Modernised Interiors With Contemporary Coved Ceilings Versus Traditional Cornice designs

In a large number of Northern European homes, especially those that were built within the last hundred years or so, coved ceilings are likely to feature in some way. However, in recent times, due to cutbacks and profit margins, the prevalence of coving the ceilings, particularly of reception rooms, has started to become a thing of the past. Modern built homes rarely feature coving nowadays, as a way for the builders to save money.  Nonetheless, coving is making a comeback with more and more house owners choosing to install coving or cornice once they have moved in creating a much warmer and inviting space in which to live.

Vintage Chic

Coving comes in many forms and is designed to create an improved visual appearance of where the room’s wall comes into contact with the ceiling. Old fashioned coving creates a curve between the top of the wall and the ceiling, and is usually painted white, to create an approximate mirror image of the skirting board at the other end of the wall. Vintage chic is the reason why retro-fitting this type of coving has become so popular, even in modern homes. However, there is more to coved ceilings than a nostalgic look.

Classic look

A vertical wall that meets a horizontal ceiling should be easy enough to decorate. However, it can take a great deal of care to get a seamless line between the two major structural elements of a room. Wallpaper needs to be cut exactly at 90 degrees to create the perfect join, at the top. Likewise, painted walls need to cut in with skill, to get a neat line. If your ceiling does not meet the wall at an exact right angle all the way along, the problem is harder to overcome. One way of doing so is to break up the join, visually, with the introduction of a new element. This is what coving your ceiling achieves. For the classic look, paint or paper your walls and then add white coving to match your ceiling’s color.

Seamless Coving

Not all coving needs to be white, however. For an alternative take on the classic look add coving and paint the ceiling and the coving sections in the same color. Beneath the coved area give your walls a treatment that is in a complimentary tone. The addition of a high picture rail really adds to the impact of this seamless design.

Ornate Coving

Coving is not all about disguising the join between the wall and the ceiling, hiding any imperfections where the building has settled over time. Coved ceilings can be much more of a feature in a room. Decorative coving looks great in a traditionally styled bedroom, particularly if it has a high ceiling already. Ornate coving can create definition in a room’s décor and compliment other design choices, such as drapes.

Coving with Furniture

If the room you are updating with coving has fitted furniture then incorporate it into the look. Coving, as has been said, creates a new way of connecting the wall to the ceiling. It can also connect high storage units to the ceiling. Bookcases, fitted wardrobes and even window pelmets can all be given a more integrated look in a room by installing a coved ceiling at a height that matches the furniture.

Coving using Contemporary designs

Recently there has been a revival of coving being placed into new-build homes to add selling power, in what is becoming a very competitive market.  CovingPro fitted a beautiful 3-step contemporary design into large detached houses for Countryside properties in Buckinghamshire (see below).

Beautiful modern homes in Buckinghamshire