Molding

Comments

• It has been such an interesting process designing our home from scratch. It leaves for a lot of tough decisions to make. We were had no idea what to do about not having any moldings. There were so many different style choices and so many different designs. It was great that my wife and I finally found something that caught our eye– I can proudly say that we are the only ones that have the indirect lighting molding in our home. It creates an amazing atmosphere and exactly what we were looking for– classic, but with a twist that no one would have seen coming.

  - Kevin, August 22nd, 2008 at 1:13 pm

• The indirect lighting molding is a great idea, and even though I have been always in love with the country style it would look great in our living room. It is an innovative idea that has the possibility of suiting many different people’s tastes and style preferences.

  - Betty, August 22nd, 2008 at 1:16 pm

• I am trying to choose a molding for my kitchen, but I am still not understanding what exactly is the difference between the wood and the polyurethane? I was thinking of painting it… So would it be better to get the wood or polyurethane for that purpose?

  - Lee, August 22nd, 2008 at 2:16 pm

• See, the good part of part of the poluyrethane molding is that it is a lot less likely to warp. So if it is a place of high humidity or some place that experiences a lot of dramatic weather. Poluyrethane molding is absolutely perfect for your purpose due to the fact it doesn’t have a grainy texture and the molding already comes pre-primed. So all you have to do is paint the color you wish.

  - David, August 22nd, 2008 at 2:41 pm

• Hey all. I’m Ken from Alabama, and i’ve been thinking of a way to redo my dining room. I was just wondering how important is it really to match the chair rail to the molding itself. Would it be a sound decision from a design point of view if i would choose for example, an egg and dart chair rail and a plain cove molding? I was thinking that it is the best way to add detail to our dining room without having it bee too overbearing… and at the same time not too boring.

  - Ken, August 22nd, 2008 at 2:49 pm

• I am thinking that it should be perfectly okay to mix and match. It would make the whole look of the room look a lot more interesting than just doing a same old pattern. all around the room. You should also consider mixing and matching different patterns and perhaps using a light color to highlight the patterns that are on the different trims. It would really make it look completely unique. I mean, unless you are going for a full blown rococo style, i wouldn’t over indulge in too many crazy patterns, but there is indefinitely room for mixing and matching.

  - Deena, August 22nd, 2008 at 3:24 pm

• I completely agree! i actually mixed a few different florals and it looks absolutely gorgeous. It brings a whole sense of a garden into my home. I think it was one of the best decorating decisions that i have made. Deena is completely right, it is perfect way to bring a more original feel to the room. Go for it!

  - Carolyn, August 22nd, 2008 at 3:44 pm

• Wow. I am so happy I found this blog! My girlfriend and I just got our new space and she would love for us to do all of the renovations on our own and I am starting to feel as if I am way over my head with all of the architectural stuff. It is almost as if there are these endless terms and concepts being thrown at me. With the moldings, do they have to match the color of the wall? are they supposed to be white? or are they supposed to simply contrast severely?

  - Spencer, August 22nd, 2008 at 3:57 pm

• It is all your choice really. My thinking behind it is that if you are putting so much work into getting the molding and putting it up, it should be seen… so I would say it should definitely be seen. My recommendation would be to have the molding a lighter color than your wall– it will create a great frame and make everything stand out a lot better.

  - Rachel, August 22nd, 2008 at 4:03 pm

• I never thought how much of a difference moldings can actually make in a room! It is almost unrecognizable. The new moldings and baseboards make make it absolutely perfect. I was always a minimalistic type of person who believed that all of the moldings and architectural details were just extra foofy things that really had nothing to do with anything, but this is a shocker! This is truly an eye-opening experience.

  - Anthony, August 22nd, 2008 at 5:36 pm

• I know! My wife convinced me to put in moldings and trim into our home. I fought so hard just because I could not imagine why would something like trim which seems to be like such a waste of money… I really am so impressed with how it truly transformed the house. Each room is absolutely perfect now and as much as I hate to admit it, my wife was right.

  - Erik, August 25th, 2008 at 1:13 pm

• I tried the polyurethane molding and it is absolutely amazing. I have used wood moldings only prior to this, but this material is great! It is easier to work with, it is easy to pain, it also doesn’t warp like wood does. I am definitely planning on switching over all together from now on.

