Choosing Mouldings: Sizes and dimensions for your room

When choosing a suite of mouldings for your room or home you will need to consider several items. Style of decor, size of rooms, height of ceilings, and the visual impact you want the mouldings to make.

Although you are the one who will live with your decision, these are some guidelines for choosing moulding sizes.

Moulding Style and Size Selection Guide

  Baseboard Casing Headers Crowns Wainscoting
Modern:
8’ ceilings
9’+ ceilings		 Simple:
3-4’’		 Simple:
2-2.5’’		 NA None or
Flat trim		 Linear horizontal
lines:
36’’ high
Contemporary:
8’ ceilings
9’+ ceilings		 Simpler:
4-5’’
5-7’’		 Simpler:
3-3.5’’		 Simple Linear none or
clean flat
lines or
clean coves		 NA
Traditional:
8’ ceilings
9’+ ceilings		 Detailed:
5-6’’
7”+’		 Detailed:
3-3.5’’
Fluted:
4-4.5’’		 Detailed with
Small Crown
and Filet		 Detailed:
4.5-5.5’’
7’’+		 Flat, or raised:
H: 36’’, 60’’, 96’’
H: 42’’, 72’’
Provincial:
8’ ceilings
9’+ ceilings		 Detailed:
5-6’’
7”+’		 Detailed:
3-3.5’’
Fluted: 4-4.5’’		 Detailed with
Small Crown
and Filet		 Detailed:
4.5-5.5’’
7’’+		 Raised:
H: 36’’, 60’’, 96’’
H: 42’’, 72’’
Arts and Craft:
8’ ceilings
9’+ ceilings		 Clean and
linear:
5-6”
6”+		 Clean and
linear:
5-6”
6+		 Plain:
Small Crown
and Filet		 Stepped
crown or
clean cove
5” and 7”		 Flat
H: 36’’, 60’’, 96’’
H: 42’’, 72’’
Art Deco:
8’ ceilings
9’+ ceilings		 Linear and
stepped:
5-6”
6”+		 Linear and
stepped:
3-4”		 NA Flat Multi
Tiered		 Flat Multi Tiered
H: 36’’, 60’’, 96’’
H: 42’’, 72’’
Metropolitain
8’ ceilings
9’+ ceilings		 Detailed:
5-6’’
7+’’		 Detailed:
3-3.5’’
Fluted: 4-4.5’’		 Detailed with
Small Crown
and Filet		 Detailed:
4.5-5.5’’
7’’+		 Raised or
Applique’s:
H: 36’’, 60’’, 96’’
H: 42’’, 72’’
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