Good morning ladies & gentlemen,
Should crown moldings be painted the same color as the wall or the ceiling?
Any advice or opinions will be appreciated.
Thank you.
Jim
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
The Portascanner uses ultrasonic technology to isolate the smallest air leaks, making it easier to air-seal an enclosure.
Featured Video
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Fine Homebuilding Magazine
Fine Home Building
Follow
-
Fine Homebuilding
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial Now -
GBA Prime
Get instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
Replies
pretty open question with little information on your part..personally I'd wallpaper the molding
Same color as similar trim in the room. Contrasting color if you want to highlight the moulding.
Mike
Intriguing idea Andy! Tell me how you fit the wallpaper to the coves and curves on the molding? Could you please post some pictures of your work? I think Better Homes and Gardens would be interested too! You are the man! I have a hard time papering flat surfaces, yet you have mastered the art of papering three dimensional planes. Wow! That is so cool!
type in CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM to see my work.( sick of trying to figure out this site so you'll have to type it in)....I'm a real artistic guy and consatntly have ideas.....where you from?
Nice house Andy. Is it your design? It's rather unusual looking, maybe dutch colonial. Honestly I never would have thought of papering trim, but I can't work with the stuff at all. I am in South west Ohio since you asked, and I am a DIYer, construction wannabe. I think it's too late for me now, but I rather wished I had pursued a different career. Oh well, I have 3 boys and at least one is as interested as I am. I'm glad you are happy in your career. I liked looking at your website, there is some real nice work shown there.
soak the paper and paste it up..no problem at all....also gonna sighn up for the new FHB issue where they want houses done on a budget,,,,,,caouldnt get much better then this gig I live in and did from a-z
Do you pre-paper the moulding?
These things I guts to know. ;-)
Moulding is trim color, or what the designers say. Ceilings are on their own.
MOST PAPER NOW A DAYS ARE PRE PASTED.....
Hey Andy,
What side of the bed did you get out of this morning? From your reply, I'd guess the grouchy S.A. side.
Little information? You have a wall. You have a ceiling. You have a crown molding joining them. You want to paint all three. My question, "Is the crown molding painted the same color as the wall or the ceiling?"
What part of the above is it that you didn't understand and needed more information on before you gave your opinion?
Ah well, perhaps you didn't have your first cup of coffee before you gave your stupid reply.
Thanks,
Jim
According to the "designer" who was flitting around while I was installing some crown some time back: if the wall is a light colour, the crown should be the same colour as the wall, but up one in gloss (ie: if the wall is satin, the crown should be semigloss); but, if the wall is dark, then the crown should be the same colour as the ceiling, but still up a notch to satin.
.
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
Jim,
Traditionally, crown is painted the same color as the rest of the trim in the room.
Should the trim color be dark and the walls/ceilings light...ie, contrasting colors...crown that contrasts with the wall/celing colors will visually pull the ceiling down.
So, if you have low ceilings and paint the crown a contrasting color, it could make the room appear even smaller. Vice-versa, if you have high ceilings, contrasting crown brings the ceiling down into the room.
If you want the crown to be different than the other trim, then go with the wall color. As (piffin I think?) wrote, the crown should be considered the crowning part of the wall, so have it match the wall instead of the ceiling.
First choice: match the rest of the trim.
Second choice: match the wall.
I think crown should be white...or oak stained golden oak. Glossy on both......extra gloss if I installed it.......so it stands out even more. Jeff * Jeff J. Buck/ Buck Construction/ Pittsburgh, PA *
2nd Generation Buck Const, 3rd generation Craftsman
I don't know about paper on crown mold, but I did see a crew paper an old house under renovation. One guy did nothing but paper switch plates and registers. He worked at a bench and could do a switch plate in about a minute and a large return register in about 15 minutes. I was impressed.
How 'traditionally' do you mean? In the colonial period (source of much of American design) the crown, trim and cabinets were frequently a darker color than the (usually) whitewashed walls. Color schemes differ from period-to-period.T. Jeffery Clarke
Quidvis Recte Factum Quamvis Humile Praeclarum
Thank you ladies and gentlemen. I really appreciate your taking time to offer your opinions and suggestions. Making a decision will now be quite simple with the surprising number of replys.
I hope that someday I will be able to reciprocate and give my suggestions to someone who needs good advice. That's what this forum is all about - helping others. Right?
Thanks again!
Jim
Jim
A couple of other thoughts. If your crown has considerable detail yet you don't want to contrast it to wall or ceiling (for subtlety or room height effect as posted above), consider using a slightly ligher color than the surrounding color and use a gloss oil, applied with a quality bristle brush and perhaps flowtrol added to improve flow-out This approach will tend to accemtuate the shadow lines and will draw attention without 'jumping out'.
BruceM
Sorry Jeff.
When I wrote "Traditionally, crown is painted the same color as the rest of the trim in the room" I should have specified that my version of tradition, here in New England, is Colonial.
And as you added on, the crown is the same color as the trim. As is the cabinetry.
Traditionally.
In New England.
Where Colonial rules.
Other places, too.
