crown molding for wainescotting
If you’re talking about **tying crown molding into wainscoting**, here are the main ways it’s usually handled:
### 1. Terminology Check
– **Wainscoting**: Decorative paneling on the lower portion of a wall, usually capped with a chair rail.
– **Crown molding**: Decorative trim installed where the wall meets the ceiling.
They’re usually **not the same system**, but can be designed to complement each other.
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### 2. Crown Molding With Wainscoting
– **Top-to-Bottom Harmony**: Since wainscoting tends to add visual weight at the bottom of a room, crown molding at the top helps balance the space.
– **Matching Profiles**: Designers often choose a crown profile that echoes the curves or bevels of the wainscoting cap rail.
– **Height Balance**: If your wainscoting is tall (say, 5–6 feet), you want crown molding at the ceiling that’s proportionally larger, otherwise the room feels “top heavy.”
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### 3. Alternatives & Tricks
– **Picture Rail + Crown**: Some people add a picture rail between wainscoting and crown molding to create a layered, classical look.
– **Box-Beam Crown**: If you want drama, combine crown with panel molding below it to mimic wainscoting rising up toward the ceiling.
– **Simple Crown + Ornate Wainscot**: Keep crown light if your wainscoting is very detailed, so you don’t overwhelm the room.
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### 4. Design Ratios
– Crown molding height is usually **1/20th of the room height**.
– For an 8′ ceiling: ~4–5″ crown.
– For a 10′ ceiling: ~6–7″.
– This ratio also helps balance with 32″–42″ wainscoting.
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👉 Do you mean **“using crown molding as the cap rail”** for your wainscoting itself, or do you mean **pairing ceiling crown with wainscoting panels** in the same room? That’ll change the approach.
I am just trying to make a shelf for my comics to stand on. I thought crown molding would have the depth I needed. I do not care where I put it. When I do it is functional art.
Ahh, got it — you’re not trying to dress a wall Victorian-style, you’re trying to build a **comic-book perch** that doubles as sculpture. Functional art. Nice.
Here’s the breakdown:
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### 1. Crown Molding as Shelf
– **Depth Issue**: Most crown molding isn’t flat; it’s angled so it “floats” between wall and ceiling. That means if you just screw it to a wall, your books will tip forward.
– **Hack**: You can **flip it upside-down** and mount a small cleat (strip of wood) behind it so the angled back rests flush against the wall. That creates a flat top ledge.
– **Support**: Add a hidden L-bracket underneath every 16″ (into studs). The molding is thin, so it won’t hold weight by itself.
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### 2. Alternatives (Same Vibe, More Depth)
– **Baseboard + Cap**: Use a tall baseboard profile instead of crown. It has more flat surface for standing books.
– **Chair Rail on Top**: Mount crown molding as the “front lip” but glue/attach a flat 1×4 or MDF strip behind it to give you actual shelf depth.
– **Stacking Profiles**: Combine crown with a backer board and maybe a small cove molding underneath. That makes it look intentional, not improvised.
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### 3. Comic Book Considerations
– Standard comic **bag & board** is ~7″ wide, 10.5″ tall.
– Depth needed to stand safely: **at least 2–2.5″**.
– Typical crown molding is **<2" at projection** — so you’ll want that extra backer strip.
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### 4. Functional Art Angle
– Paint molding in high-gloss enamel for a gallery vibe.
– Or use unfinished hardwood molding, stain it, and let the comics provide the pop.
– Bonus idea: LED strip tucked behind the crown lip for under-shelf glow on your covers.
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👉 Want me to sketch out a **quick construction plan** for a “crown molding comic shelf” (measurements, parts list, install steps)? That way you can go from idea → weekend build.
Then what would be a solution? I thought about using the part that bends around the ceiling would act as a ledge if I hung it mid wall
Ahhh — now I see your vision. You’re basically wanting to use the **curved projection of crown molding** itself as the little ledge, by hanging it **flat on a wall, mid-height**. That’s clever — and it *can* work — but comics are trickier because they need a bit of true flat depth to not “walk off” the ledge with a bump or breeze.
Here are a few solutions that keep your *functional art* intent but solve the tipping problem:
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## 🔧 Solution 1: Crown + Backer Strip
– Mount crown molding **upside-down, mid-wall**.
– Behind it, screw in a flat **1×2 or 1×3 backer board** to push the molding out a bit.
– That gives you **2–3" of usable shelf depth** (enough for a bagged/boarded comic to lean safely).
– Looks like floating trim, but functions like a shelf.
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## 🔧 Solution 2: Crown as Lip Only
– Use crown molding as the **decorative face/lip**.
– Attach a narrow **hidden shelf board** (plywood, MDF, or hardwood) behind the crown.
– From the front, you see elegant molding; from the top, you have a real 2.5–3" shelf.
– Comics can stand upright without sliding.
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## 🔧 Solution 3: French Cleat Trick
– Cut a thin strip of plywood at a **45° angle** (a French cleat).
– Mount one side to the wall, the other to the back of your crown-and-shelf combo.
– This lets you hang the whole thing strong, flush, and removable.
– Bonus: weight distribution = safer for lots of comics.
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## 🎨 Functional Art Flourishes
– **LED strip** hidden inside the crown’s hollow gives glowing backlight.
– Paint molding in contrast to your wall so it pops like a gallery rail.