  - Robert, August 27th, 2008 at 10:23 am

• I just installed indirect lighting molding in my apartment this summer and I was amazed at how COOL it looked.. I would highly recommend it to anybody, especially if they don’t get much lighting in your home during the day, like I do.
  ~Jim

  - Jim, August 28th, 2008 at 12:03 pm

• I absolutely love the molding designs on this web site. The only few places that I knew where to look was Home Depot and stores like it. They have absolutely no real choices for the designs. This is absolutely amazing though. I have been looking for something that is really detailed and i have finally found some great stuff here.

  - Georgeanne, August 28th, 2008 at 12:08 pm

• I have always wondered how to get the type of lighting in restaurants (which I now know as indirect lighting) and now I have it for my very own home, and I love it so much!

  - Candace, August 28th, 2008 at 12:12 pm

• We just installed indirect lighting and it is such a great asset to our home. It creates such a great atmosphere at night.

  - Amie, August 29th, 2008 at 1:11 pm

• Very happy that I found this article. I feel like it stopped me from doing the same mistake over again. Living in New England, in beautiful, but aged home we are constantly battling with moisture problems. We have been renovating for several years, and can finally see the end to it! We have to replace molding all throughout the house because they’re old and keep splitting and opening on the joints. I’ve been hunting or wood molding, but my wife wanted something more decorative- so i started looking at plaster molding, but as I soon learned, the installation and shipping of plaster molding is out of this world! Last I heard, it is a real pain because of how easily it cracks and breaks… never heard of this poluyrethane, but it sounds good. It seems like I can even install it myself and satisfy my wife with the decorative part of the deal. I really don’t care much about fancy stuff, but have to keep peace in the family. I’m happy to find this information, thank you.

  - Bert, August 29th, 2008 at 5:55 pm

• I have been a contractor for years now, and I think the polyurethane molding is great. It is easy to install and it is so light. I now recommend these moldings for anyone that I am working for who is thinking about getting molding for their houses.

  - Carlos, September 3rd, 2008 at 12:00 pm

• Your right Carlos, I just started using the Polyurethane molding as well. Before that, I had no idea that Polyurethane was becoming so popular. Our firm, as well as my brothers construction firm, both use Polyurethane molding in almost every application this point. Our customers love it!

  - Charles, September 3rd, 2008 at 5:12 pm

• I am having a hard time choosing a crown molding. There are so many choices, I don’t know where to start. Are there certain height restrictions that I should be aware of? Or can I use any molding in my house? My ceilings are about 9 feet.. I’m not sure if that even makes a difference.

  - Linda, September 4th, 2008 at 10:37 am

• Linda – for a 9 foot ceiling I recommend getting a molding about 4-5″ in Height (Not the Fascia!). It won’t make your walls look shorter, and it will add a good amount of detail.

  - Jason, September 5th, 2008 at 4:08 pm

• I have wood crown molding and I love it. We have cherry everything, so the cherry crown molding added just that perfect touch!

  - Kristi, September 9th, 2008 at 11:03 am

• I love how there are so many moldings to choose from. Each room in my house is about to have the molding redone (we’re slowly turning our house into a GREEN home) and each room will have their own molding. It’ll be fantastic and each room will be unique. I’m glad they are primed and ready to paint. I have so many ideas!

  - Dawn, September 15th, 2008 at 10:23 am

• I always try to steer my clients from the wood molding. Yes wood molding is traditional and can be beautiful, but the polyurethane is SO much easier to install. And there are way more options I think (the possibilities are endless). So I think that it is the smart choice. Plus, if you are environmentally savvy, then the polyurethane is definitely the way to go.

  - Chandler, September 23rd, 2008 at 10:17 am

• So I kind of wanted to create some lighting at floor level and my friend had a great idea. He saw this website and suggested I use the L-shape art deco crown molding where baseboard would normally go. I decided this idea was worth a try and cut holes into it and placed the lights in there so that they shine out. It looks great! If anyone wants a cool and different idea, I recommend it.

