Looking for a quick way to enhance your home? Revamp your ceiling with modern cornice designs that will bring elegance to your space. Contrary to popular belief, cornices won’t actually make your room outdated. With a number of sleek cornice styles available in the market, these adornments bring impactful finishing touches to complete the vibe you’re looking for.
Read on to find out everything you need to know about cornices—including cornice designs popular across Australia that will inspire your next home renovation.
What are cornices?
Cornices are ornamental mouldings that crown architectural elements of your home. They’re most commonly wrapped around the wall just below the ceiling, but cornices can also be used to crown doors or windows. For the purposes of this guide, we’ll be focusing solely on ceiling cornices, which are a popular and versatile element homeowners can install to refurbish their interiors.
Are cornices out of style?
Playing with the idea of installing ceiling cornices, but worried that they’re gonna make your home look old-fashioned? Well, fret not, because nowadays, you’ll be able to find simple ceiling cornice designs that will perfectly complement your modern home.
Modern cornice design ideas
Clean & seamless
If you’re looking to have neat and sophisticated interiors, opt for subtle ceiling cornices that don’t have ornate features. Simple coved cornices like Siniat’s Classic Look cornices can seamlessly connect your walls and ceilings, all while heightening and widening your room. Not to mention, since this type of cornice doesn’t have an elaborate design, it’s quite easy to clean too!
Bold & edgy
For an ultra-modern vibe, you can also play around with sharp, clean lines when decorating the junction of your ceiling and walls. This sharply angled Step Look ceiling cornice from Siniat is a perfect example of a moulding design that can give a contemporary feel to your home, adding a bold focal point without being over the top.
Dramatically Ornate
Not a fan of big, sharp angles? Decorative cornices featuring soft curves and tiny steps might be the best border for your ceiling. Though a tad bit more ornate, ceiling cornices like Siniat Ocean Look Cornice lend a bit of drama while still being sophisticated.
Timeless classic
Lastly, those aiming for a more versatile cornice design can also consider decorating their rooms with cornices like Siniat’s Reef Look that features a soft, undulating outline. Simpler and less dramatic, this cornice style can stand the test of time and be adapted to any style.
Are cornices necessary?
First off, you might be asking, “Does my home need a cornice?” Whether cornices are necessary or not ultimately depends on your preference and style. However, it is undeniable a crucial element that can bring a lot of benefits to you and your home.
Cornice Benefits
1. Visual appeal
Ceiling cornices add a layer of sophistication to your home. With the ornamental mouldings wrapped around your walls, it can prevent your walls and ceilings from looking too bare. They also soften the hard edges of your room, helping create seamless continuity from your walls to the ceiling. Depending on the design you choose, it can add decorative highlights and transform your plain halls into something that looks more classical or contemporary—whichever style it is you prefer!
2. Enhance architectural details
Want to give attention to a specific area in your room? Adding ceiling cornices can be your solution for that. For one, certain cornice designs can give a sense of depth and highlight your tall walls and high ceilings. If you also have a central light fixture that you want to draw attention to, bordering it with ceiling cornices can also help you with that.
3. Covering structural imperfections
More than just being ornamental, applying cornices also has its practical uses. Is there a tiny gap between your ceiling and walls? Or perhaps some misalignments, unevenness, defects or roughness that’s been bugging you in your home? If rebuilding and completely reconstructing your home is not a feasible idea right now, installing cornice can be a quick and easy way to solve that!
4. Hiding cables
Similarly, if you have some cables running along the edge of your ceiling, you can cover them easily and protect them by installing cornices around the perimeter of your room.
What to consider when choosing cornices?
1. Room height & cornice size
Generally, larger cornices are better suited for rooms with tall walls. On the other hand, smaller cornices will complement rooms with lower ceilings. The cornice size, design, and placement you choose can highlight high ceilings or widen your walls. Feel free to contact us at Westgyp, and we’ll help you figure out the right cornice type for your room.
2. Colour
Most homeowners tend to paint their cornices to match their ceiling paint, which is most often white or another light, neutral colour. This classic choice gives a seamless and cohesive look and can be applied to various interior styles.
As an alternative, if you have lower ceilings, you can instead paint your cornices to match your walls. This will give an illusion of height and prevent your space from feeling too cramped. However, the reverse would occur if you match your cornice to your walls when you’re using large cornices or your walls are painted dark.
On the other hand, if you want to be a bit more experimental with your interiors, painting with an accent colour is an option to consider. This will give your room a pop of colour or a contrasting element by creating a border between the wall and the ceiling. Just be sure your chosen accent colour is complementary to your walls and ceilings for a cohesive look.
3. Types of Cornices
There are different types of cornices that can be used for ceilings. With today’s technology, cornices can be manufactured using a variety of materials, which offer different benefits for different price points. The most common cornice types are the following:
- Plaster – made by mixing lime, cement, or gypsum with sand and water, which often provides a durable and smooth surface for paint
- Gypsum – a naturally occurring mineral known to be resistant to fire. Gypsum cornices are also known to be lightweight and easy to install
- Polyurethane – a lightweight material known to be cost-effective for those wanting cornices with a limited budget
- Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) – a compressed wood sheet made from wood fibres, resin, and wax that’s relatively more affordable compared to other wood materials
- Timber – solid wood is known for its durability and is a classic choice for cornices, but can be expensive depending on the design you choose
Get started with your home renovation
Ready to take your home interiors to the next level? Elevate your home with timelessly sophisticated ceiling cornices that are fast and easy to install.
At Westgyp, we offer a selection of elegant plaster cornices from Siniat reinforced with durable and high-quality gypsum. Siniat’s clean-cut cornice designs are also covered with heavy-duty recycled paper, allowing extra protection and easier painting, all while being eco-friendly! Give us a call or visit our warehouse to discover the best ceiling cornice options for your home.