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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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).