Crown Molding

Sometimes called cornices, crown molding dates back to ancient Greece, where craftsmen and builders chiseled ornate moldings from travertine stone or molded them from plaster. In generic terms, today’s crown molding is any horizontal trim that separates the walls from the ceiling or adorns the tops of other architectural elements, such as door casings and cabinets. More specifically, crown molding is the term for a particular trim shape contoured to fit at an angle between the wall and ceiling. Yet manufactured crown molding comes in a variety of designs, and in stock widths ranging from 1-½ inches to 7-½ inches.

Massive crown molding, the type you’re likely to see in a formal courtrooms or federal buildings, is usually crafted from multiple pieces of trim. Finish carpenters can create large cornices by combining crown molding with additional types of molding, such as baseboard, bead board, cove and other types of trim to produce an imposing custom look.

Consider Design Carefully

While nearly all rooms can benefit from a crown molding upgrade, those with high ceilings are especially suited because the molding creates a visually unified effect that makes the ceiling feel more like a part of the overall design.

When shopping for crown molding, consider how it will enhance the room. Victorian-style crown, for example, would look out of place in a rustic log cabin. Large, detailed trim would overwhelm a small room or one with low ceilings, while thin crown molding lacks the presence a spacious, high-ceilinged room demands. To achieve visual balance, select crown molding, similar in size and style to other trim in the room, such as baseboard molding, window trim, and cabinet trim. Use the same discerning eye when deciding between painted or stained crown. If the door, window, and base trim are all painted, a stained wood crown molding probably wouldn’t suit the space.