# White crown around stained built-in's



## Dweeb (Apr 10, 2017)

I'd like to add white crown to a living room which has a dark stained floor-to-ceiling built-in shelf unit in a corner. I wasn't sure if I should stop the crown at the unit or wrap it. I'm afraid the white will clash. The same goes for the master bedroom where there is a larger wall entertainment center built-in. 



The top of these units have small crown already so if I stop the larger (3-5/8") white crown, it will look real odd with the smaller crown. I think adding the larger size on the built-in's and trying to match stain will not come out well.



What's common practice here? Thanks!


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## 3onthetree (Dec 7, 2018)

A pic of each might help sway opinions on whether it would clash or not.

My initial thought is keep them separate and it will look like furniture hiding the painted crown going behind it. What are you doing about the baseboard?

You can always add more to the smaller crown, to make a two-piece, with various moldings and dentils. Since it's visually separated by color/texture, it wouldn't have to have the same profile as the painted crown.


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## Mystriss (Dec 26, 2018)

Dark wood with white trim/accents are very popular and tend to look pretty nice IMO. I see it lot with doors and like desks and tables. I can't recall a bookcase with white trim though I think you could make it work. 

(Like, for example, I think putting in thin white reveals framing each shelf would actually look pretty awesome. Then you can easily wrap the top with white crown, and the base/foot board if wanted as well.)

Do you happen to have a pic of the built-ins to help us judge?


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

I've painted a lot of houses where there was both stained and painted woodwork. Whether or not to stop the painted crown at the shelf unit or continue over it depends mostly on how the built in is constructed.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

I did this in a basement law library I built once. The two colors delineate themselves pretty good, dividing the cabinetry from the rest of the walls.


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## Dweeb (Apr 10, 2017)

This is the master bedroom. I like the look chandler posted but afraid I won't be able to match the stain. Also the home centers and local lumber yard where I normally get trim doesn't stock stain grade so it would be more difficult to obtain (but not impossible).

Baseboards are 4-1/4" painted white. All trim in the house has been painted white. 

I held some base up to the top of these and it didn't look all that bad. I may tape I piece up and see how it looks for a couple days.

Meanwhile if anyone else has experience or comments, they're all welcome!


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## Mystriss (Dec 26, 2018)

Well, I think that piece would look alright with a white crown on it (especially if the back panel is white as it appears to be in the picture. To be honest the stained crown on it seems undersized to me anyway.

I'd carefully pry off the existing and tape up the new crown and see how you like it.

You could also paint the new crown a blending brown color to the built-in's.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

White crown should be fine on it but it's no biggie to stain new crown to match. Just take a scrap piece of the new crown along with a short piece of your stained crown to your local paint store and they will match it up for you.


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

I think it looks better the Chandler method.


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## Mystriss (Dec 26, 2018)

SPS-1 said:


> I think it looks better the Chandler method.


I would agree, except if I'm not mistaken the new trim is bigger than the stuff on the built in.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

Unless the new crown is the same size/style as the old you'd have to at the very least remove the crown on the cabinet where it meets the wall.


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

mark sr said:


> Unless the new crown is the same size/style as the old you'd have to at the very least remove the crown on the cabinet where it meets the wall.


Why could you not cope/profile the new crown into the bookcase crown ?


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

Or stop the white crown with a return. But I think it might look better running the white crown into the book-case.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

SPS-1 said:


> Why could you not cope/profile the new crown into the bookcase crown ?


 It would have to be the same size/style crown to do that ..... not to mention it would be beyond my skill set.


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## Dweeb (Apr 10, 2017)

Thanks for the illustrations SPS. That is helpful. 



Yes, the new crown will be taller and I will be removing the old. Because each unit occupies a corner on one end while the other is on the open wall, when I spoke of "stopping at the built-in" I did have in mind doing a return yet thought that would look awkward overall. Continuing around would look best though still undecided whether to stain pieces on the units.



I appreciate everyone's input. I've got some time before a final decision need made so gonna weigh all this.


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