Creative Uses For Cabinet Crown Molding

photo credit: Steve Snodgrass

Cabinet crown molding has more uses than many think.  The first thought that many people think is that it's used just like crown molding in every other room, but it's actually used more often on cabinets that don't even reach the ceiling.  This post will show you some of the different ways to use crown molding, and hopefully there will be some that you have not thought of!

The most obvious way to use kitchen cabinets crown molding is to create a "crown" on top of the cabinets.  This happens when there isn't a ceiling for the molding to attach to and the molding comes out from the top of the cabinet.  This is the most labor intensive installation since a shelf has to be created to accompany the new height of the cabinet.  Doing it this way creates a very dramatic appearance.

My favorite installation is actually beneath the cabinet where it meets the splash guard.  Molding is installed against the wall and adjoins the bottom of the cabinet.  This really only makes sense in the kitchen, but could also be used for bathroom wall cabinets.  It creates a rounded effect, like the wall is graduating into the cabinet.  Both instances that I've seen this, the molding was painted the color of the cabinet, but it could also be done the color of the wall.

Another creative use is to install it beneath the counter top.  Most counters will have an inch or so of lip, which happens to fit crown molding perfectly.  You may need to use a narrower molding for this installation since there won't be much gap between the counter top and the drawers and dishwasher door, but if you can get the molding this creates a very clean and fancy look.

Crown molding has many more uses than just in the living room.  Spend some time with scraps of molding testing them out in different corners of your kitchen and bathroom to see what creative uses you can come up with!