  - Chris, September 24th, 2008 at 3:43 pm

• I’m normally one for wood, but after talking to a few of the specialists at InvitingHome.com’s hotline, I realized that I should probably go towards the polyurethane molding. They had a lot of good points (lightweight, a green product.. among lots of other stuff). I can’t believe how light it was and that it was still stronger than wood. I am extremely impressed by the quality of this product. I suggest that anyone who is trying to decide between the traditional wooden molding and the polyurethane.. you should definitely go towards the latter.

  - Bryan, October 1st, 2008 at 2:38 pm

• I know that a lot of my fellow bloggers have already said this, but I have to say that this polyurethane moulding is a great substitution to wood. It’s so easy to install. How could anyone be against this great product?

  - Jason, October 3rd, 2008 at 9:44 am

• The possibilities are endless when it comes to molding. I get amazed all the time at the uses molding can have. Molding doesn’t HAVE to be used for the ceiling.. you can be creative with it too! I think it’s terrific.

  - Janet, October 9th, 2008 at 11:42 am

• I want to use pilaster molding on the wall above my bed. There are windows on each side of the bed. I want to use wall sconces as lighting for reading. My question is: do I put the wall sconce a) on the inside of the molding, b) on the outside of the molding or c) directly on the molding. I’ve tried looking this up online for pictures, etc., but I haven’t been very successful. Your thoughts please ….

  - Doreen, October 16th, 2008 at 11:58 am

• Hi Doreen – it is really a matter of preference, but I am trying to envision what you are describing. Are you going to use panel molding or chair rail molding above your bed? If you are using panel molding and just placing a box onto your wall, I suggest putting them on the outside. I think it would nicer if the sconces were not inside the molding box. However.. I do not know if I can give you a definite answer. You should call the hotline for this website. They have been very helpful for me in the past.

  - Saya, October 20th, 2008 at 4:21 pm

• Hi Saya, thanks for responding. I am actually using a door surround kit. It has two pilaster mouldings on the sides with bases and capitals. Across the middle about ceiling height (I have a trayed ceiling) will be a decorative door trim.
  The width of the wall between the windows is 87″, my bed is 80″ wide. My dilemma is whether the pilasters will go beside the bed (in which case the sconces would have to be inside or on the moulding), or behind the bed which then allows the sconces to be on the outside. At that point you wouldn’t see the base and the bottom of the pilaster, but I don’t think that’s going to look silly. Thanks again for your help. I appreciate any advice since my husband is useless in the decorating department.

  - Doreen, October 22nd, 2008 at 3:27 pm

• Ahh. That sounds nice! Well, one thing I should let you know is that usually in the bedroom, the bed is the focal point. So you should put the pilasters on the outside of the bed, so that it frames your bed in a way.

  Are the pilasters going to go from floor to ceiling? If so, then you should put the sconces on the inside of your pilasters. There are some really nice swing arm sconces available on this website, so you can move them to be a good source of reading light or you can push them away if you don’t want them near you.

  If the pilasters are not from floor to ceiling, then the sconces can be placed above the pilasters. If you do this, make sure that the diameter/width of the sconce’s base is about an inch smaller than the pilasters. Otherwise, it will look awkward.

  I think this will create a sophisticated multilayers look in the bedroom for you. I hope this helps!

  - Saya, October 22nd, 2008 at 4:26 pm

• Wow, Saya. You give some pretty good advice! I have to say that I was really curious about the polyurethane molding, but this article completely made up my mind.. which is great because me and my wife like this plastic looking stuff better than wood anyway. The styles are so much more better, almost like they’re made for us and our personalities.

  - Jack, November 12th, 2008 at 11:02 am

• I just had some of this polyurethene molding installed and seriously, it looks fanstastic. It was SO easy to install (in fact I helped and I honestly feel proud about it – lol). And now I just love to look at the work we have accomplished. It’s great!

  - Xandra, November 13th, 2008 at 5:04 pm

• Yeah, this polyurethane molding is great. I got some great ideas from the inspiration gallery too. With those LED lights in the step.. very clever and very modern. My bum brother lives with me and he likes it a lot too. It is very eye pleasing to say the least.

  - Thomas, November 17th, 2008 at 6:00 pm

• I think this stuff is great. So light and easy. I was dreading doing an at home project like this, but my wife insisted. This light-weight polyurethane stuff was a lot easier to install than I thought it would be.

