Moldings, rosettes, and pilasters prove that stucco moldings can organically exist not only in pompous classical interiors.
Today, the stucco molding in the interior of the apartment has received a new reading. This is no longer an outdated decoration of palaces and mansions, but a stylish décor that will find a place even in strict minimalism. In this article, we will tell you what stucco elements are used in modern design, what to consider when choosing a material, and how to use it in the interior.
Types of stucco décor
Moldings
It is one of the most popular types of stucco in modern interiors, although it is used in all styles. Moldings are volumetric strips that are used on any surface, modeling the space. With their help, you can add volume to a simple finish, highlight certain areas, or emphasize the décor.
Cornices
Ceiling cornices with stucco are used as an analog of floor plinths, covering the joints of walls and ceilings with them. They can be either patterned or completely smooth. Such planks play a decorative role, they can match the color of both the ceiling and the walls – depending on this, the height of the room will seem more or less.
Friezes
A frieze in the modern sense is a wide border with a pattern that runs along the perimeter of a ceiling, window, or doorway. Sometimes it is imitated, but the real frieze is convex, but its surface can be both embossed and smooth.
In the interior, it acts primarily as a decorative element, often used in classic or neoclassical. It also visually lowers the ceiling which is too high, making the proportions of the room more harmonious. The larger the frieze, the lower the room appears, so you need to be careful with this element so as not to overdo it.
Columns and half-columns
Stucco moldings in the form of columns in city apartments are not common. The elements consist of three parts: the lower support, the pillar itself, and the top (it can be a pilaster or a capital, usually of a decorative nature).
Sockets
They are a patterned composition that decorates the fixing of the lamp to the ceiling. Most often, the pattern of the rosette is arranged in a circle, but there can also be free shapes. The ornament is painted in the tone of the canvas or made contrasting.
Materials
Embossed jewelry is made of different materials, the choice depends on the application. So, gypsum, polyurethane, and foam are most often used in interiors.
Gypsum
This is a traditional natural material for stucco décor. It is environmentally friendly, does not wear out over time, is easy to mold, and can be primed. In case of minor mechanical damage, it is quickly restored. On the downside, it is quite fragile and at the same time heavy, which complicates installation. It is more expensive than more modern analogs.
Also, gypsum is hygroscopic, so you can use jewelry made of this material in rooms where there is no high humidity – for example, in the living room, bedroom, study, or children’s room.
Polyurethane
Visually, it does not differ from gypsum, but the difference in characteristics is significant. On the plus side, polyurethane weighs less, is not afraid of moisture, withstands mechanical stress, and does not turn yellow over time. Installation is much easier, and therefore cheaper.
The main disadvantage of this material is that cracks appear at the joints after a while. This is especially the case if the stucco elements are on walls made of concrete, brick, or wood. Drywall is less likely to cause this reaction because it is less susceptible to moisture and temperature changes.
The surface of the products can be primed or laminated. Paint of any color is applied on top.
Foam
This is the cheapest of the three options. The characteristics of the material are corresponding: it is not as durable as others and is susceptible to mechanical stress. Another difficulty is that it can only be mounted on a perfectly flat surface since it takes the shape of the base. At the same time, it is resistant to moisture, therefore, like polyurethane, it can be used in the bathroom.
The porous structure of polystyrene foam visually distinguishes it from gypsum or polyurethane, therefore, in order to give a resemblance to natural stucco, it is necessary to cover such parts with several layers of paint.
How to use stucco molding in the interior of an apartment and house
Ceiling
Stucco molding on the ceiling plays two roles: decorative and modeling.
In the first case, moldings can fill the free space of the canvas. Ceiling domes and rosettes will visually emphasize the center of the room and decorate the place where the pendant lamp is attached. The pattern can be both minimalistic and baroque luxurious.
For visual correction of the space, cornices, ceiling skirting boards, and all the same moldings are suitable. So, for example, if you paint the ceiling and cornices in the same color, it will seem lower than it is. And if, on the contrary, you make the cornices and walls tone-on-tone, this will visually raise the height of the room.
Wall
Stucco molding on the walls in the interior can be used in different ways.
Firstly, moldings and patterns in the upper and lower corners will make the space more expressive. This technique is often used in modern minimalist and neoclassical interiors, where there is almost no décor, the color scheme is predominantly monochrome, and the design looks interesting and voluminous due to lines and textures.
Also, stucco moldings and skirting boards divide the space well – they can highlight any area without weighing down the interior. And also decorate an accent wall without resorting to bright colors or colorful ornaments.
Wall relief helps to visually elongate the room in width or length, and visually adjust the height of the room. For example, several vertical rectangles stretch upwards in a room with low ceilings. If the room is too narrow, it is enough to create a few horizontal stripes or wide rectangles of moldings on the walls.
Finally, with the help of stucco elements, you can further emphasize the décor. For example, you can frame paintings, posters, wall decorations, or lamps, thus creating the effect of an art gallery.
Openings
Doors, windows, columns, and arches are elements that often go unused. But with the help of the same stucco molding, it is easy to beat them, highlighting them with skirting boards, friezes, moldings, and other stucco decorations.
This technique is well suited for small rooms, where the distance between the windows is too small to fit a picture on the wall or you can put some furniture between the openings.
