few hours of work.

Wainscot wall paneling provides an easy way to make contemporary homes feel more historic. You can also achieve a more rustic look by using natural colors, which can look beautiful against walls with white paint. Traditional style wainscot panels often times have contrasting colors. To modernize the wainscot style, you can paint the wall texture and the panels the same color.

Whatever look you want, wainscoting kits provide a simple way to achieve it. You can customize wainscot trim kits in whatever way works for you. Want a bold and eye-catching look? Then create a full accent wall and use intense colors. Want something more simple? A wainscot border with subtle colors will provide what you want.

An Expensive Look from a Budget-Friendly Wall Panel Kit

Because wainscot walls look so elegant, people assume that wainscoting must be expensive. In all fairness, it can be, especially if you hire a contractor. With this route, you pay for time, labor, and materials. Those prices can add up quickly.

If you use a wall panel kit, though, you can save a lot of money. Pre-cut panel kits come at a much lower cost than other wall paneling options. For example, most of the wainscot kits on this page cost less than $200. On the other hand, if you hire a contractor and use wooden wainscoting panels, you could spend over $2,500.

That said, even though your wainscot wall paneling kit will cost much less than the traditional route, the final result will still look expensive. Panel kits provide just as much elegance as other wainscot walls.

Flat Panel Wainscoting Kits Make Home Improvement Simple

Now, say that you’ve decided to install your wainscot wall panels yourself. You’ll definitely save a lot of money on contractor fees. Still, you should make sure that you choose the right materials. Some wainscot panels cost more time and money than others.

The fastest, simplest way to get started is with a DIY wainscoting kit. Since these kits come with pre-formed pieces, you can skip the cutting and mitering. You can also skip the priming, since the right kits have factory-primed panels. This way, you can paint your panels right away.

These days, you can find wainscot kits made from high-density urethane. This material works for wainscot trim and accent walls alike. It looks like traditional wooden wainscoting, but it’s more lightweight. Don’t worry about durability, though. Urethane offers plenty of that, too. In fact, urethane is about as dense as real pine wood. Because urethane is so lightweight, though, there’s no heavy lifting needed. Wainscot kits come with easy-to-follow instructions, too. Just follow each step in order, and you’ll transform your room fast.

Protect Your Walls with Wainscoting Panels

And of course, wainscot trim can help protect your walls. Wear and tear adds up over time, but wainscot can provide some protection for your drywall. It helps protect walls from dents and gouges, especially if you have children or pets because it provides a barrier between the drywall and any objects or people.

A Variety of Options for Wainscot Walls

A wainscot wall paneling kit can give you a lot of variety.  Whether you want to create a dramatic feature wall, hide an ugly beam, or just add some character to your walls, DIY wainscot provides a great solution. Again, you can customize your wainscot with whatever look you want. Wainscoting adds character to a room. It’s up to you to decide what that character will say.

On a practical level, you’ll find many shapes and sizes when you look for a DIY wainscoting kit. Need enough panels for a whole wall? Then look for accent wall kits. Want to add a simple trim to a hallway? A wainscot trim kit will work. Either way, you can find a pre-cut panel moulding kit that suits your needs.

Wainscot wall paneling is a very popular home improvement trend, and for good reason. With straightforward DIY kits, you can finish your wainscoting panels project in a weekend, and that project can add serious value to your home.Take a look at these wainscot panel kits to get started.

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Ekena Releases Much Anticipated Wood Fretwork

To meet the growing demand for new and innovative 3D wall coverings, Ekena Millwork announced the future rollout of a new collection of laser-cut wood veneer and MDF fretwork wall panels. Clarksville, TX – The new fretwork wall panels offer a high-end, luxurious architectural feature that offers affordability and easy install for any level of installer. The official launch date is expected to be October 2020.

The wood fretwork panels will round out Ekena’s robust collection of wall décor products, a new market segment for the manufacturer. A comparable architectural PVC line of fretwork was released in October of 2019 and has already done exceedingly well with designers and homeowners alike. “With so many requests and inquiries about our fretwork line, we wanted to offer consumers more choices, so we developed a stain-grade wood line that offers a paint-grade MDF option and stainable wood grains,” says Ekena Market Analyst Daniel Milkie.

