We’re all familiar with the popular decor rule that for a small space, less is more.
A low ceiling room is definitely a small room (in comparison to the standard ceiling room), but crown moldings, whenever they’re installed to any room, constitute a heavy addition.
So, will it be okay to install crown molding in a low ceiling room?
Here’s when crown molding is good for low ceiling
Crown molding is good for low ceilings when it has lesser protrusion, shorter width and less intricate design. Such molding painted the same color as the ceiling above (or in a slightly varied tone) would easily maintain the height of the room and sometimes even add to it.
What is a low ceiling?
A low ceiling is ceiling that is below the standard height.
Different geographical locations can have different standard (or minimum) ceiling height set by construction codes.
Irrespective of the geographical region however, a low ceiling height would always be a ceiling height that falls short of the standard.
For example, here in the United States, the consensus for a standard ceiling height (at least from the year 2000 and above) is 9 ft, with a minimum ceiling height for habitable spaces capped at 7 ft.
In Australia, however, the standard ceiling height for habitable spaces like living and dining rooms is set by the National Construction Code (NCC) to be at 7 ft 10.5 inches. So everything below that is considered a low ceiling height.
Low ceiling heights in habitable spaces are mostly found in buildings that have been constructed many decades ago. It’s almost impossible nowadays to find modern buildings with ceiling heights below the standard, because codes are there to serve as checks.
How does crown molding work with a low ceiling?
The right crown molding in a low ceiling room can help add a little bit of height to the ceiling.
With that said, having a large crown molding installed in a low ceiling room; despite the potential benefit of adding height to the ceiling, will certainly make the room appear smaller and cramped.
So the general rule of thumb is to go for crown moldings that are simple, do not have intricate designs on them, do not have a larger width and are definitely not projected that much.
This balance would help preserve the height of the room, make visible the existing spaciousness of the room, and also improve the overall aesthetic appeal of the room.
What is the best crown molding for low ceilings?
The best crown molding for low ceiling should definitely match the following criteria.
Not complex
The more complex a crown molding is in its intricate beading, indented lines, layers and structure, the more it draws attention towards it which is not something you’d want if the crown is large.
It really wouldn’t be a problem if the crown is flat and of lower width, because that would in fact, help build up the space and boost the aesthetic appeal.
For a larger crown however, its size would easily highlight the lowness of the ceiling and its overpowering presence in the room.
Lower protusion and width
If you have a low ceiling room, you’re already dealing with a minus already when it come to space management. The last thing you want to do is install anything with a pronounced protrusion and width on the walls, because it would reduce the visual space in the room.
This would also apply to a small room.
This is why a crown molding that doesn’t have large width or protrusion is ideal to install on a small room.
Should crown molding touch the ceiling?
Crown moldings are mostly designed to be installed directly on ceilings or to touch the ceiling and the uppermost part of the wall at an angle.
If you ever discover a little gap at the junction where crown meets the ceiling, it’s not because the installation was meant to be so, it’s because you probably have a shift in the ceiling or wall due to pressure from roofing or expansion and contraction of metallic roofing and wall elements, which caused a gap to form at the junction. You can learn how to get rid of that gap in this article.
So modern crown moldings reach all the way to the ceiling. But there are certainly moldings installation techniques out there that fixes them a few inches below the ceiling, like you see in the picture below.
I personally wouldn’t go for an installation like that (in the picture). It’s humongous and won’t sit well in a low ceiling room. If I would try out the “crown molding purely on a wall type design”, then it would certainly be a flat molding that is very simple and has a complementary color to the wall and the ceiling above.
Should crown molding be darker or lighter than ceiling?
Whether or not the crown molding should bear a darker or lighter coloration than the ceiling would depend on what you want to achieve in the room.
If you have a low ceiling room for instance, and you want to add height or avoid losing height, then the last thing you want to do is give the crown molding a different color then the ceiling, because this would make evident how the crown molding is eating up the top most part of the wall, and such room will look smaller.
So the way to do it is to give the crown the same color as the ceiling, or a lighter shade of it, and this would naturally preserve the height of the room, because there would be continuity in sight with no breakage.
If your goal was to achieve an increased height through painting, then that would mostly be achieved with a stepped type crown, because the steps would add the imaginary height. If you have a flat type crown, then there wouldn’t be that imaginary journey.
So for a low ceiling room, the crown should either be the same color as the ceiling, or a lighter shade of it. The walls too, should not be highlighted in a color that is greatly contrasting with the colors of the crown as well as the ceiling. The walls should be painted in a color that closely matches that of the two.
For a high ceiling room, it wouldn’t be a problem if you decide to paint the crowns a different color than the ceiling. The ceiling is already high to begin with, and so there is more than enough space to nurture a color pallete.
Where should you not use crown molding?
Well, chromosomes are perfect install on entryway, main hallways, and even bedrooms, they’re no good in certain areas of the house or certain types of rooms. Let’s take a look at them.
Dont install crowns when you have a vaulted ceiling
A vaulted ceiling is basically a ceiling that is angled upwards, so it does not conform to the ceiling height standards. Because of the way the vaulted ceilings are constructed, and appear, not only is it difficult to install crown molding on it, but the effort would prove meaningless as crowns on vaulted ceilings like a cathedral or arched vaults would look terrible.
Modern homes
For the modern home, with all the brilliant color palette, down lights lined along the length of ceiling and casting shadows on the adjacent wall, huge picture frames, and hanging downlights to form the centre of attraction, you really don’t need to add crown molding. Crowns are meant for the traditional or more normal type building styles, i.e whatever home there is that isnt contemporary.
Crowns really fit well in contemporary homes because they take them all the way back to the Victorian era.
If you do have a room in your home with the vintage furnishings and traditional vibe, there, you can certainly install crown moldings and it should fit perfectly well.