Redecorating Your Living Room? Don’t Forget the Coving…
10th July 2013Coving is a decorative moulding made in various materials from traditional gypsum plaster to more modern (and much easier to work with) hardened polyurethanes. It is designed to cover and enhance the appearance of the joint between the top of an internal wall and the ceiling, which can otherwise appear jarring to the eye. It can also be used to cover surface cracks and other deficiencies in this area.
Using Coving to Enhance a Room
People are often surprised at the difference that coving makes to a room. Basically, coving offers a way of breaking up two colours and really finishes a room off. It comes in a variety of depths and mouldings and should be chosen to blend in with the room’s existing décor.
In a modern minimalist living room, for example, it would be best to choose a coving that is simple, perhaps plain, so as not too appear too heavy and too much of a feature. In a more traditional room, a highly moulded coving would make a better choice, especially if the window dressings were elaborate or extravagant. An ornate, classical-type coving would complement heavy fabric or patterned curtains.
Different Types of Coving
The most basic type of coving is one without any decorative work in the moulding; its curved profile simply covers the join between wall and ceiling. It is an unfussy, uncomplicated coving that does not add anything stylistically to a room design but serves its purpose well.
Then we move on to more ornate moulded types, some emulating Greek and Roman architectural styles. These have curves and edges and will add a classical touch to a room. A contemporary coving still has some visual interest in the form of curves or edges, but will not necessarily be as ornate.
A recent trend is to install coving with a built in space for uplighting. It is made of a very modern material, light but strong, and projects into the room so that a strip light or other form of lighting can be placed in it’s base. This light will softly illuminate the entire room from the top of the walls down, and would give a room (particularly a living room) a very warm and welcoming feel.
Another recent innovation is that of flexible coving. This has been designed with unusual room shapes in mind and can curve around non-straight walls, making it a far better choice for rooms of this type than traditional plaster coving.
Living Room Decorating Tips
This is a room that is going to be well used, a place for family and friends to relax in, so it needs to be practical as well as beautiful. Match hardwearing laminate or real wood flooring with patterned rugs. Decide whether you want curtains or blinds at the windows, or go for the trend of the moment with internal wooden shutters. A corner sofa makes the best use of available space and there is no need to restrict yourself to the classic matching three-piece suite. Mix a fabric armchair with a leather sofa and a glass coffee table with an oak wood media centre. Just remember the golden rule; if the walls are heavily patterned, keep the furniture plain, and of course, vice versa.