Never has it been so easy for any DIY’er to create such an intricate architectural feature without the hassle of expensive carpentry skills and materials. Fretwork panels offer a unique aesthetic unrivaled in the wall covering industry. Ekena’s wood fretwork panels are a modern take on traditional wood paneling. “We wanted to take something timeless, that has played a role in interior design for decades and make it new and exciting,” said Milkie. Wood veneer is an affordable, reliable, and timeless architectural and interior design option now available in intricate geometric, whimsical, and organic form.

The fretwork comes in four sizes: 8”, 12”, 16” and 24” with each size available in 5 different thicknesses in more than 60 unique designs and patterns. Available in 6 stain-grade wood species; oak, cherry, alder, mahogany, hickory, and birch, plus a paint-grade MDF, allowing for more design options and durable usage. Ekena’s wood fretwork offers a textured alternative to wallpaper and other traditional wall coverings, while the natural wood tones evoke luxury and sophistication like nothing else.

“Ekena’s partnerships with lumberyards, online dealers and cabinetry and furniture makers allows professional designers, builders, and architects to stand out amongst their peers with specialty or custom details that make a difference to the homeowner,” stated Scott Bos, Business Development Director for Ekena. “We pride ourselves in making standard products that ship fast and custom orders that you can’t find anywhere else easily accessible to our vendors,” says Bos.

To see the entire catalog of products available visit www.ekenamillwork.com or to become a dealer contact [email protected].

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3 Easy Curb Appeal Upgrades for Spring

With warmer weather and extra time on our hands, there’s never been a better opportunity to refresh our houses and our souls with a home update. Whether renovating your home to give it your personal touch or getting it ready to put on the market, there are simple curb appeal projects for every budget. With so many material and product options available, Ekena makes it easy to pick a project off your wish list and get it done in no time flat. With so many ways to order too, there is solution that works for everyone. Between purchasing from the pro desk at your local hardware or big box store, calling in to speak with a sales expert, or ordering online, we make it easy to get what you want, when you need it. There is a whole host of projects you can choose to tackle that will bring joy to your heart and value to your home, but we’ve chose three easy exterior ventures that can really make a big bang for your buck.

ADD A GABLE BRACKET OR PEDIMENT
Gable brackets and pediments are a beautiful addition to the roof line of your home, peak of your porch, or edge of your entryway. These handcrafted pieces made of either cellular PVC or rustic wood compliment all kinds of exteriors and add architectural interest and detail to free-standing structures such as gazebos and pergolas too. With hard-to-find specialty designs, traditional construction, and one-of-a-kind modern and whimsical features, there is a style to fit everyone’s personality.

ADD SHUTTERS
Today most shutters are purely decorative, referencing a hallmark of traditional residential architecture. They come in every style and material imaginable to fit your style and budget. Shutters are the perfect addition to your home’s exterior because they can add a pop of color, improve t he look of old windows and break up the monotony of brick, siding or stucco. Vinyl, cellular PVC, composite, real wood, rustic wood and polyurethane faux wood collections are all available through Ekena and we have experts available to help choose style, materials, colors and additional hardware to give you just the look you’re wanting.

ADD GABLE VENT
From functioning air flow vents to decorative additions, a new gable vent is an easy affordable way to improve the appearance of your home. We offer the widest selection of shapes to fit all kinds of houses and with endless sizes, there are truly limitless possibilities. There are lightweight surface mount options to give that special touch to an empty peak, or durable recessed and surface mount functioning options to let your attic breathe and regulate heat. Choose wood if staining to match other exterior features or pick water resistant urethane and PVC for painting applications. It’s the perfect cherry on top of a beautiful house.

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Wall Panels are Popping Up Everywhere

Grab a current copy of any home decor magazine and you’ll find a once traditional wall treatment, finding its way back into all kinds of homes and spaces. From grand large-scale motifs, to simple statements; wall panels and picture frame moulding is all the rage. Pick a panel from a variety of styles to achieve a fresh new update to traditional wainscot designs.

