The young people I know have a very different idea about what "entertaining" is than we do. They need the space because their version (and ours, when we were young) involves a whole bunch of their friends, lots of drinks and snacks and music, and general horsing around. We are more sedate about the whole business. But I disagree that just because you do things only once a month, you shouldn't have a house that supports them. I have four people at my table as often as once a week, six once a month, and eight or ten three or four times a year. Then there's the occasional cocktail party for 20 or so, which is about all this house can handle. I want all those groups to be comfortable, and to feel that we made an effort on their behalf. I want to be able to handle them all relatively easily, which keeps it fun for me. But back to the molding - I don't think it's necessarily about showing off. It's about an old-fashioned level of formality, and a signal that life is lived a certain way in the house. And it's also a pleasure to look at. I don't think anyone should feel uncomfortable in beautiful surroundings, even if they aren't part of one's everyday life. The best advice I ever heard given to a young person about to be entertained in a place that scared her to death was this: "Don't worry about not fitting in. Just stand up straight, smile at everyone, and speak clearly, softly, and rarely."

Okay...so the molding comes off all the way around and then I guess he just patches the sheetrock where he removed the original molding? (1st pic) The fridge sticks out a few inches but it is what it is, I guess. sombreuil_mongrel - I'm not sure I understand you. I would cut angled fillers to bring the casing on the sides out so it was oblique to the front of the fridge. Working all those angles is just silliness. So then as for above the fridge the easiest option of course would be to just extend the wall down toward the fridge but then, wouldn't you still need to do something at that edge? Or would it just be a plain sheetrock corner? I wouldn't mind having a cabinet up there that matched the rest of the kitchen. I can always use more storage and maybe that would take care of the finishing?

96” ceilings? Keep what you have. It’s proportionate. 10‘ ceilings? Maybe. But what you want to do isn’t at all inexpensive, and will have zero payback. You’re doing it like you’d take a cruise or something. Money spent for your pleasure only.

The easiest thing to do and what I think would look somewhat planned is to remove it from the small wall and have it end in the corner like it does on the other side. If you continue around the corner you have to do the same on the other side all the way into the kitchen and then transition to the kitchen cab molding. Certainly you could do that but just easier & le$$ to end it there and paint it all the same color and it will look finished and blend in nicely.