Overdoor, Door Surround, Architrave and Pediment: What Is the Difference?

The terms at a glance

The rest of this guide takes them in turn, then shows how they stack up. If you only want the short version: the architrave frames, the pediment crowns, the overdoor is the family name for anything above, and the surround is the lot.

Architrave: the frame round the opening

In everyday use an architrave is the moulding that frames a door or window, covering the join between the door lining and the wall.^[1] Most houses have one on every door. It can be plain and flat in a modern home, or deep, stepped and richly moulded in a Georgian or Victorian one, and it is usually painted to match the skirting.

The word has a second, older meaning. In classical architecture the architrave is the lowest band of the entablature, the beam-like part that spans the tops of columns.^[2][3] Door architraves borrowed the name because they play the same role, framing and carrying the part above. The comparison below sets the two meanings side by side. For a fuller glossary of moulding words see our cornice, coving and mouldings glossary.

Pediment: the crown

A pediment is the triangular or curved gable-like top taken from classical temples.^[4] Over a doorway it sits on or just above the architrave, where it works as the crown of the whole doorway. Three shapes are common: triangular, segmental (a shallow arc) and broken (open at the centre, often to hold an urn or crest).^[4] Our pediment ideas by door style and colour shows all three, and the history of the overdoor pediment explains how a temple form ended up over a front door.

Flare's overdoors are pediments: pieces such as the Acanthus, Laureate, Wellington, Georgian Crest and Versailles, each described in its listing with height and width.^{[5][6][7][8][9]} They are interior pieces and come in Natural Cast or White Primed.

Overdoor: the family name

An overdoor is any decorative feature above a door. A pediment is the best-known kind, but a painted panel, a carved board, a moulded shelf or a simple moulding can all be overdoors. The word describes position, not shape, which is why you will see it used for pieces of very different design. If you are weighing up whether to add one, do I need an overdoor pediment gives a plain answer.

Door surround or doorcase: the whole assembly

A door surround, also called a doorcase, is the architrave, the side pieces and the top treated as a single decorative design. The classic Georgian version has pilasters or columns at the sides, an entablature across the top and a pediment above that. The drawing shows every part labelled.

Most homes do not have a full surround, and nobody needs one. A plain architrave with a pediment above it gives most of the effect at a fraction of the work, and it is the usual starting point.

The entablature: architrave, frieze and cornice

In the classical order the entablature is the horizontal band that sits above the columns or pilasters.^[3] It has three parts. The architrave is the lowest, the frieze is the flat band in the middle, which may be plain or decorated, and the cornice is the projecting top member.^[3] The cornice sits directly beneath the pediment.

A room also has a cornice, the moulding where the wall meets the ceiling, and it is the same word for a similar idea: a projecting finish at the top. Context tells you which is meant.

Other words you will meet

• Pilaster: a flattened, column-like element that projects slightly from a wall.^[10]
• Plinth block: the small block at the foot of an architrave, where it meets the skirting. It is often a little taller and thicker than the skirting.
• Fanlight: a semicircular or semi-elliptical window over a door, with glazing bars that radiate like the ribs of a fan.^[11]
• Keystone: the central wedge-shaped block at the top of an arch^[12], sometimes added as decoration above a door.
• Skirting: the board along the foot of the wall, which the architrave meets. Painting the architrave and skirting the same colour is the safest scheme.

How the pieces build up

The simplest way to see how these words relate is to build a doorway one piece at a time. Start with a door and a plain architrave. Add a pediment above and you have an overdoor. Add a frieze and cornice and the top gains height and shadow. Add pilasters at the sides and the assembly becomes a full surround. Each step is complete in itself, and many houses stop at the first or second.

Which do you need?

If you want one decorative feature, fit a pediment over the existing architrave. It is the quickest change and the one that makes the biggest difference. If you want a grander entrance, the extra pieces need joinery skill and space, so check the room first. Our guide to measuring for an overdoor sets out what to measure, and how to fit an overdoor pediment covers fixing. For modern homes, see pediments on modern and internal doors.

When you read a listing, ignore whether it says overdoor, pediment or door topper and look at the dimensions and the profile. The names overlap; the measurements do not.

How the classical orders shaped the doorcase

Georgian doorcases borrowed from the classical orders, the systems of proportion and decoration that come down from Greek and Roman temples. The Greek orders are Doric, Ionic and Corinthian, and the Romans added the Tuscan and the Composite, which makes five. Each has its own column or pilaster style: the Doric is the squattest, the Ionic has scroll-shaped capitals called volutes, and the Corinthian has capitals dressed with acanthus leaves, a motif you will also recognise on decorative plasterwork.^[13]

You do not need to choose an order to fit a pediment, and most homes use the vocabulary loosely. But it explains why a doorway with pilasters, an entablature and a pediment looks “right”: the parts follow the same logic as a small temple front.

How to brief a joiner, decorator or supplier

Once you know the words, use them. A request such as “a segmental pediment above the existing architrave, a little wider than the opening, painted to match the skirting” tells a tradesperson almost everything. A vague one, such as “something decorative over the door”, invites a quote for the wrong job.

Photograph the doorway square-on, add the measurements, and say what the wall is made of if you know. If a supplier or trade uses a different word for the same thing, say what you mean in two ways, as in “overdoor, that is, a pediment”. The sizes do the real work, so quote them every time.

Common mix-ups

• Door lining versus architrave. The lining, or frame, is the timber box set into the opening that the door hangs in. The architrave is the trim fixed over the gap between the lining and the wall. Painting the architrave does not touch the frame, and fitting a pediment goes above the architrave, not on the lining.
• Cornice versus coving. A surround has a cornice at the top of its entablature. A room has a cornice or coving where the wall meets the ceiling. They are similar mouldings in different places; the mouldings glossary sets out the room-level terms.
• Pediment versus overdoor. Every pediment over a door is an overdoor, but not every overdoor is a pediment. If a listing or a builder uses either word, ask for the dimensions and a picture rather than relying on the label.
• Surround versus doorcase. The two words mean the same thing. You will see one or the other depending on the writer or the period.

Once you can name the parts, shopping and briefing a decorator or joiner becomes much simpler: you can say a segmental pediment above the existing architrave instead of describing a shape in the air with your hands.

Keep reading

• Pediment ideas by door style and colour
• History of the overdoor pediment
• Do I need an overdoor pediment?
• How to measure for an overdoor
• How to fit an overdoor pediment
• Cornice, coving and mouldings glossary

Shop the look

Acanthus Overdoor Pediment — 35 inWellington Overdoor PedimentAcanthus Overdoor Pediment — 30–50.5 in

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an architrave and a pediment?

The architrave frames the door opening. The pediment is the triangular or curved top above it.

What is an overdoor?

A decorative feature above a door. It is often a pediment but can be a panel or other moulding.

What is a door surround?

The architrave, side pieces and top treated as one decorative assembly. Also called a doorcase.

Is a cornice the same as a pediment?

No. A cornice is a projecting moulding at the top of a wall or surround. A pediment is a gable-like top, and in a classical surround it sits directly above the cornice.

What is an entablature?

The horizontal band above columns or pilasters, made of three parts: architrave, frieze and cornice.

What is a fanlight?

A semicircular or semi-elliptical window above a door, with glazing bars that radiate like a fan.

Do I need a full door surround to fit a pediment?

No. A pediment can be fitted above an ordinary architrave. Check the width and the space above the door first.

Is an overdoor pediment the same as a door topper?

The terms overlap. Judge the piece by its width, height and profile in the listing rather than its name.