Crown molding is a decorative element in infrastructure that improves the overall look of the room and makes it appear bigger.
However, there is a misconception that crown molding can only be white, which is untrue.
Crown molding does not have to be white. It can be matched with the color of the walls as well as the ceiling. In fact, if one wants the ceiling to appear higher, having crown molding in the same shade as the ceiling is recommended.
However, if you want the room to look modern and elegant, crown molding in the color of pastel-colored walls also looks quite impressive.
When Should Crown Molding Be White?
In certain conditions, many interior designers recommend specific patterns and colors of crown molding. Here are all the situations in which crown molding can be white or other colors:
1. Low Ceilings
If a room has low ceilings, adding crown molding is a great way to give an optical illusion of taller ceilings. This also makes the room appear bigger. If the crown molding is white and the walls are also a shade of white, the room with low ceilings can look quite extravagant.
2. Different Rooms In The Same House
There is a myth that the same style and color of crown molding should be used in every room of the house.
This is untrue because the color of the crown molding and the style can differ according to the color schemes of different rooms. In fact, pastel-colored walls go quite well with the same colored crown moldings.
However, there is a rule of thumb that interior designers always keep in mind and that is assuring that the size of the crown molding is the same around the house.
This ensures that the visual proportions are maintained, and the room looks dimensional with the rest of the house.
3. Walls Are Dark Colored
If the walls are dark colored, the crown molding is best painted white or a lighter shade or stain of the color of the walls. This way, the room appears larger and if it is already large enough, the crown molding plays the role of directing the viewer’s eyes to the architectural beauty of the room.
4. Walls Are Light Colored
If the walls are light colored like light blue or in caramel shades, then too, the crown molding should be some shades lighter than the wall color.
It can also match the color of the walls, but the color of the ceiling should be white in this case to draw the attention of the viewer upwards and enhance the beauty of the room.
Crown molding in off-white or cream shades go well with light colored walls.
5. Indirect Lighting In The Ceiling
If you have added indirect lighting on the ceiling inside the crown molding, it is best that the crown molding is white or colors like cream and off-white because dark colored crown molding can absorb the light and make the room seem darker.
The ceiling, however, can be colored. A colored ceiling with lights and white-shade crown molding can really add character to a room.
6. An All-White Room
If your room, meaning your ceiling and walls are white, it is not necessary that the crown molding be white as well.
In fact, crown molding with a little shade of crème or coffee can really bring out the look of the architecture.
With white ceiling and walls, a wood crown molding or molding in brown shade if you are opting for the polyurethane option, looks quite classy.
FAQs
Should Crown Molding Always Be White?
No, it is not necessary that crown molding should be white, even though white crown molding is the most popular.
It can be crème-colored or even have shades of the wall color. In fact, if the walls are pastel-colored, crown molding of the same color with white ceiling gives a modern and exquisite look to the room.
Should Crown Molding Be Lighter Than The Wall Color?
Yes, crown molding should be lighter than the color of the walls or match the color of the walls. If the crown molding is darker than the wall color, it can really mess up the dimensions of the room as the ceiling may appear lower than it actually is.
Should Crown Mold Be Painted Gloss?
Since crown molding is a great contributor to the spaciousness of the room, it should not be painted matte, especially if the color of the walls and the ceiling is matte.
A semi-gloss or glossy finish can really enhance the color of the room and make it appear brighter and of course, bigger.
Summing Up If Crown Molding Has to Be White
Crown molding can really turn up the volume of a room if the color is selected appropriately. However, there are many people who think that crown molding only looks good in white.
While in many cases, no other color can beat it when it comes to adding depth and dimension to a room.
But when it comes to adding character to a room, crown molding that matches or is a shade of the existing wall color or ceiling color is recommended.
If you are going to install indirect lighting in the molding, you should go for the color white if the ceiling is some other color.
However, if the ceiling is white, you can add brown, coffee, or crème-colored crown molding to add depth and character to the room.
These tips are from the professionals and can really help you if you are deciding on a color scheme for your room without the consultation of an interior designer.
