Thank you, Mari -- I just called my contractor to say it's too tall and he said that it wouldn't look good without that flat piece. I wonder if it would help to make it half the size.........

I think the ceiling moulding is fine, but the door moulding is too much. I'd reduce the crown over the doors by half.

I think if you cut the flat piece to 2" instead of the 4", it might work.

You are right the molding looks too high. I think I would just remove that bottom plain board. If you really like the look of the trim with that bottom plain piece them maybe you could cut the piece so it is half the height it is now. It looks like it might only be 1-1/2 or 2" shorter but might be just enough to make a difference in the "too big" look.

I think this kind of elaborate trim is intended for rooms with higher ceilings. I'd keep it simple here (or ditch the crown)...

Yes --- I have to reduce it by half --- But what piece? Should I eliminate the middle one? Will that be enough? How much ceiling should show above the door? Damn! What was I thinking!?

Have your contractor finish a door without that middle piece and see how you like it. Go with what you think looks right.

Cut the flat piece down. And/or remove one piece of the smaller trim board. One of the ones that is used to build up the whole top. When it's all painted it won't look like that.

I think you are going to be distorting the proportions of the door surround as a whole by shortening the top and leaving the sides the same width.

I'd either leave it or change it altogether.

But this is exactly how some of the door surrounds related to the cornices in some areas of the 1838 house I lived in.

I just looked at it again. It's only 2 pieces - The flat wood piece above the door is a little over 4 inches. The piece above it is 1 piece and is 4-1/2" long.

I like the flat piece, but I think there is too much trim above it, making it both too tall and too wide. It looks like two pieces of trim--can one be removed to simplify if? Or if it's one piece, I'd substitute a smaller trim. (I mean the very top trim, above the flat piece)

ETA: yes, what smitrovich said! I also think the topmost trim should be the same width as the skinny piece between the door and the flat piece (clearly, i need to learn the names of these trim pieces)

Thank you all! I have stacks of all this wood in my house right now. I hope I can shorten the flat piece by 2 inches and it will still look fine. Smitrovich: Can you show me how it would look if the flat piece was half its size. I don't know how you got rid of some of the top piece. It's just one piece above the flat one, so I'm sure it would have to be returned and replaced.

Here is what it would look like with the shortened header. I still think it looks too top-heavy. If it were me, I'd reduce the size of the crown, not the header.

Reduced header:

Reduced crown:

Thank you, Smitrovich. It's hard to visualize with all the different shades of white. The crown is one piece - I thought it was 2. I would probably have to buy a different one that is half the size. Does it matter if the header is plain but the surrounding molding is ornate? Thanks again!

And..... how did you do that???

And in the vein of "I don't know how to fix your problem but have you considered this . . ." I offer as follows: Consider painting the hall a light color that won't offer as much contrast to the trim. That thin dark strip really accents the moldings.

Thank you Jakabedy! I am also doing wainscoting in that hallway and bedroom and wanted a contrast of the stark white molding against a darker wall. Tomorrow morning the carpenter will be here and I'll ask him to decrease the height and see how it looks. I should have thought about the height of the ceiling and the size of door and crown moldings. I wasn't putting it all together in my mind when choosing them. ugh

mjammjam... photoshop! ;)

And don't be so hard on yourself. The important thing is that it's totally fixable and will be great when it's finished.

No. You are forcing the wrong size crown, In fact its crownkill. Ditch the door crown and flutes while yer at it. IMAO

As everyone else says, the crown on top of the casing is too much. Something like this, or even smaller will work better. The top molding in this picture is probably no more than 1 1/4" tall.

Dont reduce the flatpiece - its the top molding over it that is too big - too massive in proportion to the door casings. Id be tempted to remove it altogether - keep it simple! Yeah the ceiling crown is a bit massive too but its the piece on the door thats making it look top-heavy.

My first thought is: Don't use a crown on top of the door! It's overkill, IMHO. I like what Carolina Kitchen & Bath suggested. Another option is to just wrap the same trim from the side over the top, perhaps with mitered corners or with rosettes on the corners. Let us know what you decide...

Some photos...

The only door trim I could find that actually uses a crown does not have crown moulding at the ceiling line, see below. They just compete too much, I think...

I lived in a house with that kind of casing for 10 years and I miss it so. The 2x4's were actually two inches by four inches.

This is not the right door molding for your house. Your ceilings are not high enough, nor is your house grand enough. It also does not go with your door style at all.

Such molding looks marvelous in a large house with high ceilings and 6 panel doors. It's just not for your house.

Unfortunately, as Anglophilia said, the whole design is overkill for your ceiling height there. The best solution is from Carolina K & B-a simple flat panel the height = to the width of the door trim, with a small crown.

Remove the door molding not ceiling molding. I see slanted ceilings??? What style house is this? Looks too contemporary for all that molding and fluted casings

You can't have too much molding or a dress cut too low.

hahahaha

Keep you crown molding!!! Just remove molding over the door. It is never too late to do this.

Take the door moulding back it's all wrong keep crown

Yes, the door molding over the doors should go. Either that, or you'll need to add another foot or so of height to your walls....

Another vote to keep the crown and keep it simple over the doors.

OK - I am not going to work today, so I can try to cut my losses. I need to go order different crown above the doors. The side moldings are already up around the doors and windows. This room will be an office, with standard height ceilings.

Should I just choose a shorter crown above the doors and windows and leave the sides. The majority of the side molding is up........

AND..... My bedroom isn't getting ceiling crown because of its odd shape and many turns.

Go simpler on all of the door tops. I like the look you've got going in the master on all the windows. Use that throughout on the the doors, as well. Keep the ceiling crown in the rest of your house, too!

Thanks Lisa! The master windows have the flat white piece without the crown yet. I'm going to the molding store when it opens to get a shorter crown. What about the sides that are already up everywhere?

The sides look fine. Leave them. I would put the crown you have in your master bedroom, since you dont have the ceiling crown in there. Then go much simpler on the rest of the doors and windows, just on the top. You already have beautiful ceiling crown in the rest of the rooms, and putting the fancy crown on the doors, and windows, is just way too much, and takes away from the beauty of your ceiling crown, which is very very nice.

Really, cat-KY -- Can I have different moldings in the master? I hadn't thought of that! xoxox

Is this too much still?

I think that is what everyone has been suggesting. You can probably do either, but I generally prefer the second one. Could be different in different spaces.

Yes, both of those look great IMHO.

BEFORE:

Much better...

It IS much better! Looks great!