Crown across a brick fireplace?

8 years ago

Help! We're redoing our fireplace wall and are debating about our crown molding. We're building floor to ceiling built in bookcases on either side with cabinet bases and will be staining them a dark wood. We're also going to be tearing out the marble and building a thick wood mantle across the center with a much better profile. We're planning on carrying the crown across the bookcases at least and staining it a dark wood as well (the rest of our crown and trim is white but I don't want any white near the fireplace since the brick is off white). But should the dark crown go across the brick as well? I've looked at lots of pictures and people seem to do it both ways, but most of the ones I've seen going across the brick aren't just simple cove like ours. Also TV is going to be mounted up there, the hearth will be a dark brown granite, and the brass doors (currently behind the TV) are going to be painted black. I just cannot make up my mind about this crown!

Featured Answer

Darzy

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

I would not add crown to the fireplace. I would delineate the bookcases separate from the fireplace.

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Comments (8)

Beth H. :
8 years ago
do not crown a fireplace.
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Sina Sadeddin Architectural Design
8 years ago
Don't add crown and don't put the TV up on that fireplace. It will be way too high for comfortable viewing and it will make your ceiling feel extremely low. You're already building custom shelves, make a space for the TV on either side.
Anna
8 years ago
I like the visual of the fireplace extending up to the ceiling without a crown...it might provide a strong vertical element!
Judy Mishkin
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
plan carefully. what is the depth of the upper part of the bookcases? with the crown on them will they be able to fade into the sides of the brick?

you can do stained bookcases without crown on the fireplace, but you cant have a section of stained crown cross the fireplace, but have the crown be white elsewhere.

do you have drawings you can share of exactly what those bookcases will be like, including depth compared to your fireplace?

here is the link for 'fireplace with bookcases on either side', you can look through and see a million pictures, do any do what you want? i always think if i cant find a picture there is a reason.

https://www.google.com/search?biw=1366&bih=647&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=0X0dWv-CFqGJ_Qbsya6YDQ&q=fireplace+with+bookcases+on+either+side&oq=fireplace+with+book&gs_l=psy-ab.1.9.0l10.32754.36053.0.43179.19.14.0.3.3.0.216.1261.6j4j1.11.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..5.14.1293...0i67k1.0.IKoiaJ4lI_I
acm
8 years ago
I wouldn't do crown molding in this room at all -- it just makes the ceiling look lower.
jbtanyderi
8 years ago
Take the crown across. DO NOT put the TV on the fireplace: it will be much too high for comfortable viewing. Put it in one of the shelving units (at or slightly below SEATED EYE LEVEL) or mount it on a swing arm.
Erin B.
Original Author
8 years ago
Thank you everyone! We decided not to put the crown across the fireplace! But yes, the depth of the bookcases is definitely a concern then otherwise the crown won't be able to end into the side of the bookcases properly. So really our shelves will only be about 8 inches deep. Hopefully that will be okay. And unfortunately the TV over the fireplace is something we decided on a long time ago - we want it to be centered in the room and we're putting center dividers going up the shelves anyway so our cubbies wouldn't be nearly big enough. We are putting the TV on a big swivel mount though! (not the crappy one in the picture, that was there when we moved in) So hopefully that will help too.