There are many decorative embellishments that can be added to a home’s interior. One of the oldest is moulding. In fact, moulding has been in use at least as far back as Ancient Egypt, where intricate crown moulding was hand-carved into stone structures. Most mouldings today are less extravagant. Nevertheless, crown moulding is a timeless classic that can still make an impact in any room of your home.
What Is Crown Moulding?
“Moulding” refers to any interior trim. Crown moulding is trim placed where the ceiling meets walls. It originally was used to cover any gaps between the walls and ceiling, but now generally only serves aesthetic purposes.
Is Crown Moulding Outdated?
Though typically found in older homes, it is not an inherently outdated design. In fact, there are many ways you can use crown moulding to liven up and update your own home. We’ll explore a few of these options.
Use Color To Create Complementary Accents
You may think of crown moulding as always white, but it can be painted any color. If you already have crown moulding, painting it will give it a fresh look. Picking a color that complements the room will make a great accent.
Alternatively, if you are going for a major overhaul, you can replace or add crown moulding to a room. You may want to give the entire room a fresh look, so choose modern colors that complement each other well – one for the walls and one for the moulding. Of course, there are other fun ways to use crown moulding in your home!
Add Crown Moulding to the Top of Kitchen Cabinets
Crown moulding commonly fills the space between kitchen cabinets and the ceiling. Using the same material for the moulding as the cabinets provides a gorgeous accent. Depending on how much space you have, the pattern can be subtle or very intricate. Though most people associate crown moulding with tall pieces with a busy design, it can be as simple as a solid slab of wood.
In any case, simply adding crown moulding can give your cabinets a fresh look!
Add Corner Block Accents
Another effective way to use crown moulding is as a corner block. A corner block is a piece available for inside and outside corners of the room. These pieces help further accent the room’s trim.
Corner blocks range from oblong blocks to sections of moulding that are raised. Consider using them as simple accent pieces to add depth to a room.
Style Storage Or Shelving
Crown moulding can be used to add a decorative edge to shelves. Consider accenting floating shelves with a crown moulding edge.
Similarly, crown moulding can be added to built-in wall shelving. Built-in wall shelves are typically a vital storage area for most homes. But they come up short in looks. With added moulding, shelves can be both functional and beautiful.
Accent The Trim Around Doors And Windows
Almost every room has doors and windows. Both are often overlooked features that can be transformed into accents. Adding crown moulding as trim for a door or a window can help turn them into a focal point.
White or another bright color maximizes natural light coming through windows. Remember, moulding does not have to be big or ornate. Even a sleek, streamlined design is able to make an impression. Simple, sleek crown moulding added to doors or windows provides a fresh, modern update.
Draw Attention To Room Features
Remember: you can use crown moulding to trim anything you want to be a focal point. For example, fireplaces make great focal points, especially in an older home. Trimming them with new crown moulding keeps them looking fresh while preserving their history.
You can also add trim around large mirrors, such as the ones in a bathroom. This can help them stand out and not simply fade into the scenery. Another simple place that it can be used is archways throughout your home. Lastly, putting trim behind curtain rods brings attention to your windows and makes a room feel brighter.
Disguise Structural Elements
The last way to use crown moulding is as it was originally intended: to hide necessary but unsightly structures. If you have steel beams or utility ducts, covering them with crown moulding disguises them with something pretty. A perfect place to do this is converted garages which have many features that need to be covered.
Find Mouldings For Your Home Remodel
Crown moulding is a tried and true trim style that still has a place in modern homes. You can incorporate it into your home while maintaining an updated design.
At Mouldings One, we take pride in our high quality custom architectural millwork. Whether you want to select a design from our website or work with us to create custom moulding, our expert craftsmen can help you realize any crown moulding project, ranging from traditional to contemporary. Shop our selection of crown moulding to get started.