Crown Finish Question

[nelsone]

I will be topping the library unit I am building with crown moulding. The room has no crown in it at this time and the room is being used as an office. My clients want crown all the way around the room, but are questioning how to finish it. The crown in the rest of the house is painted white and the crown on the library unit will be stained. Would you stain all of the crown in the room or stain the crown over the builtin and paint the rest of the crown? I will be mimicking the finish of the crown on the base boards.

Thanks, as always!

Ed

 

[Dusty Sawyer]

Client is always right.......

I would stain a piece and paint a piece and put them side by side to let them decide - along with your recommendation. In the end they are the ones to live with it.

Personally, I'm with you; what makes the room distinct is the subtle differences like different finishes on the same or similiar materials. I've seen rooms where the moulding finishes do not match and it looks like it was done as an afterthought or patch-up job by a gypsy carpenter.


Good luck with your customer

 

[Travis Porter]

I would think staining would be fine as long as that is what you are doing the rest of the trim in (baseboards, door and window casings, etc).

 

[nelsone]

I would not replace the casings. If the entire room is crowned with stained crown, I would want to put stained base all the way around. My biggest concern now is how the crown will look if it is only stained on 1 wall and the other 3 are painted.

 

[dtomasch]

That;s a tough one...If I am understanding you right, The Crown moulding will be continuous around the room and over the face of your built in, which is to be stain grade. Your casings are painted? and you will be matching the base finish with the crown finish. Right?
Sounds to me like a great opportunity for an add-on. Replace the casing and make the whole room stain grade!! It'll look great and you can make a few extra bucks and it all ties together. Win x3 If that doesn't fly with the clients, I'd opt for painted trim continuously through out, and let the built in be stained. Just my .02. Good luck