Beautiful Cornice work as part of the restoration of the London Palladium by Locker & Riley of Chelmsford, Essex, England
A cornice (from the Italian cornice meaning “ledge”) is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns a building or furniture element— the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the top edge of a pedestal or along the top of an interior wall.
Cornices add a wonderful depth of character to a home with their beautiful details and decorative patterns. Here, we explore three important reasons why restoring your cornices into an immaculate condition could help you increase the value of your property.
1. Makes your interior more presentable
If you are currently planning to sell your home or you are thinking about putting it on the market in the near future, there are certainly plenty of ways that you can raise its value. Estate agents know that a well presented, beautiful interior makes an excellent impression to prospective buyers and will normally command a much higher asking price.
Cornice Design of Hanover Lodge, London by Locker & Riley
Although cornices were originally designed for practical purposes to support guttering for homes and businesses, now they are predominantly used for aesthetic purposes. Many homeowners regard them as special ornamental features that can act as prominent focal points for their living space.
One of the first steps to take is to assess the current condition of your cornices, observe any signs of cracking or deterioration and consider whether any new paint will be needed. Any unsightly features like obvious impairment, paint that has peeled away or erosion in your cornices may cost a little money to refurbish. However, the value that you will lose from you property should you decide not to repair these features could be substantially greater in the long term.
2. Hide your home’s flaws
Conrnices of St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel, London
One of the fundamental benefits of cornices that many homeowners are unaware of is that they can be used to conceal architectural defects. For example, a window that is not completely even and is slightly tilted to one side may appear more level with cornices, which can help to frame it and make it appear straighter.
Window cornices can also hide other flaws such as damaged wooden framing or minor cracks near the corners, although it may be still be a good idea to remove these defects to ensure that you achieve the highest possible asking price if you do decide to sell. Cornices or long drapes can also make a window appear larger and grander, which is useful if you have a window that is too small for your room and does not match its proportions.
3. Durable and long-lasting
Cornices are available in both, simple (above left) and intricate (above right) designs.
Cornices made with plaster will remain in an excellent condition for many years and are relatively inexpensive to maintain, as they won’t require regular refurbishments. Clearly, this will appeal to money-conscious home buyers, who do not want to endure expensive maintenance costs over time – and estate agents know that.
Fortunately, new technology enables experienced professionals to install new cornices much more quickly than in the past; there is now a much broader range of styles that you can choose to create a harmonious look for your home. This can range from more elaborated, detailed designs to a simple, minimalist, which should always complement the rest of your interior décor.
Cornices can easily be adapted to homes of all shapes and sizes, although they are particularly effective for older, period properties because they help restore the interior to its original style.
John Deeds loves restoring cornices and other plasterwork. John also enjoys sharing his expertise on the subject with the bloggosphere. When he’s not doing that, he’s works as a plaster restorer for Locker and Riley, the UK’s award-winning fibrous plaster specialist.
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