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Design Dilemma
chambers1589

Sage advice on tin cornices/molding?

12 years ago
Hi folks,

I've been toying with the idea of using more intricate detail work in the living room and dining room of my turn of the century house, due in no small part to inspiration from designers such as Stephen Sills. Becky Harris posted a nice ideabook today that discusses Sills' new book, from which I took the attached picture. ( https://www.houzz.com/magazine/a-new-decorating-book-celebrates-expert-style-mixing-stsetivw-vs~18178640)

In particular, I am considering tin cornices, which seem period appropriate. Does anyone have experience with new or reclaimed tin cornices?

-- Are there any resources you can point me to that you feel are particularly edifying?
-- Is rust an issue?
-- Are there any shorthand methods for proportions that should? My ceilings are around 8'1". Should intricate cornices be avoided altogether with ceilings this height?
-- Any suggestions on installation or finishing?
-- Any comments about the finished look?
-- I've see that some reclaimed pieces contain lead. Should these cornices be avoided for interior uses for health reasons?
Featured Answer
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    I've used a lot of tin ceilings as my firm specializes in period decor. I recommend using new reproductions. Much easier to install than old bent ones. My favorite sources include www.wfnorman.com and http://www.m-boss.com. Here's a photo of a few we've installed.

    Comments (19)

    • PRO
      12 years ago
      Chambers, I am sure that you will not find reclaimed tin. Once installed, it is very difficult to remove. It also becomes fragile and brittle over time. You can find a reproduction of these items on line. We use Outwater. They have a huge selection of unusual items.
      Here is the link to the Cornice. Good Luck!
      http://www.outwatercatalogs.com/lg_display.cfm/catalog/Master_Catalog_Vol_42/page/758/highlight/tin%20cornice
      chambers1589 thanked User
    • 12 years ago
      Thanks for the link, SAI,

      I actually found someone selling original tin molding that has been sitting in a barn for three quarters of a century. So not really reclaimed, but ostensibly really old and never used. But it sounds like it's going to be fragile?

      Have you used tin cornices in some of your projects? What was the creative reasoning behind the use?

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    • 12 years ago
      Why are you focused on tin moldings?
    • 12 years ago
      last modified: 12 years ago
      @prt13, I like the intricate detailing you can do with tin, it's period appropriate for my house, and I'm wondering if I'll like the texture. I'm really big on getting textures right. One of the families in my neighborhood built their house in the last ten years in the style of a gilded age mansion. There's a ton of cornice work in his house -- way too much actually. They had an open house which I attended looking for ideas to steal. I was not a fan of the texture of their cornices. It looked plastic like. I'm guessing MDF but maybe it was new plaster. I'm wondering if tin is what I'm looking for in my own house.
    • 12 years ago
      Are you doing the ceilings in tin too?
    • 12 years ago
      With 8 ft ceilings I would not do. But, if you like pic you posted. Just follow to achieve same look. He mixed fabrics and colors in a very interesting way. But, not hard to do. Hire a designer by the hour to come measure then make suggestions.
      chambers1589 thanked Nancy Travisinteriors
    • 12 years ago
      On the lead issue in reclaimed wood. I would not worry about that, unless you plan on eating it.
      chambers1589 thanked Nancy Travisinteriors
    • 12 years ago
      last modified: 12 years ago
      @prt13 I hadn't planned on doing the ceilings in tin as well. It would be too much for the space. I guess I'm just looking for intricate cornice work, like was popular around the turn of the century, that doesn't look new/plasticy. If anyone has suggestions on achieving that end I'd love to hear them.
    • 12 years ago
      I'm with @travisinteriors 8 foot ceilings of the period did not get mouldings, elaborate or else, however, if that is what you have your heart set on your options in "new" are MDF, tin, "plastic", custom plaster (difficult to find those who do it well now; very difficult) or wood. Whether you will like the look will have to do with how you finish it; paint colour, sheen, texture, etc. Unless I was doing a tin ceiling I would not use tin, MDF kicks out chemicals which are unhealthy, especially for children and animals; plastic can work, but in areas where I don't already have massive mouldings made of plaster, I like wood. Your ceilings are really low so a 5-6 inch moulding would be about all you could hope to carry off.
      You can test the finish techniques on a sample before committing yourself to a room.
      chambers1589 thanked prt13
    • 12 years ago
      So in everyone's opinion are 8 ft ceilings just too low for special treatment? I've been contemplating adding wood planks (in white) to my ceiling in my master bedroom.
    • 12 years ago
      Do you mean tongue and grove? Narrow boards, wide boards?
      https://www.houzz.com/discussions/where-can-i-get-the-roof-design-dsvw-vd~155455
      https://www.houzz.com/discussions/should-i-leave-the-ceiling-dsvw-vd~357033
      https://www.houzz.com/discussions/ceiling-dsvw-vd~479762

      What is the "look" you want for your home? When was the house built?
    • 12 years ago
      I LOVE picture #1! Our house was built in 1996. I was just envisioning adding interest to the ceiling (master bedroom only) but in white so it is not screaming at you when you walk in. However, i do suffer from design phobia. I have lots of ideas in my head but I'm always so afraid of biting the bullet in fear it won't look good and I've just spent a chunk of cash.
    • 12 years ago
      This is what I did in my old kitchen...reclaimed ceiling and molding. They cut holes for the recessed lighting.
    • 12 years ago
      Extended it into the family room (just molding). It was harder to work with, but I was happy with the finished look. House is 1910 on Capitol Hill.
    • 12 years ago
      last modified: 12 years ago
      Rough Hollow Parade Home · More Info


      AHB Custom Home Builders - Royal Lake Estates · More Info


      Something like the low profile coffered ceiling or the overlay on the blue room's ceiling may work
    • 12 years ago
      last modified: 12 years ago
      @prt13 Thanks for the advice about moldings with a roughly eight foot ceiling. I really don't have my heart set on anything. Perhaps it's time to re-evaluate.
    • 12 years ago
      last modified: 12 years ago
      Crown-Molding--Is-It-Right-for-Your-Home is a Houzz article~ click the link below the image

      https://www.houzz.com/magazine/crown-molding-is-it-right-for-your-home-stsetivw-vs~998602
    • 12 years ago
      Thanks for the link. I'm not a fan of the example they have for 8' ceilings in the article. But I still think I may have to try to figure some type of more intricate crown work out. I've included some of the buildings from my neighborhood below. All of the buildings have that early 1900s neo-gothic intricate detail work -- especially the cornices -- that seemed to be so popular once people figured out how to mass produce it.

      I would be shocked if my condo didn't originally have higher ceilings. My wife and I had the option of raising them when we started construction but we thought it wasn't a responsible decision. So now I feel like I'm stuck trying to make a stylistic look fit bones that have changed.
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