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September 21, 2009
Paint for Crown Molding?
We installed some crown molding on the parlor floor. Does it get painted the same flat white paint that the ceiling is painted or the semi-gloss we used on the floor/baseboard molding?
Comments
Usually semigloss matching the baseboards.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at September 21, 2009 3:30 PM
Yes, follow Dave's advice. And same for window and door casings, if they are painted and not stained.
Posted by: slopefarm at September 21, 2009 3:53 PM
Normally I would agree with the previous posts but we painted ours to match the ceilings in many rooms (flat white), since our ceilings are not as high as in some brownstones. I definitely think it makes the rooms look loftier.
Posted by: tinarina at September 21, 2009 4:40 PM
Crown molding should be the same as the ceiling. Traditionally, in Brooklyn brownstones, crown moldings were plaster as were the ceiling and walls. It was all painted with flat paint. There's nothing to say you can't use semi-gloss but, to me, a shiny molding up at the ceiling is not the greatest look.
Posted by: jmcg at September 21, 2009 4:41 PM
Oh, geez, now I need a tie breaker.
We don't have much original detail but the original window casings and new door casings will be painted semi-gloss. The ceiling height is at least 11.5 feet.
Posted by: AEPE at September 21, 2009 4:50 PM
I vote for semigloss, the same as the base. That's what I did in my place which sounds about the same height as yours. I don't really have crown molding though. There's a small piece of molding down about 10" from the top. There was another piece about the same width down about another 18". I removed that because it was discontinuous and couldn't be mounted all arount the room without looking ridiculous.
At the top of the 10" segment there's a curve of plaster to the ceiling. I had painted the whole segment an accent color but my inclination now is to paint it the same as the ceiling. Thus, a narrow "crown molding" painted white capped by a ceiling extending into the remained of the space.
Had the entire 10" been detailed molding I would paint the whole thing like the base board.
Posted by: bessie2 at September 21, 2009 5:28 PM
dave is right. You can also use flat paint for the ceiling and satin for mouldings.
Posted by: jack slade at September 21, 2009 5:33 PM
For trim? Ben Moore Satin Impervo (oil base). It'll look top shelf.
Steve
www.thetinkerswagon.com
Posted by: thetinkerswagon at September 21, 2009 7:45 PM
...oh and you cant spray and wipe clean flat paint.
Posted by: jack slade at September 21, 2009 10:41 PM
Ceiling should be flat. Moldings satin or semigloss or gloss.
Look at the pics here...they have a lot of great ones to get some painting ideas...
www.brooklynbridgerealty.com
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at September 22, 2009 8:10 AM
I wouldn't go semi-gloss on crown molding unless your walls (and ceiling) are gloss as well. Depending on the color of the walls, mixing the wall color with ceiling white (50/50 or 70/30) will set off the molding just enough from the ceiling to create an additional layer, which adds visual interest without drawing attention to itself. Very nice.
Jack - you can indeed spray and wipe clean flat paint. I only use flat and live with a 3 year-old. No problem if you don't use cheap paint. (e.g. Ben Moore, Fine Paints of Europe, or Kaufman, depending on your budget).
Posted by: wyckoff at September 22, 2009 11:41 AM
wyckoff I still say no. you can clean eggshell not flat.
Posted by: jack slade at September 22, 2009 12:10 PM
To throw in my two (maybe one) cent(s), we just recently renovated rooms with original crown mouldings and although they were originally painted semi-gloss against a flat white ceiling, we decided to go with flat white for the mouldings and the ceiling.
Somehow the overall look is more elegant to us. I don't know why, but it makes the mouldings pull together with the ceiling with a far more subtle and elegant overall feel.
But that noted, the original semi-gloss of the mouldings looked ok before - so I don't think you can go wrong either way.
Posted by: sunspot19 at September 23, 2009 7:22 AM
There is a difference of opinion - some suggesting semi-gloss and others opting for flat. Maybe you should do a test to see which you prefer?
I'm in the flat camp since that it was was historicaly done with plaster ceilings and plaster cove/crown molding. As sunspot19 said, it's more elegant.
But to each his/her own taste.
Posted by: jmcg at September 23, 2009 6:29 PM
jmcq, historically some crown mouldings were laced with the most extravagant of colors. See top picture in link.
http://bricksandbrownstone.com/excerpts.html
But yes at the end it's whatever floats your boat.
Posted by: jack slade at September 23, 2009 10:08 PM
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