I bought an apartment in May and am now deciding what improvements I want to make. I've settled on a built-in bookshelf, installing crown molding, and painting. I'm looking for help with the molding--going to home depot tomorrow but I'm not sure what to ask for, and after some time scoping it out on the internet, I'm still lost. I found a reputable contractor but he has absolutely NO opinion about... [more]
I bought an apartment in May and am now deciding what improvements I want to make. I've settled on a built-in bookshelf, installing crown molding, and painting. I'm looking for help with the molding--going to home depot tomorrow but I'm not sure what to ask for, and after some time scoping it out on the internet, I'm still lost. I found a reputable contractor but he has absolutely NO opinion about what would look good or is normal for the kind of space I have. So... help!
My apartment is in the East Village, an old walk-up building, but one of the better-kept ones. Has 11" ceilings, 700 sq ft, 2 bedroom. It's the kind of building that looks like it ought to have moldings, only it doesn't. I'm going for elegant, but tasteful--my living room is going to have ceiling to floor curtains for the oversized windows. I read somewhere that the rule of thumb is for every foot of height, you add an inch to the molding, but I think that would look ridiculous. How ornate should I go without being tacky?
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Response by alanhart
almost 16 years ago
Posts: 12397
Member since: Feb 2007
Crown molding is not normal for the kind of space you have, if the kind of space you have is in New York.
The usual arrangement in older buildings is composite baseboard moldings, plus picture rail molding about a foot or so below the ceiling (often used to run phone and coaxial cables), plus rectangles of molding between the two (I'd skip this last one if I were you).
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Response by NYCMatt
almost 16 years ago
Posts: 7523
Member since: May 2009
"picture rail molding about a foot or so below the ceiling (often used to run phone and coaxial cables), plus rectangles of molding between the two (I'd skip this last one if I were you)."
This is exactly what I have and it's very classy. And yes, it's a great place to hide the wires!
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Response by kylewest
almost 16 years ago
Posts: 4455
Member since: Aug 2007
1. Go with MDF (medium density fiberboard) versus wood. MDF expands and contracts much less than wood and will not produce cracks at the seams that need repair in 6 months.
2. Dykes Lumber (in Manhattan it is in the West 40s) has samples around the ceilings, a little catalogue (bit hard to imagine if you aren't good at 3-D reduced to 2-D) and a website I think. They are a major supplier of mouldings in NYC and very reputable.
3. Style-wise, rather than simply pursue a vision, look through magazines and keep looking up when you are in places until you see something that looks like what you want. You can always tweak it, but sounds like you don't have a clear vision yet and that's not a good recipe for aesthetic success. 11" of mouldings is ridiculous--you don't like at the Dakota. Keep it sane and not overwrought. There are also moulding books at Barnes and Noble you can leaf through.
Crown molding is not normal for the kind of space you have, if the kind of space you have is in New York.
The usual arrangement in older buildings is composite baseboard moldings, plus picture rail molding about a foot or so below the ceiling (often used to run phone and coaxial cables), plus rectangles of molding between the two (I'd skip this last one if I were you).
"picture rail molding about a foot or so below the ceiling (often used to run phone and coaxial cables), plus rectangles of molding between the two (I'd skip this last one if I were you)."
This is exactly what I have and it's very classy. And yes, it's a great place to hide the wires!
1. Go with MDF (medium density fiberboard) versus wood. MDF expands and contracts much less than wood and will not produce cracks at the seams that need repair in 6 months.
2. Dykes Lumber (in Manhattan it is in the West 40s) has samples around the ceilings, a little catalogue (bit hard to imagine if you aren't good at 3-D reduced to 2-D) and a website I think. They are a major supplier of mouldings in NYC and very reputable.
3. Style-wise, rather than simply pursue a vision, look through magazines and keep looking up when you are in places until you see something that looks like what you want. You can always tweak it, but sounds like you don't have a clear vision yet and that's not a good recipe for aesthetic success. 11" of mouldings is ridiculous--you don't like at the Dakota. Keep it sane and not overwrought. There are also moulding books at Barnes and Noble you can leaf through.