Not all rooms have high ceilings; this is notably true of cottages, loft rooms, some period and modern homes. The standard ceiling height in the UK is between 2.4 and 2.6 metres, but don’t worry if yours is lower than this... just because you have a low ceiling height doesn’t mean you can’t have coving.

When it comes to adding the finishing touches to your home’s interior, coving or cornice can make a significant difference. These architectural elements not only enhance the aesthetics but also add character and charm to any space, whether its a contemporary or period property.

This blog will introduce you to our specially selected range of small but perfectly formed coving styles, including our new models; SPC071 and Swan Neck Coving MPC085, which suit both period and modern homes with lower ceilings. We will also give you some informative tips on sizes, and installation.

Minimalist Coving Styles

Our ‘Small Plaster Cornice’, (SPC071) works extremely well in modern homes. This deceptively simple design, can completely alter the feel of a room. Historically this small size was originally used in bedrooms or other upstairs areas where less ornamental plaster coving would have been used. 

This coving design has a drop of 75mm and projection of 50mm, it is also ideal for modern houses and apartments where there are smaller room sizes and reduced ceiling heights, and also older properties where ceiling heights may have been reduced.

Another popular ‘small’ minimalist coving choice is (SPC014), this is perfect for modern styled homes & interiors which require a more linear coving design and is Ideal for living rooms, kitchens, bathrooms or bedrooms. If you are ordering samples of smaller coving, we would recommend adding this to your list. 

Tip... When ordering always remember to add 20% more coving than you need to account for waste, metering, and producing the greatest finish.

Bold Colour Choices

Create a harmonious and seamless look by combining coving with skirting boards... this is called ‘colour-drenching’. This seems like a very daring design decision, because the conventional wisdom is to paint a room with a low ceiling or a tiny space as light as possible. However, you can create the illusion of a larger room by colour-drenching, which means painting the ceiling, woodwork, and walls all the same colour. This is because it takes longer for our eyes to detect the room’s borders, giving the impression that it is larger than it actually is.

Bold colour decorating makes a powerful visual impact. Preventing it from being overly bright and gaudy is the key. Make sure your strong colours stay elegant to pull it off. Because subdued yet bold paint hues are more aesthetically relaxing, go for shades that aren’t too brilliant.

Integrating Coving with Lighting

Installing coving with LED strip lighting can give any room an elegant look, providing indirect lighting that creates a warm and cozy atmosphere.

We don’t stock LEDs however we have various small coving sizes and profile shapes, these mouldings will amplify the beauty by reflecting the light onto and across the ceiling. This would work especially well in the bedroom - or anywhere where its important to get the mood just right with soft, subtle mood lighting. Dimmable LED’s fitted inside uplighting cornice removes the cold and harsh direct light that modern energy-efficient bulbs emit. 

If you prefer a traditional light fixture for your low ceiling, proportions should be considered. It’s not about being ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ its simply about being visually pleasing or visually jarring. If you walk into a room and immediately notice the size of the light fitting it’s an indication that its the wrong proportion for the space.

Coving & Furniture Placement

In rooms with low ceilings, the goal is to visually lift the space and create an illusion of more height. Combining coving with skirting in low ceiling rooms can also contribute to the illusion of higher ceilings. The coving draws the eye upward and gives the impression of a more expansive space above.

We advise choosing pieces of furniture that sit closer to the ground or with shorter legs. As a result, there is greater apparent space between the ceiling and furniture. Tall mirrors placed high against walls will reflect light and provide the impression of depth. To create a dramatic impact, think about placing a large mirror against the wall.

Summary

The key is... ‘let’s not blow this whole thing out of proportion!’ In rooms with low ceilings, using large sized coving may reduce the visual height, making the space appear smaller and potentially cramped. It’s important to choose the correct sized coving that fits the proportions of your room. 

 Plaster Ceiling Roses provide a selection of over 80 coving designs, in a wide range of sizes... to fit large or small ceiling heights.  If you’re spoilt for choice and wish to ensure you’ve made the right decision before a significant purchase we highly recommend buying a sample from our website. 

 If you choose to undertake this as a DIY project, we have created helpful videos with professional coving installer, Mark Draper. Mark showcases the necessary steps to fit your coving & cornice and helpful tips. 

 All our coving and ceiling roses are carried in stock and we are able to offer fast delivery, using our own fleet of livery. 

 Remember, whatever the size, the key to successful coving lies not only in the design but also in skilled installation. We have a list of experienced installers should you require a ‘Fibrehand’, please contact us and we will put you in touch with a professional who works in your area. Phone 0204 538 7491 or email service@shawfieldpark.co.uk

Tip... We recommend fixing coving with both screws and adhesive and never to rely on adhesive alone. We also have a video guide on our website showing how to mix coving adhesive to the right consistency. 12.5kg of coving adhesive will be enough for 25m of coving, though this will vary with the size of the coving.