A soffit is the exposed underside of an architectural element, such as an arch, beam, lintel, cornice, balcony, staircase or the overhanging eaves of a roof. The term is used both for the structural surface itself and for any panelling, plaster or decoration applied to it, and derives from the Italian for something fixed beneath.
In classical architecture the soffit of a cornice is often enriched with mutules, modillions or coffering, and the underside of an arch or doorway may be decorated with sunk panels, rosettes or guilloche ornament. Georgian and Regency interiors frequently feature panelled soffits to window reveals, doorcases and archways, while grand staircases may have elaborately moulded plaster soffits visible from the hall below. On the outside of houses the eaves soffit is usually a plainer boarded or plastered surface, protecting the rafters from the weather. For restorers and salvage buyers, original soffit panels, carved brackets and plaster enrichments are worth retaining, since they are integral to the character of a period room and are difficult to reproduce convincingly once lost.
