Term for the Day: Fluting

Vertical or horizontal, shallow grooves carved into a flat surface are referred to as fluting. Since the earliest days of architecture fluting has been used to decorate columns, pilasters and moldings. Fluting is an integral design element in architecture, furniture design and the decorative arts.

In Victorian architecture, fluted trim often surrounded windows and doors. The fluted pieces were usually capped at the corners by decorative blocks called rosettes. This style of trim is still employed in modern architecture.