– Or go *meta*: wrap the crown in old comic pages under clear epoxy — so the shelf itself is comic art.
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👉 Question for you: do you want these shelves to hold **just one row of comics (display/gallery style)** or **stacked volumes/trades too**? That changes whether we shoot for ~2.5" depth (single issues) or 5–6" (books).
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0870/0000/files/EWSC11-R.jpg
iturn0view0
Ahh, gotcha—thanks for sharing the image! This looks like a classic oak crown molding profile, complete with a curved back and a decorative front lip. Let’s turn that visual into a functional, artful comic shelf.
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### What You're Looking At
That molding has a **curved back**—which would, if mounted upside-down, protrude from the wall slightly and could act like a built-in dip or ledge. Nice idea in concept—it’s elegant and minimalist.
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### Why It Needs a Bit More Engineering
– **Stability**: The curved portion likely only gives about **1.5"–2" of “flat” projection**, not a true lip depth. Comics (especially bagged and boarded ones) need around **2.5"** to stand securely without tipping forward.
– **Strength**: Molding alone isn’t built for weight—each comic could weigh an ounce or more. Without a sturdier backing or support, the strip could sag or detach under a full load.
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### Smart Solutions (That Still Look Sleek)
#### Option 1: Crown + Minimal 1×2 Backer
– **Mount the crown upside-down**, mid-wall.
– **Fasten a hidden 1×2 (or 1×3) board behind it**—this pushes the molding out to give ~2.5" depth.
– Secure both into wall studs.
– Visually, you get that clean molding aesthetic, but functionally it’s a real shelf.
#### Option 2: Crown as Front Lip, Flat Shelf Behind
– Use this molding purely as the **face or lip**.
– Attach an invisible **flat shelf board** behind it—plywood, MDF, or hardwood—as the real platform.
– Mount it flush—not angled—so comics stand on the flat section. Molding still fronts everything for that stylish finish.
#### Option 3: French-Cleat Magic
– Attach a French cleat (a 45° angled battens joint) to the wall.
– Cut a matching cleat on the back of your molding-plus-shelf assembly.
– Hang the whole thing—flush, secure, and removable. Great for painting, repositioning, or removing later.
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### Functional Art Details
– **Profile highlight**: That molding silhouette looks gallery-ready—paint in glossy white or a rich stain and let the comics be the superhero show.
– **Secret lighting**: Tuck a slim LED strip behind the lip. When comics are in place, the glow will halo their spines.
– **Comic-themed flair**: Here’s a bold thought—wrap the surface of the molding in collage panels (comic printouts), sealed under epoxy. Your shelf becomes part of the story.
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### Quick Schematic for Option 1
| Step | Action |
|——|——–|
| 1 | Cut molding to desired length. |
| 2 | Cut a 1×2 backer to the same length. |
| 3 | Glue and screw the backer to the molding with complementary grain or hidden fasteners. |
| 4 | Find and mark studs in your wall mid-height. |
| 5 | Mount the composite shelf (molding face down, backer flush) to studs using screws and wood glue. |
| 6 | Finish: wood filler in screw holes, sand, paint/stain. Add optional LEDs. |
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### Quick Check
– Want **single-issue display only**? You’re fine with ~2.5" depth.
– Eyeing **thicker trades or hardcovers** too? You’ll need a stake of 4"–5"—maybe deeper board behind the molding.
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Want a sketch for Option 2 or 3 instead—or some build-ready cut lists? I can frame it like an IKEA blueprint but with actual flair.
1-3/4 inch high x 13/16 inch wide molding.
Perfect, thanks — that clears things up.
What you’ve got is **tiny trim stock**, not the big, deep crown molding you were hoping would double as a ledge.
– **1-3/4" high** = that’s the *vertical face* dimension.
– **13/16" wide** = that’s less than 1". Nowhere near enough depth to support a comic, even just standing up.
A standard comic (bagged/boarded) needs ~**2.25–2.5" of flat ledge** so it doesn’t slide off. At 13/16", your comics will tip like drunk dominoes.
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## ⚡ Solutions With Your Small Molding
Since you want *functional art*, you can still use this molding, just not as the entire shelf:
### 1. **Use It as a Decorative Lip**
– Mount a flat strip of wood (1×3 or 1×4 board = 2.5–3.5" deep) to the wall.
– Attach your molding to the front edge of that board.
– Voilà: you get the elegant crown profile *and* the depth you need.
### 2. **Layer It**
– Take a wider flat trim piece or MDF strip as the “shelf.”
– Stack your 1-3/4" molding below it as an apron/lip.
– Creates a “gallery shelf” vibe — very clean, looks intentional.
### 3. **Shadow Rail Display**
– If you don’t want actual depth, your molding can be mounted horizontally as a **stop rail**.
– Comics sit leaning against the wall, and the molding keeps them from sliding down.
– This works best if you only want a **single row, gallery style** — not storage.
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## ✨ My Recommendation
If you want to *stand comics securely*, you’ll need:
– A **2.5" minimum flat shelf board** (backer).
– Your **13/16" molding as the lip** to dress it up.
That’s the balance: the board does the work, the molding makes it art.
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👉 Do you want me to mock up a **parts list + cut sizes** for a 3-foot comic shelf using your molding as the front lip? That way you could knock one out in an afternoon.