Plaster can be used in endless ways to enhance your home, whether you want to restore the decorative details of a traditional building or give a modern home a little more interest.
Wall and ceiling finishes are an essential element in your home’s interior design, and it’s important to think about what suits the style or era of the home, as well as the overall aesthetic you want to achieve.
Cornices, ceiling medallions and fluted moldings all make a decorative impression. Here, from the experts, is everything you need to know when commissioning plaster for your home.
(Image credit: Locker & Riley)
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Choosing plaster for a room
When replacing (or introducing) decorative plaster in a traditional setting, consider the hierarchy of the rooms, says Simon Willcox of mold specialists Locker & Riley (opens in new tab).
‘The most important rooms have the most details, including ornate ceiling medallions, cornices and wainscoting. Depending on how elaborate you want to be, you can choose between a series of very decorative or something simpler. We have a library of designs and also make new custom designs.’
(Image credit: Studio Indigo | Andreas Von Einsiedel)
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Are there rules to follow?
Cornices hide the connection between the wall and ceiling, but more importantly, help add character and definition to a room, says Mike Fisher, founder of Studio Indigo (opens in new tab). (opens in new tab)
As a rule, the cornices should be in proportion to the size of the room. ‘In rooms with a low ceiling height, we use cornices that are short on the wall and flare out at the ceiling. Then we paint the wall and crown molding a single color, which creates the illusion of higher ceilings,” he says.
Molding profiles often get slimmer and less detailed as you move around the house. “By the time you get to the top of the house, the frames are often small and simple,” says Simon.
How do you choose the perfect style?
Due to bomb damage or water intrusion during the 20th century, many ceilings in older houses have been replaced without any form details. If you’re starting from scratch, be guided by the period of the building, the scale of a room, or its importance. “A Georgian crown molding never looks good in a Victorian house or vice versa,” says Mike.
The decision to add or restore crown molding really depends on two variables: the look you want to achieve and the history of the building. When a British building is listed, please note that the interior and exterior are protected and approval is required for all changes, including the cornices and any architectural details. ‘We have in-house architects and conservation specialists and regularly work with Decorative and Ornamental Plaster (DOP) or Stevenson’s of Norwich (opens in new tab) who are world-renowned experts.’
(Image credit: Kitesgrove)
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What are the modern options?
The alternative to cornices is a shadow gap that is very contemporary but does not always match the building. For those who want something in between traditional and contemporary, choose a modern shape design with clean lines and less detail, recommends Clara Ewart of Kitesgrove (opens in new tab).
“We could place a traditional molding next to a contemporary chandelier. Modern paint treatments are also very effective, for example painting a cornice in a statement color instead of the traditional white.’
(Image credit: Kamp Studios | Sarah Elliot)
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Mix it up and break the rules
Another approach currently popular is to have a wall of fluted molding. Interior designer Athena Calderone (opens in new tab) has hand-grooved plaster walls from Kamp Studios (opens in new tab) who leads to the bathroom in her Brooklyn home, saying it gives an otherwise nondescript entryway a sense of distinction. “Flutes are likely to be here to stay as designers come up with new, innovative ways to make them interesting and relevant,” says Kamp founder Kim Collins.
(Image credit: Rachel Chudley | Sean Myers)
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Don’t forget the fifth wall (the ceiling).
Ceilings provide an additional surface for decorative expression. Plaster ceiling medallions were traditionally used as the centerpiece for elaborate ceiling designs, but today they are often used to complement lighting fixtures or to hide wiring on bare ceilings. Very complex designs are first mounted on panels and then installed. “I would say the biggest trend lately is adding ceilings to the scope of my work,” says Kim.
“We may have continued that trend a bit because we know how great our cast looks when it’s all-encompassing. There really is nothing better. Plastered walls and a painted ceiling are a bit short for us, so we’re glad it’s catching on.’
“I like to use architectural molding in unusual ways,” adds interior designer Rachel Chudley. ‘For the master bedroom of a recent project in North London, I installed exaggerated strips of diagonal molding that ran against the wall behind the bed and continued across the ceiling. We watched the movement of the light from sunrise to sunset and reflected it in the frames that wrap around the room and across the ceiling.”
(Image credit: Huntsmore)
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Add details through panels
Wall paneling – whether wood or plaster – is another way to add decorative definition to a room. This is a good solution if rooms do not have a focal point, such as a fireplace. “It creates atmosphere and depth in a room,” says Eamonn Agha of interior design studio Huntsmore. (opens in new tab)
“We like to paint the area above the molding the same color as the ceiling to create more of a feature and increase the illusion of height and give a sense of grandeur to the room. Moldings on the panels are used to create shade and catch light, adding definition to a room – this is especially important when you choose painted panels,’ recommends Bruce Hodgson of bespoke joiners and furniture makers Artichoke Ltd. (opens in new tab).
“You can also use it to draw attention to rooms with lower ceilings by using tall panels that don’t slice the room horizontally.” It can also look great in a contemporary setting, as a way to frame large flat surfaces.
“Think about art first. If there is a good chance that large pieces will overlay frames or if it is worth making a panel to form a piece of art around a frame, it is important to know what hangs where and work backwards.’