Wall panels offer a sophisticated texture and geometric elevation that brings a time-honored design beautifully into the 21st Century. Solid back wall panels and clean line open framed panels combined with bold wallpaper or bright paint give a current spin on a classic style. These design trends perfectly blend old and new to create a truly inviting space.

Ekena Millwork has urethane and PVC wall panels in traditional rectangle and square options that can easily update tired flat panel doors or cabinets, ornate filigree panels that add beautiful detail and texture to a wall or furniture piece, or simple designs that add architectural detail anywhere. Plus a whole new collection of designer decorative wall panels in our PVC fretwork line.

Both urethane and PVC wall panels, no matter the style you choose, are perfect for interior or exterior applications because when finished correctly, the material offers a durable waterproof and insect-proof solution that can solve all sorts of design dilemmas.

Our lightweight, easy to install wall panels offer an expensive custom look for less.  Traditional panel framing and installation takes time to cut, miter and assemble individual pieces together for a finished look. Do it faster and easier with our one step pre-assembled panels.  Pair with coordinating chair rail for a custom wainscot look or coordinate with crown moulding, baseboard, door and window casing for a complete package that looks like it was always a part of your home. 

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Easy Front Door Update with the Perfect Portico

Need an instant update for Spring or want to easily change the look of your front entrance? Full porches are nice, but sometimes space and budget don’t allow for all the support and structure needed to complete that kind of addition. But you can achieve a grand entrance feature and easily update curb appeal with a portico that matches your style perfectly.

What’s a portico you might ask? It has lots of names like gable porch, door awning, floating overhang, but simply put, it is just a small porch with a roof-like structure over a walkway, doorway or garage entrance. It can be supported by braces or brackets, include a gable bracket, and/or have column supports. Personalizing your portico is easy too. Add rafter tails to create a more trellis-like entrance, or a decorative pediment and gingerbread brackets add a touch of Victorian whimsy, and columns make a statement extension to the front of the house that sets yours apart from the rest.

Portico designs range from a combination of framing and support systems that offer a variety of looks for all types of homes. From a simple shade cover that melds function with style; to an elaborate alteration of the roof line that transforms a boring entrance to a beautiful passageway. With Ekena’s large variety of material and product designs, you can perfectly match the historical story of your home, or give it a modern twist for a distinct difference that will catch the attention of every passerby.

Ekena Millwork has professional sales experts available to assist in design and style recommendations, make a one-off and quote from a reference picture or simply answer questions about installation, material choices or what products best fit your project need. We have local dealers all over the US and an online catalog to give you an idea of just how many options we have available.

A gable bracket, braces and column wraps make the perfect front porch entrance.
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Timeless Trends

Mixed-medium brackets with metal and wood offer sleek, stylish design. Hand-crafted in the USA.

Wood and metal combinations in architecture and home decor offer classic design aesthetics with real staying power. Creating a sense of balance and order, while also providing a functional solution to storage and support; our Ironcrest brackets lend themselves to timeless trends you won’t get tired of.

Handcrafted smooth cedar or fir combined with refined steel, offers a simple, yet striking minimalist design. Each element exposes its natural beauty by contrasting with the other.  The dynamic medley of materials is an easy way to introduce an industrial or masculine touch to a space. The combination of dark iron with rustic wood is a centuries old pairing, but our Ironcrest brackets bring a fresh, modern approach to traditional design. They are the perfect accent for mantles, shelves, cabinets, doorways and more.

Made from refined steel and the highest-grade timber, our brackets offer durable construction for lasting stability and support . Natural and man-made elements unite to create a rustic and contemporary feel with texture and style. These sleek, stylish brackets are adaptable to any décor; making them an ideal addition to industrial, contemporary, farmhouse, or rustic homes or business spaces.

We all want our home to have details that will transform it, as well as special touches that beautify our living spaces. Ironcrest offers the best of versatile and simple design, with elegance and grandeur that will never go out of style. Even in the most modern spaces, combining components that reflect the past, makes for timeless trends that can withstand the test of time.

