Crown molding is a home improvement workhorse that can improve the look of walls, ceilings, and even bathroom mirrors when used as a frame. Crown molding can also combine with other types of molding to completely renovate your basic kitchen cabinet into something worthy of a luxury kitchen remodeling project. 

There are a few types of molding you should pick up. Using the molding will vary depending on your cabinet setup and personal preference, but here is a basic guide to the types and how to best utilize the molding for maximum visual interest.

Panel Molding

Panel molding comes in long segments that are a few inches wide and meant to serve as an accent piece. The molding is generally used as an alternative to chair rails to form a border for wall panels. But you can also put panel molding to work on your kitchen cabinets.

You can create a beautiful upper frame for your cabinets by placing a decorative strip of panel molding, such as one bearing the design of etched flowers and vines, above the cabinets. Top the panel molding with a piece of tall but simple crown molding. The end result will make your cabinets look taller and look as if you had a custom cabinet base crafted.

Half Round

Half round essentially looks like round wooden dowels. Ask your hardware store to cut the half round in half for your purpose and you can use the molding to redefine your cabinet doors.

On your kitchen cabinets, the half round can help create a new look to the doors themselves by mimicking the look of wooden inserts.

Use pieces of half round to define a square or rectangular shape a couple of inches from the edges of your door. Repeat the process by building another shape a couple of inches inside the first shape. 

Screen Bead and Base Cap

Finish off your cabinet project with screen bead and base cap. 

Screen bead is very narrow and contains parallel indents that create a subtle striped appearance. You can use the screen bead to form an upper border between your cabinets and the strip of panel molding. This step is only necessary if your existing cabinets don't already have some sort of upper defining lip or border piece.

A base cap is a small piece of molding that can serve as the lower lip for your cabinets. The cap has a shape that's similar to a basic type of panel molding, which can also help create some visual symmetry in your cabinets.

For further assistance, contact local professionals, such as those from Cornerstone Builders of Southwest Florida.