  - Paul, November 20th, 2008 at 12:42 pm

• I live in the Florida keys, and the fact that these polyurethane moldings are moisture resistant is key key key! (No pun intended! ha ha) But in all seriousness. These moldings are great. They really add to the room and I don’t have to worry about rotting (or termites!). It’s fantastic.

  - Terri, November 26th, 2008 at 10:45 am

• I live down in Florida too and I have to agree. I think it’s great that there are moldings that are so moisture resistant. I don’t have to worry about wood expanding and eroding. And this stuff is so easy to install, I didn’t need anyone other than my husband for this. My friend had a contractor install it, but I guess if you have a handy husband that has some sort of clue, then you’ll be in luck!

  - Julie, December 2nd, 2008 at 4:14 pm

• I live out west and it barely ever rains, so I don’t have to worry about the water.. however, I am very happy that the molding is a green product. My wife has an “eye” for luxury, so this was pretty much the best of both worlds for us. We’ve put it up and it’s great. A lot of people know me as a “treehugger” I guess, and so whenever someone calls me out on this, I can proudly say that I can still live in a luxurious home without hurting the environment.

  - Tom, December 4th, 2008 at 12:03 pm

• What is the ideal distance between the ceiling and the top of the crown molding (if the molding is 4-5 top to bottom) for best esthetics and ilumination?

  - Mike, December 5th, 2008 at 9:09 am

• Hello Tom – we get your question quite often and I’m happy to answer it. In general from the ceiling to the top of the crown molding you should allow for a space between 4 – 6 inches. This will allow for enough room for the light to bounce off the back of the crown molding – to the wall then to the ceiling.

  For example for the Fresno Crown Molding [NAL28) the molding height is 5-7/8 inch so a space of 5 to 5-1/2 inches above the crown molding would be ideal.

  I hope this answers your question.

  - Albert, December 5th, 2008 at 4:11 pm

• Wow, that is pretty good information to know. I was worried actually, because I have a pretty tall ceiling. So I was wondering what I should use in terms of the size of the molding if I have a 14′ ceiling?

  - Alan, December 9th, 2008 at 6:06 pm

• We’re decorating a bathroom and wonder what pattern or design of your polyurethane molding you would recommend? The look we’re after is to give the appearance of a large picture frame around a large (6 feet square) bathroom mirror?

  - Christine, December 10th, 2008 at 9:25 pm

• With such a large mirror I would suggest a wider molding such as the Bellmeade Chair-Rail Molding – CNCR3102 – it has a lovely running flower scroll pattern. Also, the Hyatt Egg-and Dart Molding- CNCR3193 is a great choice that features a detailed running egg and dart pattern.

  There are many other moldings available so take your time and pick out the one that works for you – just make sure its at least 2 inches wide.

  I also wanted to mention our new Wainscoting collection is very popular for bathroom upgrades.

  - Albert, December 12th, 2008 at 5:51 pm

• Wow Christine – that sounds like a great idea! It sounds like a nice way to really spruce up the mirror! I may have to steal the idea myself!

  - Johanna, December 15th, 2008 at 6:17 pm

• I have recently been noticing more and more moldings used for decorative purposes other than what they have been initially intended for. It’s nice to see some creativity out there.

  - Greg, December 17th, 2008 at 5:19 pm

• I noticed nobody has answered you Allen. The answer is that you can use molding that has at least a 6″ height. If the molding is too short, it will make the molding look to small and thus, will make your room look funny.

  - Kelley, December 23rd, 2008 at 2:25 pm

• I just wanted to share with everyone that this material is FANTASTIC! We just installed some crown molding and baseboard (Miami crown and New York baseboard) and they have come out BEAUTIFULLY! And when they are painted after installation, they seriously look SO good! I love it, can you tell? ha ha.

  - Victoria, December 24th, 2008 at 1:01 pm

• I want to use the indirect lighting with some kind of cove at my ceiling height, but my ceilings are slanted, 11′ high on one side and 8′ high on the opposide side. Can this be done with the cove lighting slanted to match the ceiling height or must I make the coves totally horizonal at the lower height?

