Is there more to choosing crown moulding than meets the eye?
When it comes to personal taste there is no right or wrong there is only what we as an individual find pleasing. When it comes to your home this is not always true. For instance, if you are planning a home renovation or home improvement project that involves decorative moulding there are rights and wrongs. There are interior moldings that can accent a room and tie your living space together and then there are moldings that can cause your house to seem disproportionate and ill-conceived. If you plan on reselling your house the latter is definitely a wrong decision.
Crown moulding installation is a relatively simple home improvement that can ad value and enjoyment to any home. Just about anybody can hang trim, but it’s choosing the right style of decorative moulding that fits both your personal style and the style of your house that is the real trick. Choosing the wrong trim for your home or sloppy installation could result in a home that looks awkward and gaudy. I would suggest visiting your local interior moulding design center for suggestions and guidance on choosing the interior accents that are right for you. Interior moulding centers usually have thousands of molding profiles to choose from and you may even find that their professional installation services are more affordable than doing the work yourself and risking the chance for mismatched cuts and excess waste.
When choosing decorative interior mouldings for your home there are many styles and finishes to select from. Choose your moulding style to coordinate with the style of your home. For instance if you have a modern home but really love victorian style embellishments you should resist the urge and go with plain mouldings that have very little detail. Victorian homes look fantastic with deep baseboards, wide casings and detailed crown mouldings but if that isn’t the type of home you have don’t try to force it. With thousands of moulding profiles out there to choose from you will certainly be able to find the one that is right for you. You may also want to take some pictures of your furniture or if you have a specific piece of furniture you want the overall look of your room to match that too can be achieved through custom crown moulding.
Decorative molding is made out of a variety of materials these days. Composite mouldings such as fiberboard and polyurethane are becoming very popular due to their low cost. People are looking to get the biggest bang for their buck when it comes to home improvement and composite moulding really fits the bill in this aspect. Composite crown moulding has a long life, is easier to paint than traditional solid wood trim and is considerably less expensive. Once installed properly and painted this low cost solution really brings about an amazing transformation to any room. It’s no wonder so many people are turning to composite moulding for their home renovations.
If you really have an eye for quality you will probably lean towards the solid wood trim. Typically, the hardwoods are going to be more expensive and look phenomenal when stained. The softer woods like spruce and pine come in a little less expensive than the hardwoods, but also look fantastic when stained or painted. But keep in mind your eye for quality needs to match your eye style and overall taste. Even the most expensive wood can look out of place in a room who’s decor and style do not match. You might try your local crown moulding supply center for samples to take home and look at in their final setting to help.
Your home is one of the largest purchases you will ever make. Whether your in your first home or the home you plan on living out the rest of your life in - it just makes good sense to spend a little extra time up-front to research what interior moulding you are going to choose to accent it. After-all we’re talking about years of living with something that’s going to bring you great joy as opposed to a bad decision you’re stuck with.
About the Author
With over 20 years experience in the field of decorative crown molding and crown moulding installation as well as being the owner of Next Day Moulding - a national decorative moulding super center, Jason Stalcup is an authority on the subject of custom home renovation and remodeling.
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