manipulating crown – what looks better?
I’m installing kitchen cabinet crown to the ceiling. The challenge is the ceiling is anything but flat. I have 3 separate cabinet groupings that need crown, and each are independent of each other so the crown does not connect. On all three it returns into the wall on both sides.
Two groupings are about 2 1/8″ from cabinet to ceiling, with a 1/4″ variance. I will skim coat the ceiling to correct the small difference within each cabinet grouping.
The last cabinet grouping is only 1 1/2″ from the cabinet to the ceiling on one side and 2″ on the other side. This difference is over a 38″ span. Thats a big difference within the grouping and a big difference from the other groupings.
As I see it, my challenge is to make this 1/2″ difference look respectable and at the same time ensure this crown does not look too different from the crown on the other 2 groupings. Lopping off 1/2″ crown height makes for a very different profile. The crown I am using is shaker, so it is flat with a small 3/4 inch vertical at the top of the profile.
Since the profile is mostly flat I can rip a piece of molding that widens 1/4 ” over the 38″ and then float some mud over the ceiling to close the next 1/4″. This will deal with the 1/2″ difference over the span, but I worry (based on my mock ups) that the profile will look very different from the other crown on the 2 other groupings because it must be ripped down much smaller.
The solution I am contemplating is to use a wider profile, somewhere between the profile necessary for the 2 1/8″ height and the profile for 1 1/2″ I would make the crown fit (its now too tall) by placing it at a flatter angle (compared to the ceiling).
So what do you think looks better in the situation? What oddity would stand out more? Crown set a different angles or crowns with different profiles (because its flat, it really is just the height of the crown that will vary). If you understand all of this, I will be thankful.
Apiersma
P.S. I am the client and I know the right thing to do it redo the ceiling but with 2 little kids the wife would hang me.
Replies
Trying to picture this, but not doing too well.
I THINK I'd be altering the spring angle IF it were me.
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I take it the cabs already are up and are not new.
If you had just installed the uppers, I'd give some thought to lowering that bank of cabs, then do your out of level magic.
Crown would be the same.
No one would know if you didn't have some tale telling backsplash.
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Calvin:That makes sense, but its above the fridge for a built in look. I think you'd see against the fridge.
That makes sense, but its above the fridge for a built in look. I think you'd see against the fridge.
I'm guessing the upper cabinets are 12" deep whereas the fridge is around 30" deep?
If so, I'd say combine some of the above suggestions: Rehang the cab above the fridge so that is a little out of level (maybe a 1/4" max and a little lower. If they are 12" cabs the somewhat un-uniform gap will be back far enough to where only people 6'+ tall can see it. Then install the crown with the sprint angle tweaked a little.
If the upper cabs are 24" deep or installed out from the wall disregard and wait for someone else.
I just had this happen to me. I thought I allowed for enough space from the top of the cabinet to the ceiling, yet the ceiling was completely out of level and it ended up not being workable.
So here is what I decided to do:
I ditched the crown altogether. Since the cabinets were new, I went back to the cabinet vendor and reviewed their offerings on various moldings and "layered" two sets of molding.
The first molding followed along just above the doors. The second molding was set on top of the first, yet I pushed it up against the ceiling. This hid any imperfections and in essence gave me the look of crown molding. So far, no one has noticed that its not crown.