Absolutely plastered: alternative ideas to try instead of cornicing
Cornicing, coving and ceiling mouldings have existed in one form or another since Ancient Greece. They bring symmetry to our spaces, creating much needed balance and drawing the eye upwards. If you've bought a new build house, or have moved into an old building that's been stripped of its original features, you'll know only too well that some kind of balance is still needed up top–but what if mouldings don't quite fit the bill?
Ornate mouldings have fallen out of favour in the past decade, with people opting for a simpler, sleeker aesthetic in their spaces, yet our rooms still require and crave symmetry, so what are our options? Thankfully, the houses featured in our pages offer inspiration in abundance, so we've searched through the archive to find alternative ideas.
Wallpaper borders
Principle amongst these replacements is the wallpaper border. An appealing, often playful addition to any space, they work with both complementary paint colours and clashing wallpaper patterns. In his cottage in Dedham Vale, designer Benedict Foley has a wallpaper border running across the top of the wall. Paired with walls in a custom shade of lilac, the border offers a sense of grandeur even in a room of smaller scale. For interior designer James Mackie, “paper borders are rather overlooked. Mauny has heart-stoppingly brilliant examples in its archive and I would love to use them."
Picture rails
As many designers have proven, the picture rail system should by no means be limited to rooms with soaring proportions. Chief picture rail champion, Carlos Garcia, has used them to great success in smaller rooms with low ceilings. As he notes in Virginia Clark's article on picture rails, “it is their impact on small rooms that I like more.” His key tip is to reduce the size of the rail based on the proportions of the room. Most interestingly of all, in this south London flat above, Carlos employed them in a room without mouldings, using the rails in lieu of any architectural detailing. Thanks to its rather delicate feel, the metal work becomes a smart border for the room rather than an overwhelmingly ornate detail.
Picture rails have another fan in designer Brandon Schubert, who notes that “using a picture rail can add a feeling of luxury and quality to a room. I think they often look quite polished and smart, so it’s a bit like cufflinks or a subtle piece of jewellery.”
Panelling
Panelling can be a really effective alternative to plaster mouldings. Tongue and groove, in particular, can feel very modern when employed correctly. In Anthony Collett’s own London house, his collection of art is displayed anywhere and everywhere, including along the top of the panelling in his bathroom. This draws the eye upwards, creating a sense of height without cluttering the walls.
In the antique dealer Dana Jennings' New England house, panelling in a Benjamin Moore hue called ‘Jamesboro Gold’ provides a backdrop for a still life inspired by the 17th-century Spanish painter Francisco de Zurbarán. Leaving the rest of the walls white to blend seamlessly with the ceiling creates a sense of drama in a room without any architecture mouldings or features.
Clever hanging
On the first floor of Alexandra Tolstoy's Chelsea house, decorated by designers from Sibyl Colefax and John Fowler, two neat rows of botanical prints help to break up the double height of the light-filled sitting room. This creates a smart three-dimensional trim around the middle of the room, defining where the ceiling would be were this a one-storey space.
Where Alex Tolstoy has used a set of botanical prints to trim the walls, in Phoebe Clive's Ledbury cottage, it is her collection of Hungarian and Bulgarian folk-art frames that offer visual interest. Displayed above a wall curtain, a small rail offers a convenient way to display Phoebe's frames, adding texture to the pared-back, neutral walls.
Creative details
In Max Hurd's house, a smart crenellation detail, designed by Benedict Foley, runs along the top of the architrave and kitchen cabinets. Whilst most of the crenellation examples we've seen use these details as flourish on top of kitchen cabinets and cupboards, they're equally as impactful as a plastering alternative. Why not add turrets, towers and finials into bedrooms and sitting rooms too?
In another room by Benedict - this time in his London flat - a tiny, jagged shark tooth detail has been used as a trim where the walls meet the ceiling. It is a subtle, but impactful finishing touch to the sitting room, adding visual interest to neutral walls.
Painted accents
And finally, the most simple idea of all: painted trims. “Think about adding accents of paint colour as you would a colourful lamp, cushion or decoratively upholstered ottoman,” says colour consultant Patrick O'Donnell, who has done just that in his own house, seen above, adding in a deep brown trim to a bedroom painted in a warm wheat gold. Much like the picture rail, this sharp border provides a lovely definition to the room.
