Giving Rooms the Royal Treatment

Nothing upgrades a wall like topping it off with beautiful crown molding. Whether you’re adding elegant curves, farmhouse-style flat-boards, or craftsman millwork, adding that crowning touch turns traditional walls into luxurious architectural statements. And don’t forget the walls and baseboards, they deserve the royal touch as well.

Hire a pro or go it alone?

Installing crown molding might be daunting to a novice do-it-yourself-er, so use this guide to decide when you need a professional to do the deed: Are your walls uneven? Do they have lots of niches? Are there bay windows with odd angles? Does a sloping staircase cut into the ceiling? Is there an angled wall? Mitering corners and disguising uneven walls might be beyond you if you’re new, so consider getting a professional opinion on the effort it will take to complete the job. 

If you do decide to tackle it yourself, follow this shortlist of DIY methods to get the look you love.

• When your walls or ceiling is crooked, irregular, or misaligned, instead of a single piece of molding, consider trimming the ceiling and wall first. Using this three-piece system, you can cover up or compensate for problematic walls. To accomplish this, you’ll install thin flat molding along the ceiling creating a new straight line. Then, you’ll do the same on the walls, joining them up at the corners. Now, with flat, straight, and even surfaces to work with, install the decorative crown molding to finish the room.
• Farmhouse chic is a popular trend. To change up your builder grade home to give it that countryside casual, trade out the shallow standard baseboard for taller, flat-board versions. You don't have to purchase special molding, use thin pine boards (or faux paintable polyurethane versions) to give you the flat farmhouse look. Use the same molding at the ceiling and trim out at the top with either a convex or concave quarter round. Paint your trim in satin or try a distressed chalk-paint application to age it.
• Speaking of farmhouse-style, extend the charm with beadboard. Milled sheets of wood or faux beadboard, cut to chair-rail or taller and topped with a flat pine board turn dull walls into lively conversation pieces.
• Another option is board and batten. To create this charming finish, simply cut flat pine boards carefully to length and affix them to your walls at even intervals. Top mid-height versions with a slightly thicker trim board and paint boards and the wall in-between a heavy glossy finish.

No matter which look you choose, adding or upgrading the molding in your home gives it that unique character that either makes it all yours or sets it apart from the rest of the neighborhood. If you’re considering selling your home, be sure to have your real estate professional highlight these upgrades in your marketing.