What Rooms Should Have Crown Molding?
Written by Milan Jara on 17th Nov 2022
What rooms should have crown molding? The answer is up to you as the homeowner, but there are a few places to avoid it altogether.
Crown molding can elevate the appearance of your room — when it’s correctly done. It can provide an atmosphere of grandeur and enhance your home’s value. However, there are numerous misconceptions regarding its placement in the home. We discuss what rooms should have crown molding and where to avoid installing it.
Ultimately, you can decide whether to use crown molding in a room and which room to place it in. Some people absolutely love it and incorporate it into every room, while others strategically place it in the featured rooms in their house. This may include the living room, master bedroom, or main entrance.
We discuss popular locations for crown molding, if you should place it in each room, and whether it should match throughout the home.
When Crown Molding Shouldn’t Be Used
There are only two instances when you should not install crown molding. You should not install crown molding on cathedral or vaulted ceilings or in rooms connecting to another room with a varying ceiling height.
Installing crown molding on a high ceiling (vaulted or cathedral) is debatable among experts. Some encourage it, citing that it enhances the room's beauty, while others discourage it, noting that it is challenging to do.
Should It Be Placed in Every Room?
The answer depends on the style of the home and the homeowner. Some people enjoy the look of crown molding and place it in each room. Others are more strategic and use it as an accent. There is no clear-cut answer to which rooms you should put it in, as each room is up to the individual.
Incorporating crown molding into your home isn’t an “all-in” decision. It is perfectly acceptable to place it in only some spaces and omit it in others. However, this feature is well-suited for areas that are the main focal points or places with high ceilings. You can add it to rooms that receive less traffic if you just like the way it looks in the room. After all, it’s your home!
What Rooms Should Have Crown Molding?
Certain spaces within a home are better suited for crown molding. These popular areas and the reasoning behind why crown molding is acceptable are outlined below.
Main Hall/Entrances
The entrance to a home should provide a specific type of grandeur when guests are ushered in. Placing elegant crown molding in the main entrance offers that immediate hint of class as guests enter your house. Entryways always set the tone for the overall atmosphere of your home. Crown molding in this area provides for a great initial impression.
Living Area
This space tends to be a high-traffic area as most people do the majority of their entertaining in the living room. Visitors tend to spend a great deal of time here. So, provide them with a beautiful space by installing crown molding to elegantly finish the room.
You can incorporate numerous styles, from modern to contemporary to traditional styles, to elevate the space. Additionally, crown molding in this area centers a room, draws the eye to the window and makes the room appear cozier depending on the design.
Dining Room
Dining rooms can serve a dual purpose in some homes. It may be a place for the family to gather for a meal, and guests may also eat there. Clean lines in this area can provide a sophisticated, modern feel, while ones with designs create an air of elegance.
Master Bedroom
To provide a bit of style to the master bedroom, incorporate crown molding. This decorative trim sets the room apart from the other bedrooms by providing a bit of grace, elegance, and grandeur. While the bedroom isn’t a public space, incorporating it into your design will add a touch of uniqueness to the room.
This is also an excellent way to make ceilings appear taller if the room lacks height or contains angles.
Kitchen
Crown molding finishes a kitchen and provides a smoother transition between cabinetry and the ceiling. In this case, it doesn’t matter if the cabinets reach the ceiling or fall short – the trim finishes the look. Just make sure that when you incorporate it, the trim matches the style of the kitchen cabinets.
If you have a butler’s pantry, it is also helpful to add crown molding to this area. It will generate a more cohesive feel when transitioning to the kitchen and looks much better than leaving it bare.
Other Locations
Crown molding isn’t reserved just to finish a room. You can also place it on top of cabinets, surrounding windows or doors, archways, supporting displays, or storage shelves. It is usually done for decorative purposes but adds a nice flair. These are small ways you can reinvent your space.
Should the Crown Molding Match in Each Room?
You can switch up crown molding in each room to match your specific taste and décor. Changing it is an excellent way to change the atmosphere of a room and establish personal space and function.
Some homeowners elect to place traditional crown molding in a dining room while going more basic for a kitchen or living room. This establishes distinct rooms and creates a varying degree of formality and informality.
When crown molding is selected, ensure that your designs contain complementary colors, lines, and curves. The designs should be close enough to appear agreeable when placed in various rooms. There should be cohesiveness as guests go from room to room. The transition between rooms can be stark and unsettling if the moldings are not complementary.
Final Thoughts
While you can add a crown molding design to any room, there are some cases in which it just does not work. The purpose of decorative molding is to draw the eye upward without making the room look too big. Rooms that appear too large may overwhelm guests instead of inviting them into the space. Therefore, installing crown molding on a high or vaulted ceiling is not recommended.
When it comes to what rooms should have crown molding, the decision is up to you. Some homes benefit from the crown molding design being incorporated into a strategic spot where the rooms flow together. But some homeowners enjoy it so much that they put it throughout the house. The decision is up to you.
