Crown moulding is often one of the hardest working moulding elements in a room. Their primary role is to soften the transition from the wall to the ceiling with a distinctive flair. A well-chosen crown moulding can help a homeowner communicate their overall design preferences without saying a word.
Metrie is here to help. Below is our ultimate guide for choosing crown moulding for every room in the house. We’ll answer some of the most common questions, and then have a look at some of the creative ways crown moulding can be used not only to finish a room but to create a distinctive masterpiece.
1. Does crown moulding have to be white?
Not at all. Painting crown moulding white is definitely on-trend and is most common. However, depending on the material used to manufacture the moulding, it could be painted or stained. Deciding whether to paint or stain moulding depends on what effect or style you’re trying to achieve, the size of the room, and what other interior elements you’ll be using.
Crown moulding is often painted white to match the ceiling. This is an effective way to add the illusion of height. A crown moulding painted in a different color from the ceiling can bring a unique and decorative pop to the room, but if the ceilings are low, it will also highlight this relative smallness. For low ceilings, paint it white to gain that impression of extra inches.
Choosing a monochromatic color palette from your baseboards to crown moulding, and everything in between like casing, chair rail and panel moulding, can add texture and dimension to a space. It also allows the trim to take a back seat and the decor to take center stage.
2. Does my crown moulding have to match my baseboards?
Not necessarily, but you want to keep it in roughly the same visual family. Moulding is about creating a consistent appearance from floor to ceiling, room to room, so you may not want to mix and match a classic Victorian or Colonial profile for your baseboard with a sharply angled Craftsman crown moulding. Choose similar profiles to create visual harmony from top to bottom.
As an example, in the room above, the designer has selected a baseboard from the Fashion Forward Collection. This is a chic, transitional profile, while the crown moulding selected, from the Very Square Collection, is a relatively simple, contemporary profile. The two designs are different but complementary, adding visual interest without being garish
3. Do I have to put the same crown moulding everywhere in the house?
It’s okay to change crown moulding from room to room, as long as the shift isn’t too jarring. If you want to use different profiles, consider options of similar heights with complementary lines or curves so that the general profile shape is the same as you look from one room to the next. Or, you can choose the exact same profile for each room but in a different size. This allows you to keep consistency in style while having the correct proportions for varying ceiling heights in each room.
Metrie offers product solutions like Finishing Collections™ or Option {M}® to help take the guesswork out of selecting the right moulding for the right desired outcome. Both of these product lines help maintain a cohesive look from room-to-room by ensuring that different trim elements like crown moulding, baseboards, as well as panel moulding, chair rail, and door and window casings work well together.
4. Will crown moulding make my room look taller?
While crown moulding has been used for centuries to give the illusion of greater height, choosing the wrong crown moulding can actually make your room look shorter.
When selecting a moulding, make sure you know how tall your ceilings are so you can choose the right height of moulding. Depending on the height of the room, ceilings that are:
- Less than 8 feet tall, choose a moulding that projects out onto the ceiling to save wall height.
- 8 feet tall, choose a crown between 3 and 5 ¾ inches.
- 9 to 10 feet, choose a crown between 4 ¼ and 7 inches
- Greater than 10 feet, choose a crown more than 7 inches tall for extra drama.
If you have questions about the right size mouldings for your project, talk to your local Metrie dealer.
5. Which moulding is right for me?
Along with basic information like the height of your ceiling and dimensions of your room, think about what style or look you like. Moulding with a lot of curves creates a more traditional feel, while broader, cleaner profiles are a great choice for a more contemporary aesthetic. If you’re not sure, ask for a few sample pieces that you can take home and test out.
If you’re having trouble putting your preferred style into words, talk to your dealer about how you would describe the rest of your home. From your furniture to your kitchen counters, would you describe them as modern and bright? Geometric? Architectural? Have you seen photos in a magazine or online that speak to you? The more information you can provide, the better they can suggest moulding profiles that will fit best with your preferences.
If you’re trying to match existing moulding in your house, make sure you know what those mouldings are made of, as using the same material will give you the best match. Also bring along the dimensions of your moulding, including the thickness and width. Take a picture, bring in a sample if you have one, or use a contour gauge to trace the profile. Having some kind of visual representation will help your dealer or designer know the best profiles to recommend.
If you need more inspiration, here are a few recent projects using Metrie crown moulding, including some installed in creative ways.
Trim Outside the Lines
This coffered ceiling uses geometric shapes and crown moulding to create a dramatic effect through the middle of the room. Crown moulding from the popular Fashion Forward Collection was used in this kitchen to create a dramatic effect overhead, without conflicting with the lines from the cabinets and windows.
The White Out
This bathroom is designed to be a soothing oasis. Tranquil colors, muted flooring and a large glass shower stall with oyster-colored tile make this room a place to relax.
And the crown moulding? It blends right in with the white walls. You get height from the moulding, without disrupting the calming lines in the space. This bathroom uses trim elements from Metrie's Very Square Collection to keep the space distraction-free.
The Retro Chic
This room is a great use of warm color and mid-century minimalism. From the round table, funky light fixture and the sideboard cabinet that appears to be floating thanks to clear legs, the whole room is fluid forms, sharp angles and contrasting curves. The Fashion Forward moulding and door accentuate the size of the room and mirrors the curves found in the lamp, chair, table and light fixture for a cohesive, impactful final look.
There are creative ways to use crown moulding in literally every room of your house. For more resources to help homeowners decide on their next project, visit Metrie.com, or contact your local Metrie dealer.
