Crown moldings/trim/paint
Crown molding crown (for example, make it about half the size of the base), there are many questions that come into play, like: • How tall is the ceiling? • Will the crown be convex or concave? • Will the crown step up and out from, say, a picture rail? Given these variables, sizing a crown isn't as straightforward as you might think. I like to purchase foot-long pieces of different sizes and profiles and construct mock-ups of the crown in the room. In fact, because most trim is readily available and inexpensive, this is a really good process to use for selecting all of your trim elements.
Another guideline for crown selection is to use the same crown throughout the kitchen if your design calls for using a crown at the top of your cabinets. In fact, you'll probably want the crown to be finished and supplied by the cabinetmaker. Otherwise, the crown won't match, making transitions from one to the other problematic.
All together now. A well-trimmed room is something special. Its baseboard, casings and crown all relate to each other in their style, proportions, sizing and finish. In this example, the baseboard appears to follow the 7 percent guideline: The casings are about half the size of the baseboard, and the crown looks to be just slightly smaller than the baseboard. There's no doubt that the trim for this room was conceived as part of the overall design.
The 7 percent solution. When sizing a baseboard in a traditional-style home, a good starting point is to use a ratio of 7 percent. So if your ceiling height is 8 feet high, try a baseboard that's about 7 inches tall.
Q