Crown molding (interchangeably spelled crown moulding in British and Commonwealth English) is a form of cornice created out of decorative molding installed atop an interior wall. It is also used atop doors, windows, pilasters and cabinets.
Historically made of plaster or wood, modern crown molding installation may be of a single element, or a build-up of multiple components into a more elaborate whole.
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In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian cornice meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, around the top edge of a pedestal, or along the top of an interior wall. A simple cornice may be formed with a crown, as in crown moulding atop an interior wall or above kitchen cabinets or a bookcase.
A projecting cornice on a building has the function of throwing rainwater free of its walls. In residential building practice, this function is handled by projecting gable ends, roof eaves, and gutters. However, house eaves may also be called "cornices" if they are finished with decorative moulding. In this sense, while most cornices are also eaves (overhanging the sides of the building), not all eaves are usually considered cornices. Eaves are primarily functional and not necessarily decorative, while cornices have a decorative aspect.
A dado rail, also known as a chair rail or surbase, is a type of moulding fixed horizontally to the wall around the perimeter of a room. The dado rail is traditionally part of the dado or wainscot and, although the purpose of the dado is mainly aesthetic, the dado rail may provide the wall with protection from furniture and other contact.
In cities such as Bath, England, the dado rail has been used in architecture to imply parts of the classical order. According to author Micahel Forsyth, "The dado, including skirting and dado rail, represents the pedestal, the wall surface the column shaft, and the cornice the entablature."
In architecture, the dado is the lower part of a wall, below the dado rail and above the skirting board. The word is borrowed from Italian meaning "dice" or "cube", and refers to die, an architectural term for the middle section of a pedestal or plinth.
In architecture, a baseboard (also called skirting board, skirting, wainscoting, mopboard, trim, floor molding, or base molding) is usually wooden, MDF or vinyl board covering the lowest part of an interior wall. Its purpose is to cover the joint between the wall surface and the floor. It covers the uneven edge of flooring next to the wall, protects the wall from kicks, abrasion, and furniture, and can serve as a decorative molding.
At its simplest, baseboard consists of a simple plank nailed, screwed or glued to the wall; however, particularly in older houses, it can be made up of a number of moldings for decoration. A baseboard differs from a wainscot; a wainscot typically covers from the floor to around 1-1.5 metres (3' to 5') high (waist or chest height), whereas a baseboard is typically under 0.2 metres (8") high (ankle height).