  - Mona, December 28th, 2008 at 12:22 pm

• Hi Mona, I couldn’t help but answer this question for you. It would be better to have the moldings to be the same height all around the room. It will create a more tranquil atmosphere in the room. Continuity and Symmetry is more peaceful for the mind. I hope this answers your question.
  Oh! And I highly recommend the avondale molding that is available on this website. It is perfect for an 8′ ceiling and I think it has one of the best examples of indirect lighting.

  - Kate, December 29th, 2008 at 12:56 pm

• Kate is absolutely correct. You want to create a contious line with your molding. The right molding for the job is either the avondale cornice molding or the fresno crown molding for inderect lighting. If you have any further questions or questions about instillation please do not hesitate to ask or you can call us and talk to our architectural specialist. good luck with your project.

  - Julie, Designer, December 29th, 2008 at 1:15 pm

• We have a ceiling very similar to the one pictured above and have decided to put in the L-shaped molding with some recesssed light in them. I think it will really add to the room, and it will eliminate having to use our old lighting fixture that clashes with the style of the room that we have. We’re pretty excited about. We just wanted to share our project with everyone. ha ha.

  - Robert, December 30th, 2008 at 12:26 pm

• We had a really big termite problem this past year, hopefully 2009 will be better to us! We have decided to replace all of the molding in the house with this polyurethane stuff. I think it will be a big help!

  - Richard, December 31st, 2008 at 2:34 pm

• I really like how this type of molding leaves room to install LED lights and indirect lighting. It really can enhance a room.

  - Carolyn, January 2nd, 2009 at 4:38 pm

• I know I’ve rambled on before about my husband being a carpenter, so it’s no surprise that he really enjoys homes that show that the builders, or decorators, have paid attention to detail. When we were house shopping, it drove him nuts to find house with poorly installed trim, or substandard home lighting. He just felt that errors on the small things reflected the quality of the work in the home overall. We walked away from many homes that I would have put offers in on for that reason.

  I’ve found a website that I know he is going to really enjoy, both on a professional and a personal level: InvitingHome.com. This website is the virtual showroom for an actual physical store. They offer all sorts of amazingly beautiful products, from larger items like furniture down to smaller items like crown moulding and decorative hardware, all of high quality. Like good stores do, they also offer tons of information and assistance. They even always have an architectural specialist and interior designer on call and available for over the phone consultations. Wow… That would be helpful for someone like me, who needs all of the help that I can get! So, I know that he’ll enjoy this site. The question is, will I show him? I suppose that depends on where this beautiful stuff is going!! Our house? Well, maybe then .

  - Kgraham, January 9th, 2009 at 6:45 pm

• Polyurethane molding seems like it is the ideal material right now. Not only is it “green” friendly, but it protects against termites too? Amazing. And I really like how it is water-resistant. I was wondering about that. I’m thinking about adding some wainscoting into my bathroom. I think it will really make the bathroom beautiful!

  - Rene, January 14th, 2009 at 1:20 pm

• I have only just discovered polyurethane molding recently and I have to say that I am extremely impressed. I really like the idea of it being a green product. I like the idea of it being easy to install even better. Looks like I’ll finally be able to do the projects around the house that I have been meaning to do for a while now.. and I won’t have to spend too much money either. Now this is a great deal!

  - Tommy, January 19th, 2009 at 6:13 pm

• The whole anti-termite feature about this kind of product is great. I’ve been having some pretty bad issues and I have been looking for something other than wood to put up in our house. And it’s environmentally friendly. How can anyone resist?

  - Shawn, January 20th, 2009 at 12:38 pm

• This stuff is great. I have been having more and more customers coming up to me and asking about these types of molding. Installation is easy and it’s so lightweight that I don’t have to worry about breaking my back over this. If you’re a contractor, I recommend using this type of crown molding for all of your customers.

  - Nick, January 21st, 2009 at 1:54 pm

• I am usually partial to using wood products and wood molding, but my wife wanted to redecorate with this new stuff that is available. After purchasing it, I have to admit that this is a great product. I am thoroughly impressed, and it was so easy to install. I guess I need to change from my old fashioned ways and get into this new era of molding.

