[Jeff180]

How do you handle crown molding when a high window is in the way?

I've attached a picture of a possible solution and the molding I'm thinking of using. It's 4 5/8" crown with a picture rail set below it.

My thought is to run only the crown molding across the top, with returns on the picture rail so they "fall" into the window. The crown molding will probably hang down into the window by 1/2" or so. Would something like this look right?

 

[Seattle2k]

If you don't want to use crown with less width (height), then you'll have to run it across the window opening. Since you'll be left with a 5/8" overhang, you might want to attach a piece of flat/s4s moulding to the top of the window opening, between the window and the bottom of crown, to fill the space and provide a finished and intentional look. Play around with it and see how it look.

Personally, I wouldn't run the picture rail into the window opening. I would set my return to end right at the edge of the opening.

 

[Jeff180]

I like the idea of the s4s at the top of the window. That should give it a cleaner look if the gap is noticeable. I agree on not putting the picture rail into the window opening - I had phrased that part wrong.

I'm also trimming all my windows with casing. Should I skip this one since the crown molding is right there? I had considered trimming only the bottom half of the window with this setup.

 

[shazapple]

I'd cut the the bottom of the crown off so it fits the 3 1/8" space, and add blocking to fill the gap between the bottom of the crown and wall. Then I'd install 1x4 trim down the sides and bottom of the window. The trim would give the picture rail and the bottom portion of the crown something to end against.

 

[BigJim]

If you plan to put curtains up you could use the ceiling mold to make a valance and return the picture mold into the wall at the side trim. If you didn't want to do that you could use the 1X4 as suggested and wrap it with the ceiling mold, it would look good bumped out like that.

 

[woodworkbykirk]

if your planning on running the crown right through installing 5/4 stock as a header on the window trim is the only way to make it look proper. installing the crown to a picture framed window will look terrible plus you wont have a flat surface to nail the crown to along the wall

 

[Jeff180]

Is this right - nail up a header, wrap the header with crown, trim the window to the header?

The other windows in this room have blinds with a valance, so a valance here shouldn't look off. I don't plan on hanging curtains.

 

[Jeff180]

Forgot the picture

 

[BigJim]

Forgot the picture

This is what I was talking about. By the way, where is the header for that window? Is it built into the ceiling joists?

 

[Jeff180]

I think the window runs into the top plate of the wall. It's a pair of 2x4s.

 

[Jeff180]

Updating with finished pictures. I put a 1x4 across the top of the window, and ran the crown molding around it. We decided to skip the picture rail.

 

[chitownken]

Nice.

 

[Willie T]

Looks fine.