Unless you're painting for resale, then you just buy a 55 gallon drum of beige paint and run it through the spray gun.
try this wording;
Typically, in my area, the crown is painted...
I'm with Jeff, traditions are defined by the historical setting you refer to.
Excellence is its own reward!
I kinda still have a crown question.wondering how many of you when installing crown where the walls arent totally square and the ceiling aint exactly flat (such as the last two feet into the corner goes up about 3/4" or better) what do you all do? Personally I shim alot and fill with epoxy filler....but what if it needs to be stained rather then painted? Just wondering what everyone else does. I also learned from trial and error to start nailing (not home) from the middle of the longest walls first
Edited 4/16/2002 3:49:41 PM ET by ANDY CLIFFORD
andy....get a good drywall guy and/or plasterer to come and float the ceiling to the crown. Jeff * Jeff J. Buck/ Buck Construction/ Pittsburgh, PA *
2nd Generation Buck Const, 3rd generation Craftsman
Err, what would you do in the real world?
Really, it can be done and often is - in the real world.
Depends on budget and skills.Excellence is its own reward!
Fudging crown deserves a thread of it’s own, but you covered most of it.
My comment was more of a test, while I wouldn’t think of floating mud to an installed molding if I could help it, I also thought of jobs where the look wouldn’t pass a payment test. The issues and implications go off the map, but I'm sure I will be educated in short order.
Edited 4/16/2002 9:29:48 PM ET by Qtrmeg
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
did you just call me a bad name? or was MS passing gas?
LOL
Excellence is its own reward!
What did I do now?
Might have something to do with draft in Word then offer to the wizardry of Propero. Sort of a work around to keep the darn thread in one place. Anyhow, I edited the previous, anybetter? I have no clue because I pasted it to a reply window and clicked source and had about two pages of mumbo jumbo.
Well then, all is well when we will work within wegular words without wizardly wonders.
Whew!
;>)Excellence is its own reward!
Oh don't get me started on Word 2k, it is far too helpful.
Phil, I did paste it into wysiwyg, how many more work arounds does this site need?
I bet if you paste this message backwards you will find out Paul is the walrus.
Maybe, but I tried a couple of HTML, GML, and SHTML postings and everyone of them, perfectly valid in a standard browser, croaked on this site - it looks like it only accepts the IE composer.
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
Beautiful work in real houses......alot of times old houses.....with real walls and real ceilings made out of real old plaster.....and I don't mean pretend old...in places like California......Hey, we bought an old fixer upper.....it was built in the early '60's!
Hah.......I mean old like my own place.....a 1902 model......and I realize that's not REAL OLD in the grand scheme of things....so....
when ya get experience in old crocked and settled houses.......making them purty with trim......you learn that floating to the crown is sometimes the best way to get.
Live and learn.....Jeff * Jeff J. Buck/ Buck Construction/ Pittsburgh, PA *
2nd Generation Buck Const, 3rd generation Craftsman
Ladies & Gentlemen.
Along with all of your good opinions and suggestions regarding painting crown molding, many of you made reference to high & low ceilings.
The apartment I'm working on now has a ceiling height of 8' 10". Would you consider that a high or low, or maybe average ceiling height?
For future reference, at what height and over is a ceiling considered to be high? At what point and under is a ceiling considered to be low? Is there a dimension between high and low that could be a toss-up?
Jim
Jim,
Unfortunately, I really can't answer your question...but I'll write a reply anyway.<g>
In addition to the physical height of the room, the area of the room comes in to play as well.
A gymnasium with an 8'10" ceiling may give you the sensation of standing in a cramped cavern.
A small half-bath with an 8'10" ceiling may feel like you're standing at the bottom of an elevator shaft.
It's up to the person living in the room as well. I'm 6'4" and I prefer higher ceilings. I'm not a big fan of 2-story "great rooms," but the first floor celings in my house are about 9'8" and I like them just fine. My wife, who is 5'1", prefers cozier accomodations...she's actually more comfortable upstairs where our ceilings are lower.
In general...for today's construction, for an average sized room, I'd personally say 8'10" is in the "traansition" range. If I had to be pegged to an answer, for me, the transition would be around 9'0". Several inches below that and I'd say the room had an "average" ceiling. Several inches above that, I'd say a "high" ceiling.
To me, it's based upon personal preference and the overall scale of the room. There may be an architecturally correct answer, but when it comes to arkitekchure that I'm about as aesthetically challenged as they come.
Jim,
8 foot ceilings in these neck of the woods is average which is why sheetrock is four x eight.
Also......to fill heavy crown indifferences such as when a ceiling goes up hill the last two feet......try two part epoxy by minwax. Dries real fast.easy to cut with a razor or what ever to form a shape and when its totally hard easy to sand the last lil' bit. Takes stain real well.wont shrink or crack like plaster against wood. I've worked wonders with that stuff. I even have painted grain in over the stain with a small artist paint brush and black paint..I was just wondering if I was doing something wrong mitering/coping my crown....guess not....you all sound like you have the same issues as I do. Doncha hate doing crown that needs to be stained against white walls and ceilings in old homes....they gotsta pay for that time.
