The crown molding can be any color, but it should be consistent throughout the house. I prefer white, as it adds a sophisticated look, and then can match the ceiling (looks nice, easier for painting). Use semigloss so it stand out. With the crown, fine to not get picky about painting under it, but paint the crown before you install it -- will save lots of headaches -- and plan to lightly touch up any marks from the installation.In terms of materials, go with wood if you can afford it. Will last longer and give nicer look. Take a look at this cool crown molding link. A little overdone for most of our houses, but it shows how crisp white can make an impact. Good luck! Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.oldhouseweb.com/stories/Detailed/15101.shtml

I was thinking of going with the satin too. My walls will be matte. Not sure if the semi-gloss would be too shiny for me? Is satin in between eggshell and semi-gloss? Does satin still have enough shine, without being too shiny? Also my doors that will be painted the linen white to match trim and molding of course I will do same finish. But with 2 doors in the room semi-gloss or satin? Is there a big difference between the 2? Also my walls will be a dark warm color not sure if that makes a difference? Thanks

I just finished doing a whole series of tests on some trim that was painted with oil and needed re-painting. Planning on painting cabinets down the road, so using trim to play. I sanded some down to bare wood, scuffed some and tried several different primers and then tested a couple of different top coats. Sanding down to bare wood got rid of the oil, but caused other issues - the wood grain was showing through, had to use a sandable primer and even used a thinned wood putty to get to a nice smooth surface. I do not recommend doing this. Using a light scuff with out a good primer and BM Advance paint didn't pass the fingernail test - it peeled. Same result using a water based primer. Zinnser 123 is the oil based primer I tested and it worked well. It passed the fingernail test, but I got a thinner, more even coat with Zinnser Bin shellac based primer. Top Coats that I tried were Benjamin Moore Advance ($55.00/gallon), Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel ($95.00/gallon - on sale for $57.00/gallon) and C2 Cabinet and Door ($92.00/gallon) all in a satin finish. I had read a lot of good reviews and had recommendations from the local Ace Hardware to use BM Advance. I liked the BM Advance, but it was not as smooth as I was attempting to get - still had some brush strokes and I also had some issues with air bubbles that didn't burst and left some unsightly poc marks. They were too small to see on baseboards, but not something I would want on kitchen cabinet doors. I decided to try both Sherwin Williams and C2. I have had great experience with C2 on walls, had not tried their Trim and Cabinet Paint. I asked the SW representative which paint was their best for Trim and they advised me to get the Emerald. I ended up using the SW Emerald, but it was less glossy than either BM Advance and C2. I prefer the other gloss levels, but the coat was smooth and self leveled perfectly. The only issue and reason I did not use C2 for the trim in this room is that the closest C2 store is over 2 hours away and I need a custom color match, so I can't just order online. The color I ordered online was the closest match from their color line, but it was grayer than what I wanted. I did absolutely love the paint. Again, very smooth, beautifully leveled surface. When I get a free day I will make the 2 hour drive and cross my fingers that they can match the color I want. I also ordered a can of Poly Whey paint additive to test with the C2 Paint. It is supposed to add even more durability/hardness to the paint. (Recommended when using C2 door and cabinet in high traffic areas as a floor paint. https://vermontnaturalcoatings.com/product/paintplus-paint-additive-with-polywhey/ Plan on testing these on the closet doors and will see what happens.

BM Aura is very nice paint. I have only used it once. (IIRC, it was originally formulated for very deep, rich colors.) If low traffic & no children, it should be fine for your walls. I used it in a dark navy on a couple of nightstands, and it has stayed a little soft. Because of that, I wouldn't recommend it for trim. If you haven't bought your wall paint yet, take a look at Scuff X. The sheen level in Scuff X runs a little higher, but it also comes in matte. It is great paint! We have it on the walls and trim in our lower level. (For the trim, it was sprayed.)