Molding can bring a complete change to look of a room, whether it be the simple, no-frills crown molding or the elaborate wainscoting. It can complement the look of a room and tie together all the design elements there. Crown molding can stand on its own, but a little bit of decoration can go a long way. Adding something, be it a coat of paint or a whole layer of ornate trim, will help the moldings look better and achieve different styles such as the upscale contemporary vibe or the old-house charm.
Add a Luxurious Touch with Staining
A quality wood stain can dramatically transform a simple crown molding. So, give the simple trims a gorgeous luxe touch by staining them with a beautiful wooden color. If you don’t want to take professional help, choose a stain that is possible to hand-rub on the molding. It will also reduce the annoying drips.
Make sure that the dye reaches every crevice and crack in case if the fixture has elaborate decoration. Finally, finish the job by giving it a glossy or matte finish with a polyurethane topcoat. It will protect the wood from the damage caused by various environmental factors.
The wooden fixtures have a classic vibe that matches to the ambiance of a traditional home. However, if you live in a modern place and want to enjoy the warmth of wood crown moldings, use flat, sleek profile to bring a contemporary look.
Faux Finish to Create an Elegant Look
If your moldings are made of casting resin, you can easily give these a sophisticated appearance by applying a faux finish. In fact, it is available in so many types that you can experiment to create any look you want. Do you have a thing for the aged look? Polish the fixtures with a crackle finish. If you are up for creating a swanky atmosphere, treat the molding with a gold leaf finish and then give the final touch with a hand-rubbed antique glaze.
Bring the Rustic Charm with a Weathered Finish
Who doesn’t love the old world charm of a country style? If you live in a small cottage or love to be nostalgic of a bygone era by choosing a weather-beaten décor scheme, give your crown moldings the same image too. It’s really easy to make these features look worn out or aged. Paint them with two different colors and then buff with sandpaper. Use a combination of soft and dark colors to bring out the rustic impression. Finish the job by applying a topcoat to the trims.
Explore the Possibilities of Paint
Painting the moldings with a high-quality paint color is the simplest option to give them a decorative look. However, if you can think out of the box, you can make the fixture look highly impressive with a simple wall or wood paint.
If a room is already adequately decorated, choose the same color for the walls and the trims to avoid the place from looking too busy. On the other hand, applying contrasting shades will create a dramatic effect, which is much needed for a room that has minimal decoration. In case if the surface is quite flat, add some patterns to the moldings in addition to a lovely hue to add pizzazz.
Create a Sense of Larger Space
Early American molding looks relatively flat. However, even the plain surface, if applied on a small scale, can create bumped-up visual cues and make a small room feel larger.
If the flat surface looks uninspiring, spice it up with rich details such as cyma recta curve at the edges where the crown meets the ceiling and the walls. Such a simple addition will be a perfect accent and can subtly uplift the ambiance of a room.
Applying these ideas will refresh the look of your old moldings and give the new ones a decorative touch. To make the process easier, add these details before installing the trims or remove in case of existing fixtures.