PS...I was kiddingggggg when I said wallpaper the molding but then I kinda thought that might not be sucha bad idea in some instances so the jokes on me. Keeping that idea filed for future projects...jus' somthing different and interesting
BE well
Namaste'
Andy
Edited 4/21/2002 10:19:01 AM ET by ANDY CLIFFORD
ya know andy reading that wallpaper idea ,i said to myself well the man does have asense of adventure not only on the job(wallpaper)? but at the forum too well .... i admire that... was waiting to see if some one was looking for the ever elusive left-handed monkeywrench. crownmolding I.M.H.O. Should be PAINTED/STAINED, but i'll tell that wallpaper idea.
HAHA it's ####interesting idea. cheers the bear
dude.at 51 years friggin old I better come up with somthin' different then whats in FHB and all the other rags...aint all that great but hey.....minds open and I'm really lookin hard these days.....got the story....got da facts,,,now jus' wanna rock em into my work..ohhhhhhh boy......be well my brother.......jus' god damn wait. ha..tired of the tired look.....
BE well
NAmaste'
Andy
check out my profile website,,,,,,WWW.CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS .CO,,,,,,aint no damn slacker....pure builder and in love with my work beyond beyond...jus' wait dude!@!@
Edited 4/21/2002 3:09:55 PM ET by ANDY CLIFFORD
I bought into your idea of wall papering crown molding. Now I got all these plaster dentil crowns, how would I go about wall papering them?
Tom
i'm gonna bye into this with a slight bit of hesitation. ok now with papering the crown at least with MOST i think you would lose a lot of the the small and medium details/nuance's in the crowns. with painted crowns depending on color can cast some very wonderful shadows. at different times of the dayand evening. with the paper ithink would defeat MOST of those. but one feels compelled too. maybe paper the crown first,cut, then put it up. but trying to match up patterns will lead to a lot of waste, and i'm sure one hefty blue streak of dialogue. i think i'd practice on the breadbox, spicerack, toilet paper dispenser,etc,.and so- forth but hell let me know how it works out. cheers the bear
First I would paper the crown....use cray paper on the inside areas of the denal as its easy to glue and kinda has a nice efffect....thennnnnnn......under it all I'd add a bit of darker color paint ( with similar color to the wallpaper and cray paper)into the wall paint and blend it JUSTTTTTTTT under the crown and into the main paint area and just for a lil' effect....well.....uh...geezz. I cant tell you guys how to do everything...
HAIL, MERLIN
taking bows.thank you thank you,,,,y'all can sit down and stop applauding...lol
what was that?.. hmmm..... interesting, well i'll ask SIR, ANDY , THE MINIONS WOULD LIKE TO NOW IF YOU HAVE IN DEED READ "THE EMPERORS NEW CLOTHES"......i know, i know but i wanted to make sure he heard US.
Thanks for your recent reply. I should have known you were kidding in your reply about papering crown molding but I was a bit edgy myself that day and was not in a joking mood. Sorry.
Keep on posting!
That's a real neat house (mansion) you have. I'm sure it keeps you busy.
Thanks again.
Jim
What happened is that the sender believes that the "decorating scheme" they are seeing on their screen somehow will appear on everyone's screens.
As you pointed out, they were using MS and that's not gonna happen..
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
Sometimes flex the crown. Sometimes carve it. Sometimes float the plaster/drywall mud to it. In this attachment I riped a wedge and painted it the ceiling colour above the crown which is clear. The ceiling rose about 7/8" from the cab on right to the far left one. I compromised the crown to about 9/16" diff - as much as wouldn't be noticeable - and then filled the rest with the wedge. This ceiling is low, about 7'. So any error is practically at eye level but the eye is drwn to the wood and although this wedge stands out from the flash the colour blending same as ceiling makes it less noticeable in situ.
Use of colour can attract the eye or hide things.
Excellence is its own reward!
you just buy a 55 gallon drum of beige paint and run it through the spray gun
I had to laugh when I read that - we were in a 'trendy' restaurant in New Hope PA last weekend where they did the interior decor by setting up all kinds of items on shelves and niches right down to knick-knacks and window curtains - and then spray-painted the entire interior white. The curtains were a little stiff ...T. Jeffery Clarke
Quidvis Recte Factum Quamvis Humile Praeclarum
If it came down to just one of those two choices, I'd paint it to match the walls, reason being, that ceilings need a falt paint to hide flaws and look soft while walls are more likely to be washable paint and coloured. Historically, the crown on a wall emulates the capital on a column so it is a part of the wall and should be painted as such, giving a look of strength and solidity. The ceiling emulates the sky, the source of light and blessings and should be light and freindly.
Piffin, what if it came down to what you thought? Fine, the ceiling finish is out, but I have always seen it to be the trim finish.
Andy, paper is prepasted, so? Do you pre-paper on all four sides before installing? Do you , (please), have a pic of papered crown? To be serious, I have seen borders used with crown, and I can say that works.
Me?
I'd have the trim in a semi gloss or satin, often the same colour as the walls. I'd make the crown same as other trim moldings.Excellence is its own reward!