Crown Molding Trick Gives Beams an Authentic Look

For an authentic look when installing faux beams, it's all in the details.

This Crown Molding Trick Gives Beams an Authentic Look

Chris and Natalie L., from Houma, Louisiana, recently sent us pictures of their awesome ceiling transformation; accomplished using our Timber beams.

We wanted to share them with you because of a very specific trick Chris and Natalie employed - blending their new beams into the existing crown molding.

Close-up view of the beam blending with the existing crown molding.

Check it out in the pictures: Where some of the beams hit the wall, they merge perfectly with the molding; as if the beams existed first, and the molding was installed afterward.

That little detail makes the beams even more realistic.

The beams are perfectly spaced; to give the illusion that they're authentic structural beams as old as Chris and Natalie's house itself.

This trick works because homes that feature real exposed beams have that wood in place for structural, rather than decorative, purposes.

The beams are quite literally holding up the ceiling. Therefore, homeowners were forced to design around them; and in many historic homes you'll find crown molding cut and blended around them.

Chris and Natalie went the opposite route to get the same effect. During installation, they cut the beams to shape to merge seamlessly with the molding. To achieve this look you will need to use a technique called scribing.

Doing this is possible because our beams are molded from durable polyurethane foam; which can be cut to shape and size with nothing more than a regular wood saw.

In addition to perfectly recreating the texture and look of old wooden beams, the ability to trim them to size so precisely makes tricks like the one Chris and Natalie employed possible.

The results, as you can see for yourself, are breathtaking.

Another angle

The beams look like they've been hanging there for a century or more; and the entire house benefits from the timeless elegance and class they provide.

Have you finished a product in which a beam met crown molding?

If you have, we'd love to know how you combined the two decorative details. Please use our featured project submission form and send us all the details!