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If you have considered using crown moldings to add a touch of flair to your living space, you aren’t alone. Crown moldings (or mouldings) are one of the hottest upgrades in home remodeling today.
Whether you choose to add this elegant touch to the doors and windows or if you want to line the top of your kitchen cabinets, crown moldings offer a finishing touch that can pull your room together like nothing else.
Crown Moldings
One of the nice things about crown moldings is that you don’t have to use them in every room to get the full effect. While they certainly can make a statement in the bedroom or bathroom, most people feel that crown moldings in the common family areas, such as the living room, dining room, and kitchen, give you the most bang for your crown molding buck, if you will.
This is especially true if you have a home with ceilings that are 8 feet or less. Adding crown moldings right at the joint where the wall meets the ceiling, will make your room appear taller.
Keeping the molding smaller will make the room appear larger as well. There is almost no limit to how you can use crown moldings since they can be painted, stained, or left natural.
Let’s look at the top ways you can literally transform a room simply by adding crown moldings.
Transform Your House Using Crown Moldings
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Jazz It Up
If you want to get a bit creative, you don’t have to use the typical Greek style crown moldings. If you like a more contemporary look, consider some plaster moldings that come in a variety of shapes, including geometric designs, ethnic patterns, or nature-inspired motifs.
Imagine leaves floating along the tops of your walls, or an eye-catching geometric design. You can even get custom made plaster moldings that will make your home unique. Of course, these cost more than the traditional wood moldings, but the possibilities are endless.
Light It Up
If you want a sure-fire conversation starter, consider lighted crown moldings. These add a soft, ambient glow that will remind you of high-end hotels, museums, or art galleries. There are many designs, but most have soft lights installed in the lower portion of the crown molding, which reflects the light up towards the ceiling.
This illuminates the upper part of the crown molding and even a small strip of the ceiling. This is probably best used in rooms with taller ceilings but the statement this type of lighting produces is sheer elegance.
Flex It Up
If you have a room with an irregular shape, such as a wall that curves, you might think that crown moldings aren’t for you, but this isn’t true. In addition to wood and plaster, you can also purchase flexible, lightweight, polyurethane crown moldings. These can also be painted and unlike wood, they don’t rot, split, or warp like wood can.
This material easily flexes and forms to the shape of any wall or cabinet you may have. In some aspects, polyurethane is easier to install than wood since it is glued, not nailed, to the wall. If you have a room with an unusual shape or if the wall isn’t perfectly smooth, using polyurethane may be the material you are looking for.
Luxe It Up
Tin or aluminum crown molding can give your home a super luxurious look, especially if you have stamped metal ceiling panels. This type of crown moldings comes with pre-formed corners that allow you to avoid the difficult task of cutting complex miters.
This type of crown molding is so easy to use, even the most inexperienced DIYer can install this with no problem. Metal crown moldings come pre-finished, ready to be primed and painted any color you wish. They also come in beautiful designs and patterns that should match almost any décor.
Glam It Up
Do you already have crown moldings but don’t want to go through the trouble and expense of removing them just to change the style? Consider adding gold paint to accent moldings you already have.
You don’t want the paint to cover the entire molding, you only want to add an accent, so depending on the style of your crown molding, think about adding a straight, thin line of gold paint right at the top or the bottom or choose one or two lines in the pattern and add a touch of gold.
Whether you choose to highlight the crown molding you already have or if you plan to install new moldings, one thing is clear; this easy to install decorative trim will add character and class to even the plainest of rooms. I recommend using Martin & Calloway if you are in the Wilmington area.