Use Crown Molding to Fix Design Blunders

“Ask an Architect” Series

ASK A DESIGNER

DESIGN DILEMMA:  THERE'S A HOLE IN MY CEILING!

I have beautiful custom cabinets in my kitchen but the venting hood ducting was left open.  It looks unsightly and there’s a hole in my ceiling!  What’s the best way to finish this and match the cabinets?

SUE’S SOLUTION:

Matching the cabinet trim and color will make the space look uniform.  The vent stack was covered from hood to ceiling hiding the hole.  Some rules to consider when designing molding are scale of room and, in this case, design of cabinets.   The molding here needs to have the same visual weight and proportion.  Types of molding can be combined but they should all be painted the same color to look like one piece.  In this kitchen, the best solution was to build a façade matching the cabinets and add a dramatic crown molding around the kitchen.  Below are guidelines to use when planning crown molding.

CROWN MOLDING RULES:

1. SCALE OF ROOM

   • consider décor/furnishings: ie. large colorful lamp and large print wall covering can hold a larger crown molding

1. CEILING HEIGHT

   • 10’ or higher, give 1” width per 1’ height, ie. 10’ tall room=10” molding

   • less than 10’ it varies, ie 8’-9’ ceiling looks good w/5” molding

   • different ceiling heights within home: vary size of moldings to be in same proportion

• SIZE & DETAIL of other moldings in room-including baseboards

  • molding doesn’t have to match baseboards but needs to be same visual weight

  • no rules to use same molding throughout home – but if uniform ceiling height throughout home and small rooms, it will create a nice flow

IDEAS ON WHERE TO USE CROWN MOLDING:

1. WINDOWS

   • use same molding as a cornice for window treatment to create a seamless look

2. SLOPED CEILING

   • crown is typically used at the junction of a wall & ceiling but at a sloped ceiling, it would be too low and on an odd angle

   • to give illusion of taller walls, place molding in from edge of ceiling, 3”-4” in for a 8’ ceiling and paint walls and slope the same color

3. SMALL ROOM CEILING

   • layer drywall for a look of wide crown

   • this is like framing a picture where the picture is the ceiling, ie. 2 pieces layered on ceiling (3/8” + 3/8” = ¾” drop from ceiling)

   • inexpensive and big bang

4. COMBINE TYPES OF MOLDING

   • purchase narrower crown and add a narrower trim

   • put crown up and then drop down 2” and put up narrow trim

   • paint crown, 2” drywall, and trim all same color to look like one piece

   • can layer more than 2 times

   • inexpensive and big bang

5. CONTEMPORY/MODERN DESIGN

   • for a simple clean profile molding, put a ½” drywall reveal joint under crown and above baseboard that creates shadow line between drywall and trim

   • create a modern look with deep stained wood and a sleek flat profile (not ornate)