Size of Crown Molding for a 2-Story Foyer

Definition

• Molding is a raised strip of material, traditionally wood, with a planed or patterned surface used to decorate a room or provide a transition between horizontal and vertical spaces. Crown molding tops surfaces or rooms. Normally associated with traditional decor, it can emphasize the height of a tall foyer by drawing the eye to the ceiling. It can also hide an imperfect joint between the wall and the ceiling. Continuing the molding as a frame around windows and doors compels the eye to focus on the upper part of the room and is a useful decorative trick for keeping the eye away from less-than-perfect floors.

Sizes

• Off-the-shelf molding can have simple facing that measures as little as half-an-inch wide. It can be made out of plastic and cost just a few cents. It can also be up to 6 inches wide, made out of natural woods and have fancy decorative detail, and cost $80 for an 8-foot length. While a narrow length of molding can work for a room of average height, it will remain unnoticed at the top of a two-story foyer. Remodeling Guy, a service of Layton Enterprises Construction Company in Tampa, Florida, recommends using crown molding with a width of more than 7 inches for rooms with ceiling heights over 10 feet. Glass Creek Inc., a remodeling company in Fullerton, California, states that a 17-foot ceiling requires molding at least 8 inches wide. The higher the ceiling the wider the molding.

Customizing

• The recommended molding size for two-story foyers is generally unavailable off-the-shelf; such discernment requires the custom building and detailing experience that only an expensive professional can provide. However, do-it-yourselfers can use store-bought components by building up the molding from two or three narrower pieces. If you paint all the parts the same color, the entire construction will appear as one large piece of contoured trim from a distance. You can also paint the molding a color that contrasts with the walls so the trim pops from the surface. However, be careful not to choose too much of a contrast, or the room may appear top-heavy.

Experimentation

• If you’re assembling crown molding from pieces, you can experiment with options by asking your local home building store to cut you foot-long pieces of potential choices. You can then take those options home and dry-fit them until you find a combination that works. Attach that combination temporarily to the ceiling and then paint it the color you intend to use. If you live with the assemblage for a few days, you gain a better feel of whether it will work for you. If you don’t like the result, you can remove it and try another combination until you find one you enjoy.