  - Glen, January 30th, 2009 at 10:57 am

• I love having a peaceful, relaxing home. Someday, though… someday not too far off, maybe about five years from now, I hope my husband and I can build a home of our own, on five acres of property, in a remote location. A house that’ll be just what we want, how exciting! We can get personalized molding, tile or wood floors, and have it designed just for our dogs. And since I like to window shop… or web shop, as it were (what is window shopping on the web called anyway? Wendow shopping? lol) and look around at things that I would love to have in our new home, I love it when I find a place that looks really nice!

  - Cynthia, February 6th, 2009 at 4:01 pm

• I have been working woth this material for years now and I’ve been seeing it get more and more popular. It’s so easy to use, what’s not to love about it?

  - Holly, February 10th, 2009 at 3:07 pm

• I never really thought about molding until we were building the house of our dreams. That’s when I realized we would be needing baseboard at teh very least. After exploring the internet, I came across this site and discovered crown molding as well. I thought molding was only available in wood, but then I discovered this “polyurethane” molding. We ordered a sample to see what we were getting ourselves into and discovered that it is a very nice material. And it’s so light weight and easy to install. We have all of the baseboard down, and now we’re looking to get some crown molding as well. I definitely recommend this material!

  - Amy, February 13th, 2009 at 11:07 am

• I have never heard of this material until recently when my sister was redoing her house. My husband and I went over to her place to help her and my brother-in-law put some crown molding up on their ceiling.. and it looks great. I’m going to have to do this for my own home!

  - Sylvia, March 10th, 2009 at 9:38 am

• I have 8′ walls with a ceiling height of about 9′…some have pan ceilings and some have a slight vault…my questions:

  Which moldings go onto the ceiling more than the walls and would be appropriate for the height?

  What relationship should the height of the base molding to the height of the crown molding?

  Thanks!
  Mary

  - Mary, March 11th, 2009 at 10:36 am

• Hi Mary,

  I think I might have an answer for your question(s). For your sloped ceilings, I recommend using either a frieze molding that lays completely against the wall – Frieze Molding – or I also recommend using molding for indirect lighting. The molding for indirect lighting is ideal for situations where the molding cannot touch the ceiling (such as vaulted ceilings).

  As for your second question, there is no real relationship between baseboards and crown moldings. I happened to have been buying molding from this website, and I know they have samples available. You should try giving them a call and talking to them about getting a couple to see how they will look in your home. It might give you an idea of what exactly you would like to go with, and you will be able to compare it and try to see if it will go well with your baseboard.

  I hope this has helped!

  Joan

  - Joan, March 11th, 2009 at 3:14 pm

• I know exactly what your saying when you talk about the wood warping, expanding, and shrinking. I am from Southern Florida and lets just say the summer months aren’t very nice to us with the humidity and all. I had wood panel molding in my kitchen and it gradually started to separate, this wasn’t very flattering. I heard about polyurethane molding and that it doesn’e react to moisture or climate change. I was skeptical at first, but I am happy to say that I have had it now for a little over 3 years and it looks just as nice as the day I recieved it in the mail.

  - Helen, March 19th, 2009 at 10:22 am

• So I have been looking for baseboard molding for our basement. It is definetly a high traffic area, we entertain down there and our children also have a play room. I found some wood moldings on your site that would be perfect. My husband on the otherhand suggested that we use polyurethane. So not really knowing what the difference was I started reading the articles on your web page, which were very informative. Turns out he was right, its moisture resistant, and able to be cleaned easily, which is exactly what I have been looking for.

  - Tina, April 22nd, 2009 at 3:53 pm

• I want to know machinery for moulding of designer polyurethane articals for home.Kindly suggest.

  - Kiran, November 21st, 2009 at 10:49 am

• Tina, I had the same question about what kind of molding to use in high traffic areas. We replaced the chair rails and baseboards in our family room and kitchen a few years ago with paint-grade wood and boy, was that a big mistake! I have three children and a large dog and when I tell you that I wish I had installed shock and moisture resistant molding, you have no idea! So now I’m here to order the Atlanta baseboard and finally replace the dented and dinged pine baseboards.

  - FCarroll, January 6th, 2010 at 4:04 pm

• I enjoy your site and I have bookmarked it, Kind Salutations.

  Bernice Johanson

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