Crown molding is a popular architectural element used to define and enhance elegance in a room. Every room in the home can benefit from the addition of crown molding. It comes in a variety of sizes and styles, allowing the homeowner to define the architectural style of their choosing. It can be very simple in design to complement a country kitchen or small room, or it can be quite substantial and elegant for a large formal room or grand entry.
Crown molding brings warmth to a room by softening the angles where walls meet. It also softens the transition from wall to ceiling, adding to the warmth and elegance of a room. When choosing crown molding, you must take into consideration the size of the room and the design you wish to achieve. If the crown molding is too wide or too ornate, it draws immediate focus to it instead of blending in and complementing the room’s design and décor. On the other hand, if the crown molding is too thin or without decoration, it can make the room appear common and lacking in style. It can actually ‘cheapen’ the appearance of the design and décor, rather than enhance it.
There is a style of crown molding for literally every decorative style imaginable. If you have trouble finding exactly what you visualize in your mind’s eye, you can design the molding yourself and have it custom made to your specifications, from very simple to very elegant. There are many craftsmen who are willing and able to take on the challenge of helping you design your own custom crown molding. You will, however, be hard pressed not to find something to your liking among the hundreds of styles available in home improvement and design publications or in a designer’s or architect’s portfolio.
Crown molding is available in a variety of materials, including soft woods, hard woods, and composite materials. The hard woods are the most expensive, but are most elegant to the eye when stained. Soft woods are less expensive and do look attractive when stained, but lack the richness that you find in the hard woods. If you plan to paint your crown molding, soft woods and composites work equally well.
For the best visual effect, it is a good idea to try to match the rest of the room’s molding to the crown molding — if not in style, then in color. After choosing the crown molding for a room, people will often replace existing molding around doors, windows, and floor borders to give an invisible definition to the room. If you choose not to replace the existing molding, it is imperative that the colors match, whether stained or painted.
One additional consideration when selecting the style, color, and material of your crown molding is the furniture in the room and the room’s décor. This can work two ways. You can decide on a style of crown molding to match the style of furniture and theme of the room as it already exists, or you can change the furniture and/or theme to match the crown molding. This is something that is entirely up to the individual. You can either decide to work around what you already have, or create the environment to fit a new vision. Either way, the addition of the correct style of crown molding will give enhanced elegance and style to any room in the home.
©2009, KH ADAMS, Trumbull, CT
