Cornices - no cornice no style?

[thisisme]

What are your favourite cornice types? What do you think of the square set cornices? Too boring?

Would love to hear your opinions :)

[Julie-Ann]

Do you have a picture of the square set cornices? Is that the same as shadow line cornices?

[thisisme]

Sorry about that. Should have included a pic straight away. Here is a square set cornice:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_bpfKr812MBA/STpGIiW3i_I/AAAAAAAABrY/IYHamVP1mh4/s400/DSC00509.JPG

[Julie-Ann]

Yes the same thing. I love them for very contemporary homes and I would think they would look great with all your other finishes you have chosen.:thumbs up:

One tip when choosing cornices- don't choose a cornice design that the company has just started to make. My neighbour did this and has had huge problems with them. The building company admitted they were faulty and replaced some of them- which was really messy:(. I prefer to pick products that have been tried and tested by others.

[nqmummy]

My girlfriend has no cornices in her house and my in-law's unit has the same thing. I quite like it but it's definitely a minimalist/modern sort of look.

Here is a link to a before and after of someone adding cornices. It does look better with the cornice but I don't know whether that's because the whole room has been redecorated.

http://www.younghouselove.com/2009/12/abbeys-design-dilemma-solved/

[giggle_smile]

Im not sure what they are called, but these are the ones we have picked.

2455

They have a light decorative touch to them. We liked the look of no cornices, but the builder suggested against it. He said they show quite a alot of cracks and can be more prone to cracking.

Anyway i like the ones we picked :thumbs up:

[Julie-Ann]

Thisisme are you considering having no cornices or where there is a small gap between the ceiling and the wall which is known as a shadow line? Like in the picture below.

[thisisme]

I am considering having no cornices. In adelaide they call it "square set".
But I am affraid of it looking too plain and boring

[Julie-Ann]

Oh sorry I thought you meant shadow lines:o. Personally then I am not a fan of that look. I agree I have heard it is prone to cracking. Plus it kind of looks unfinished. I would either have the shadow line look which is very contemporary or a simple squared looking cornice.

[thisisme]

Thank you Julie-Ann

Do you mean Jazz?

http://www.gyprock.com.au/downloads/products/Jazz_Thumb_c42c_detail.gif

A list of cornices:

http://www.gyprock.com.au/ourproducts/products/cornice.aspx

[Julie-Ann]

Did you see Gyprock do a version of the shadow line called Shadow Set (http://www.gyprock.com.au/our-products/products/cornice/gyprock-shadowset™-profile.aspx)?
For me I think Jazz is very heavy looking. I quite liked Tempo (http://www.gyprock.com.au/our-products/products/cornice/gyprock-tempo™-cornice.aspx).
I would keep it very contemporary. Personally I like when you mix decorating styles for the room to be very definite in one style - say contemporary and then you add the traditional pieces to mix it up.

[thisisme]

Thanks Julie-Ann. We've been hearing a lot about the shadow set type cornice, but haven't seen it in real life. How long have they been out?

[Julie-Ann]

Oh quite awhile Thisisme. At least 5 years+ since I heard of them. Before that I wouldn't have noticed them so much as our homes are more traditional. But I have seen them many times and they are very stylish:love it:.

[Mrs B]

Square set suits contempoary homes with higher ceilings. I dont think square set ceilings would look as good (other cornices would look much nicer) in a more traditional home.

Our neighbours have the shadow line and it is stunning....:love it: Very expensive to do it properly but the effects are definately that WOW factor. Our neighbours told us it was their biggest bling and could afford to do it as their house is not really big.

Also, in relation to cracks, it all depends on the quality of your builder...if the frame is not straight then the finish of the plaster will also look a train wreck. Its all got to do with how good your building supervisor is when inspecting the work of the tradies. If they allow substandard work to be passed then expect the finishes not to be as perfect.

Building is difficult:eek: and I am so glad we are over ours:clapping: We have 3 neighbours who are still at frame stage one year down the track :eek:

Mrs B

[Julie-Ann]

We had heaps of problems with our cornices cracking where they join the wall and ceiling. At first we put it down to movement with the house being new. That is a common thing. The builder came back and filled all the cracks with silicon and painted. Then it happened again and the builder did the same thing.
By this time my perfectionist husband was doing his head in and he chiselled out all the silicon and tried filler. That failed:(.
3 years and probably most rooms had been painted 3 times - a builder friend came for dinner and DH asked him about it. He suggested that DH climb up in the roof and see if enough cornice cement has been used when they put the cornices on. Sure enough- pitiful amounts had been used. So the friend suggested to get that puffy expanding stuff plumbers use (sorry I can't remember what it's called). To get up in the roof and squirt the puffy stuff between the wall and the cornice. Of course not so much that the puffy stuff pushed the cornice off the wall but enough to hold the cornice to the wall.
Problem solved - thank goodness:clapping:

[thisisme]

Thank you all for your responses :)

[thisisme]

Does this look like a shadow type of cornice? There seems to be a gap against the wall...

http://images2.au.reastatic.net/800x600/props/106985921/ImageR/20101115150005.jpg

[thisisme]

Also, is there a "universal" cornice which is timeless and looks good in both traditional and more modern homes? Or am I asking for way too much?
:)

[Julie-Ann]

I think in that photo it is just a strip of beading used as cornice.
For a cornice that suits both styles what about this one from Boral called New York?

[thisisme]

It does look nice! (I had to find some photos as I have troubles visualising things :( - it drives Mr Thisisme insane. Oooops.

Thanks for that J-A!!!

http://www.jrnetworksolutions.com/house/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Foyer-two.jpg
http://www.jrnetworksolutions.com/house/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Kitchen-two.jpg

[Julie-Ann]

If the photos help go with them. My DH has trouble visualising so I try to replicate the shapes and colours of what I want to do with objects we have around the house. What ever works is fine by me:D