How to cut, fit and finish Cornices

Cornices can give Windows a much-needed facelift or turn your room into an amazing piece of classical architecture. Cornices can really change the look of a room and allow you to update your style with a fairly simple construction process. Cornices can be used on Windows, patio doors and more as well as on things like shelves or art collectibles to really accent them within a room. You may have seen properly finished Cornices in style and design home magazines but it is possible to get this look within your own home by firing up your miter saw, heading down to the local DIY store and starting a weekend project.

One of the first steps is to choose a style that you like. Cornices can come in a wide variety of wood types as well as styles. If you like the look of crown molding you can achieve this with a Cornice or you can also go for a more minimal look. For a wide variety of cornices, visit our Dresser Mouldings website, where you can find a variety of different styles, including the aforementioned minimal styles.

A miter saw is absolutely required for this project as it will make cutting the complex angles much easier. If you are doing several Cornices for your project it may also be a good idea to consider using an air powered nail gun or renting one as this type of project can involve quite a few fasteners. The first step to this project is to measure the space where the Cornices will be fitted. You will need to measure the width and depth of your curtains, curtain rods and shades to make sure that all of the space can be covered.

The next step is to create a three sided, box with a lid so that the curtain rod can be easily hidden as well as removed later if you decide to change your curtains. The basic box you can build from your own measurements and some simple lumber, and then finish it with whatever you decide will make your room look best. Cornices are all roughly the same until they are finished with trim.

When you are fitting the trim onto the box be sure to try a short test piece to see just how the Cornice will look. By trying out a short test piece you can get the appropriate angle right on the corners so that you can set the right angle to cut out the rest of the trim. By setting up test pieces in the corner you can eventually work to fill in all of the trim in the surrounding box.

In the next step you will want to smooth out the profiles and corners to make sure that all of the drill holes and nail holes that you have made to fasten the trim to the box are well covered. You can also smooth out the look of trim spacing in this step as well.

The final step is to mount the Cornice in your window. It's absolutely important that you center the Cornice so that it can cover the curtain rod and curtain. Mark off a line when you have leveled out the Cornice and then fasten it to the wall in its squared position.