Mission: Finish installing crown molding throughout the rest of the house (with the nursery already done, we still had the guest room, playroom, and connecting hallway to complete).
Status: Complete.
Thanks to a combination of planning and persistence, a job that stretched across about two weeks of on-and-off work now looks like it happened in an instant. The crown molding installation is finished and the rooms feel significantly more finished and cohesive.
As I mentioned in the post about hanging crown in Clara’s nursery, installing molding there sparked a strong desire to bring consistent trim to the other main areas that were missing it. Our primary bedroom already had crown, while several adjoining rooms and hallways did not. That imbalance made the whole house feel a bit disjointed, so we prioritized the remaining spaces.
We installed crown molding in the guest bedroom, Clara’s big girl room, and the recently updated board-and-batten hallway that connects them. The hallway particularly benefited from the addition because it ties into another corridor that already had crown, so the visual flow of the house improved dramatically.
While the work required physical effort—long periods with arms overhead holding eight-foot lengths of molding—the learning curve was fairly short. After a few cuts and test fits we developed a rhythm that made the process faster and more confident. In total, the project took about five days of part-time work once we focused on the remaining rooms, and our total material cost for all four spaces (guest room, nursery, playroom, and hallway) was $218. That includes a pack of nails for the nail gun and averages out to roughly $54 per space, though larger rooms cost more and the hallway was cheaper.
Photographs don’t always capture subtle design improvements, but in person the difference is unmistakable. Crown molding elevates a room’s look in a way that’s hard to describe: rooms feel more polished, intentional, and finished. We used Benjamin Moore’s Decorator’s White in a semi-gloss finish to paint the trim, which creates a clean, classic contrast with the walls and reflects light nicely in the rooms.
Because we previously published a detailed photo tutorial showing the crown installation process, this round of work focused on creating a video walkthrough to complement those instructions. Video can make a DIY project feel less intimidating because it shows motion, angles, and step-by-step techniques more clearly than static images or text alone. In the video we walk through every major step—from measuring and cutting miters for inside and outside corners to coping joints, attaching the molding with a nail gun, and finishing gaps with caulk. We also share practical tips that helped us avoid common mistakes, such as test-fitting each piece before nailing, labeling long lengths by wall, and using a backer board to steady long cuts on a miter saw.
The finished result is worth the effort. Each room now reads as part of a whole-house approach rather than a collection of mismatched spaces. Crown molding is one of those relatively low-cost upgrades that yields high impact: it adds architectural interest, increases perceived value, and unifies the visual flow between rooms and hallways.
If you’re considering installing crown molding yourself, know that it’s achievable with basic tools and a little patience. Expect some trial and error when cutting miters and coping joints, and be prepared for the physical side of holding long boards while fastening them. With practice you’ll get faster, and the sense of satisfaction when you step back and see the completed rooms is a great payoff.
And because life isn’t all tools and tape measures, we were reminded of springtime chaos while filming: birds calling loudly in the background made for some unintentionally dramatic audio during outdoor shots. Small distractions aside, the project is complete and the house looks more put-together than before.