Crown Molding

One of the trim details that I took on, proved to be quite challenging.  I decided to wrap the entire kitchen area with Cherry Crown Molding (or crown moulding).  Having watched Norm and Dean do this on TV, I didn't think it would be too complicated, but it turned out to be much more difficult than I imagined it would be.

I searched the Internet looking for information on how to install Crown Molding, but found a lot of conflicting information.  I compiled a few of the tips on installing crown molding that I found, which I tried to follow, but found that coping the large cherry crown molding was extremely difficult.  This was especially true in my 30 year old house, where none of the walls, corners or soffits were even close to square.   I eventually went back to simply mitering the corners (which is frowned upon), but they turned out beautifully.  12 inside and 8 outside corner's later, and I had entire kitchen area completed, however, I don't think I'll volunteer to do that again!

The photo at the right shows the crown molding wrapping around the buffet.  It does look really nice.

If you are looking for a source for some truly stunning crown molding, check out the Rope Accent Crown Molding at Rockler.com.  It is available in paint grade, cherry, oak or maple.

If you are looking for a great book on Crown Molding and Trim Carpentry, check out Trim Carpentry Techniques by Craig Savage.  It is available on Amazon.com and usually ships quickly and arrives within a few days.  If you haven't ordered from Amazon before, you're in for a pleasant surprise!