Adding character to a room, especially one that might be lacking any original features, say in a new build home, can be tricky. Without the right details, even the most carefully furnished space can end up feeling like a pastiche. Sure, you can fill a room with antique furniture, lay down a worn rug, or paint it in heritage colors, but if the architectural bones aren't there, something will always feel off.
However, those ‘bones’ can be created. They don’t have to exist from the start, and the easiest way to add in this feeling of permanence and timelessness? Millwork.
Millwork might seem like a small detail – the trims, door casings, baseboards, and panels can feel like minor players when you're focused on the bigger decisions like color palettes, furniture, and layout. But according to designer Leigh Misso, founder and lead designer of River Brook, it's precisely these smaller elements that have the biggest impact. In fact, custom millwork plays a central role in all of her projects. It's what gives her spaces that classic, timeless feel – the sense that they’ve stood for decades, even when the home is brand new.
When Homes & Gardens recently toured River Brook's Brentwood project in Nashville, the impact of the millwork was impossible to ignore. In every room, it played just as crucial a role as the furniture choices and color scheme.
‘Custom millwork instantly elevates a space and adds that tailored, timeless feel,’ Leigh explains. 'When we talk about millwork, we’re really talking about the artistry of the home, the things that are built in, not brought in. From beams to cabinetry to custom trim, millwork creates rhythm, warmth, and a sense of permanence. It’s what makes a home feel truly tailored.'
The Brentwood project was a new home, the architecture inspired by old European styles from Greek to French to Italian. So the interiors needed to reflect this tension between old and new. Despite the grandeur and size of the rooms, Leigh wanted the spaces to feel more intimate and warm, and the custom millwork played a key role in achieving this.
'Custom millwork brings soul and craftsmanship into a space,' explains Leigh. 'It’s one of the few elements that bridges architecture and interiors, shaping how a home feels, functions, and endures. A well-designed built-in or panel detail can instantly add permanence and a sense of belonging. It turns a room into something layered and thoughtful rather than something simply “decorated.”'
'Every inch of the millwork in our Brentwood project was designed and fabricated to feel architectural, elevating functional elements into sculptural details that add warmth and authenticity,' says Leigh.
'In the entryway (pictured above), the wall paneling is fully custom, proportioned to the scale of the arched steel windows and softened by an upholstered sofa. The millwork frames and defines the room, creating a moment that feels tailored yet collected.'
'One of my favorite pieces of custom millwork in the Brentwood project is a hidden door in the foyer that leads to the powder bath,' says Leigh. 'We designed it to appear as continuous wall paneling with seamless trim and integrated reveals, so the transition is completely concealed until you open it. It’s a small detail, but it changes the entire experience of the entry; it keeps the architecture clean, balanced, and uninterrupted while adding an element of quiet surprise.'
If you’re considering custom millwork but aren’t sure where to invest, Leigh recommends the entryway. As the first space guests see, it sets the tone for the rest of your home and offers the perfect opportunity to make a lasting impression. Often one of the smallest rooms in the house, the entryway doesn’t need unique furniture to feel special – bespoke millwork adds personality, elegance, and style without taking up valuable floor space.
'If the budget allows, I always recommend focusing on millwork in the foyer and main living spaces, the areas that set the tone and are seen most often,' suggests Leigh. 'The foyer is a guest’s first impression and an opportunity to establish the home’s architectural language, while the living spaces are where you spend the most meaningful time.'
Hardworking spaces like pantries and powder rooms can also benefit from going bespoke. These rooms need to work hard, and like an entryway, there is often not much floor space to play with, so you can add character and style through millwork and joinery.
With its moody hues, the pantry of the Brentwood project feels elegant rather than overly dramatic. Even as a practical space housing most of the kitchen appliances, it remains as beautiful as it is functional, thanks to the custom joinery and millwork
'In the butler’s pantry, all cabinetry was custom-built and hand-finished in a deep, desaturated charcoal with inset doors and solid brass hardware. The millwork extends to the ceiling, integrating paneled refrigeration, a marble backsplash, and mirrored glass uppers that reflect light. Furniture-style detailing at the toe kick and crown gives the space a refined, architectural presence.'
Leigh mentions that she wanted the lofty rooms in this home to still feel cozy and welcoming, and in the bathroom, this intention is clear. The paneling might be subtle, but the visual effect of the taller panels topped by shorter wainscoting “lowers” the ceiling without affecting the elegant proportions of the room. And note how the millwork really highlights the window, maximizing the light.
'In the bathroom, the vanity was also custom, reeded white oak with integrated pulls and a warm, matte finish that complements the natural stone countertop,' says Leigh. 'The millwork design was intentionally restrained to balance the height of the room’s paneling and allow the architecture and light to take precedence.'
'Every piece of millwork in the Brentwood project was conceived as an extension of the architecture,' explains Leigh. 'Timeless, functional, and layered with materials that feel lived-in and enduring rather than new.'
Custom millwork should be considered from the very start of a project, alongside your choice of colors and layouts. It can infuse a contemporary space with character, even if the room isn’t blessed with historical features, or help an older home’s awkward corners work harder with bespoke storage. For a timeless way to bring personality and depth to your interiors, beyond the furniture and decor, millwork is the obvious answer.