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Ekena Ramps Up PVC Production to Meet Increasing Demand

Architectural PVC is making its way onto more homes, into more commercial spaces, on the shelves of local lumber yards and selling on your favorite online home improvement store. Why is this material making waves and changing the way planning, building, and construction is done?

A versatile and durable product, expanded PVC is a closed cell, free foam material sold in sheets. We cut and carve these sheets to fabricate and assemble products such as corbels, shutters, pediments, gable brackets, wall panels and more.  The PVC material  combines a rigid, smooth exterior and matte finish that make it ideal for both exterior and interior applications. The stable, high-density nature of PVC means it won’t rot, split or chip, and it doesn’t absorb water; so it resists all forms of insect infestations, mold and mildew. PVC offers maximum durability and minimal upkeep with a sharp design clarity and high-resolution quality, with endless custom fabrication options. It offers the appearance and workability of wood, yet has all the benefits of a long-lasting composite material.

Because PVC is so flexible and versatile, we can replicate pretty much any interior or exterior decorative millwork product that has only been available in wood, urethane or resin before.  Most all PVC products such as wall panels, fretwork, pediments, shutters, corbels, brackets, gable vents, and decorative trim can be made-to-order now, in a plethora of non-standard sizes and shapes.

When you hear PVC, maybe you automatically think plumbing pipes or sprinkler parts. That is not what our architectural PVC is.  We took this popular construction material and manufacture it in a whole new way to create better, more resilient millwork products.  Our PVC is dent-resistant, lightweight, and strong.  By offering most all of our traditional wood and urethane product lines in PVC now; it has enabled us to provide easier to install, durable, long-lasting solutions for custom projects where other materials just wouldn’t work. 

Because our PVC products do not rot like wood or rust like metal, and it is resistant to weathering, splitting, warping and insect infestations; all these properties add up to make it one of the best options for commercial and residential building elements.  We’ve seen an uptick of builders, architects, designers and homeowners alike, wanting more special, made-to-order options for unique design and building projects.  PVC has allowed us to fabricate and fulfill some significant, complex custom orders.

At Ekena our goal is to always take the manufacturing process to another level, while melding innovation with function.  We want to establish a new standard in special orders by making the “hard-to-do” stuff that others won’t.  To see our entire collection of PVC product lines visit www.ekenamillwork.com.

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Running Out of Design Ideas? Try Our Running Trim as an Interior Wall Treatment

8″ MALTA running trim used instead of traditional crown moulding.

Looking for something fresh to update your average walls or replace ho-hum hanging decor? Our architectural grade PVC running trim is an easy installation option for a captivating wall treatment. Because it is sold in linear pieces and the patterns are designed to repeat, it is an easier alternative to the more complicated measuring of wallpaper, wood wall panels or other traditional products.

To create texture and dimension, simply install the running trim horizontally on the wall from corner to corner. It can be used as a border to replace traditional crown moulding or can be installed in rows from ceiling to floor. With a variety of geometric, whimsical and nature-inspired patterns, you can create a look all of your own. Form unique designs by arranging the trim vertically or stacking them in an alternating fashion for a big wow factor.

PVC running trim is extremely durable and waterproof, so it makes the perfect addition to a nursery, bedroom, playroom or bathroom. Our running trim comes in three sizes; four, six and eight inches tall and is sold in four foot lengths. It is light-weight and installs with simple construction adhesive and small finishing nails. The ends just butt up to one another and a small amount of acrylic chalk can fill the gap for a perfectly seamless line every time.

Paint the trim in a contrasting color for a bold statement or use the same color as the wall, but in a different sheen for subtle character. Our paintable running trim offers an easy solution for wall and ceiling imperfections, as well as gives you the freedom to add color and texture in an interesting way.  The crisp cutouts and pierced trim deliver chic, sophisticated details for any space.  In a world of uniform design and decor options, stand out from the rest and race to our running trim to get started on your new walls today.  Call or email for a dealer near you.  www.ekenamillwork.com