In Australia it is called s
quare set to replace cornice. Not cheap though.

square set

Hi Angela,

If you're planning on reinstalling the ceiling then I would strongly suggest using a shadow line setting bead around the perimeter. This will you give your home a modern and neat look, as well as creating more height by eliminating the cornice. If ceiling remains then I suggest using Boral Cairo 4 Step or CSR Alto cornices.

For carpet or timber floors I would suggest a square edge skirting (roughly 100mm) or a tile skirting (roughly 100mm) for a tiled floor.

Shadow line may be less expensive too. We are about to do this.

Quare set? Cool name. Honestly, though, unless it is architecturally necessary to cover really bad wall/ceiling alignment, I wouldn't bother w the cost. Not enough people see it. Go spend money on furnishings that people see and touch.

Actually I agree Jarret if a tight budget is involved. Much better to put the money into the kitchen and bathroom first then floor coverings and accessories.

The budget won't be super tight but I still need options, Thank's for the input guys.

Wow, shadow set looks like the go. Very tidy. Thank you everybody.

Just watch out for the spiders and cob webs that accumulate with shadow line :) Base boards are a must....we went without in our home, but now have marks around the bottom of the walls from the vacuum cleaner. Have decided to retro fit them in the near future.

I agree baseboards (called skirtings in Australia) are essential. Thanks for the tip re the spiders and cob webs in the shadow line.

I have a conventional concave cornice and I get plenty of cobwebs in the 10mm step out from the wall plaster (but not so much the step out from the ceiling plaster, or maybe it doesn't show so much there).

If you are replacing the ceiling I would go with a shadowline rather than square-set which will show every wobble in your plaster or paint. I don't think it is feasible to install a shadowline into an existing ceiling (which will usually have a ragged edge under the existing cornice) but I could be wrong...

We have a shadow line around our new foyer and it looks nice & modern. It was tricky to paint. Yes spiders like to nest there. We have some crappy 60s cornices that are dreadful but we've decided not to touch them... added cost & bother. Since we are replacing the floor we can replace the skirting boards yay! Yes the square set looks very nice but it's expensive.

Can the shadow line be painted before it goes up?

What is a shadow line

If the cornices and skirting's (& architraves) are in good nick, reuse them just repaint as required. It'll make a massive difference to not just budget but the character of the house. Modern and contemporary doesn't mean just square-set only. If its a full strip out with new walls and linings then update to a style that suits because you're spending money to install new anyway.

Shadowline diagram

I like this.