Kitchen Crown Size?

[Matt Meiser]

What size crown is typically used on kitchen cabinets? I picked up 3 samples from my local supplier--3.25", 2.5", and 1.75". I mounted all three on a piece of scrap and put it on top of the cabinets. So far, my wife, my mom, and I have seen it. I think the medium looks best, my wife likes the large, and my mom likes the small. No help there!

[Dave Zellers]

No help there!
Really?

Rule of thumb: When you're wife is happy, you're happy.

[Jerry Thompson]

Play "Rocks, Paper, Scissors, Paper"?:)

[Jason Roehl]

Any interference issues with any of the sizes (ceilings, trim, other cabinets, doors, etc.)?

[Matt Meiser]

No, there's enough room for any. I just don't want it to end up too small or too big.

[ed vitanovec]

What is your ceiling height? I just made some 3-5/8" wide crown molding last night and I think it would be a little on the large size for a kitchen. I also think the smaller on might be just a little too small so I would go with the medium width for your kitchen.

[Dave Zellers]

Ahh! I just came back to talk about ceiling height. Definitely a factor. The 3 1/4" crown could easily work if the ceiling is close to 8'.

Otherwise, I think I'd scale down a bit.

[Leo Graywacz]

I use 4" (+/-) for 8' ceilings.

[Matt Meiser]

Ceilings start at 8', slop up to about 10'. The pantry cabinet and fridge cabinet are 90" tall, so at the wall there will be about a 6" gap, a couple more 2' out.

[Paul Johnstone]

I think 3.25" looks best. The wife also likes it, that's the vote that counts.

[Bill White]

I used 3 1/2" on staggered uppers. Our kit. has 9' ceilings.
Bill

[scott vroom]

I prefer 3.141592. That way the dimensions are simple as 'pi'. :D

[Larry Edgerton]

Matt, can you post a picture of where it will be installed?

Larry

[Steve Jenkins]

I stopped my cabs about 6" from the ceiling and used 3-1/2 on the ceiling and 2-1/2 on the cabs. the ceiling crown is white and the cabinet crown is cherry to match the cabinets. I think it looks really good.

[Peter Quinn]

I really depends on what is happening around it, in other rooms that are adjacent, the overall "style" or formality of the house in question, etc. I've seem some "big silly" crowns in a kitchen that felt out of place with the rest of the house and thus didn't add much IMO, I've seen some small tasteful crowns that brought great emphasis to the ceiling transition and were harmonious with the overall trim package. Balance is my preference. My favorite is a 2 1/4" crown that is basically a large cove with a repetitive quarter round on each edge, set at a 45 degree spring angle, as part of a 3 piece crown with a slim " maybe 3/8" thick" ogee foundation on the wall and ceiling. Its a simple but elegant detail, yes it is nearly three times as much work to install (though its easier to cope the small crown IME), it adds great richness without appearing ostentatious. Looks more like furniture IME than a single piece basic crown with ogee or cove into symia reversa type curve. Nice part is it creaes a good foundation for attachment if it goes along the top edge of cabs that end before the ceiling.

But on a practical note as others have pointed out, pleasing your wife is really the primary goal in these things. If playing rock paper scissors I always give my wife the rock and the rest crepe paper, and get too close, to avoid getting hit.

You have to run crown up a rake? Or just across the tops of the cabs? Going up a rake is always fun. You can't run the same crown up a rake that does the horizontal lines, it does't work. You may be aware of this already? There are solutions, transition block, three piece corner, doing it "correctly" with a custom crown for the rake angle ($$$$$$). Just curious on that one, may change the choices slightly if so.

[scott vroom]

Peter, is it possible to post some pics of what you described?


I really depends on what is happening around it, in other rooms that are adjacent, the overall "style" or formality of the house in question, etc. I've seem some "big silly" crowns in a kitchen that felt out of place with the rest of the house and thus didn't add much IMO, I've seen some small tasteful crowns that brought great emphasis to the ceiling transition and were harmonious with the overall trim package. Balance is my preference. My favorite is a 2 1/4" crown that is basically a large cove with a repetitive quarter round on each edge, set at a 45 degree spring angle, as part of a 3 piece crown with a slim " maybe 3/8" thick" ogee foundation on the wall and ceiling. Its a simple but elegant detail, yes it is nearly three times as much work to install (though its easier to cope the small crown IME), it adds great richness without appearing ostentatious. Looks more like furniture IME than a single piece basic crown with ogee or cove into symia reversa type curve. Nice part is it creaes a good foundation for attachment if it goes along the top edge of cabs that end before the ceiling.

But on a practical note as others have pointed out, pleasing your wife is really the primary goal in these things. If playing rock paper scissors I always give my wife the rock and the rest crepe paper, and get too close, to avoid getting hit.

You have to run crown up a rake? Or just across the tops of the cabs? Going up a rake is always fun. You can't run the same crown up a rake that does the horizontal lines, it does't work. You may be aware of this already? There are solutions, transition block, three piece corner, doing it "correctly" with a custom crown for the rake angle ($$$$$$). Just curious on that one, may change the choices slightly if so.

[Matt Meiser]

Matt, can you post a picture of where it will be installed?

Larry

I can, but the old cabinets are still there, at least for another 9 days.

[Matt Meiser]

You have to run crown up a rake? Or just across the tops of the cabs? Going up a rake is always fun. You can't run the same crown up a rake that does the horizontal lines, it does't work. You may be aware of this already? There are solutions, transition block, three piece corner, doing it "correctly" with a custom crown for the rake angle ($$$$$$). Just curious on that one, may change the choices slightly if so.

just across the top of the cabinets.

[Peter Quinn]

Peter, is it possible to post some pics of what you described?

Sorry Scott, not sure I actually have any pics except mental. I'll try to post a sketch next week, I'm away from my computer for a bit. I really should take more photos.

[Mel Fulks]

The problem is ,there isn't a problem . The informal nature of kitchens does not lend itself to any good formulaic rules. I advise you to get some kitchen magazines and see what effect different crown sizes ,and paints and stains have on different places . Sometimes it's easier to form preferences when you are the critic and not the "decider".

[Matt Meiser]

We decided on the 3.25" and picked it up this morning.