How to Select the Right Size for Crown Moulding

Many homeowners appreciate the value and appeal of Los Angeles crown moulding. Crown moulding adds a little extra detail to your walls and enriches the room’s color and texture. It also makes the space appear more expansive. However, you will only achieve this effect if you select the right size of crown moulding. When buying crown moulding for a room, be sure you pick it out based on the size of your space.

Measure Your Room

How are you going to know how big your room is if you don’t measure it? Whip out your ladder and tape measure to get the job done. Measure the height of each wall in the room. If the ceiling is level, you can simply measure the height of one wall. Climb up the ladder to reach the top of the ceiling and have a friend at the bottom hold the other end of the tape measure down. Record the measurements of each wall. Then you can make a decision on the width of your crown moulding based on the height from your floor to the ceiling.

Size Guide

The width of your crown moulding should be in proportion to the height of your walls. Crown moulding that is too thick in width can be too clunky and gaudy and may make the room seem smaller. On the other hand, thinner moulding results in disproportion. Abide by this size guide so you’ll know how to choose well. For walls that are 7 feet tall, stick with crown moulding that is 3 inches or smaller. These spaces tend to be shorter, so thinner crown moulding blends in well. Ceilings that reach 8 feet tall should feature moulding that is 3 to 4 inches wide. Anything wider will make the room appear squatty. As for 9-foot ceilings, go with 4- to 5-inch moulding. Anything thinner won’t catch the eye. 6-inch crown moulding should accompany 10-foot ceilings. Decorative corner crown moulding tends to work well with these larger ceilings. If your ceiling is truly tall, say around 17 feet tall, install 8-inch or longer crown moulding. You may need to create your own Los Angeles crown moulding to achieve this size. As a good rule of thumb, 4 ¼-inch classical crown moulding is a safe bet for any space.