Colors, lights and combinations to enhance decorative veils and frames

The most classic choice involves white cornices on white ceilings , a solution that always works when seeking understated elegance. In this case, the design of the moldings emerges primarily through shadows and grazing light, without imposing a dominant color. The same goes for plasterboard cornices painted the same shade as the ceiling: the geometry is perceived through the difference in planes, not through the difference in color.

For those who want to give a room more character, it's interesting to play with controlled contrasts . A white frame on a colored wall—for example, greige, dove gray, deep blue, or sage green—frames the space and emphasizes its lines, especially when paired with matching doors and baseboards. In bedrooms and living rooms, a perimeter valance that's lighter than the walls can create the effect of a luminous "hat," especially when paired with indirect lighting inserted into the cove.

Ceiling voiles are also an effective tool for altering the perception of proportions . In very high rooms, a partial lowering with a voile and a slightly darker color than the original ceiling makes the space feel more intimate; in long rooms, transverse voiles or light beams can visually break up the depth. Conversely, in low rooms, light colors and thin profiles are preferred, avoiding exaggerated lowering that further squashes the space.

Indirect lighting integrated into ceilings and cornices completely transforms the look of a room. LED strips arranged along the perimeter, with warm, dimmable light, create soft atmospheres ideal for living areas and bedrooms. Neutral color temperatures are more suitable for modern kitchens, studies, and home workspaces, where a cooler, yet not excessively cold, light is needed. It's important to avoid excessively cold lighting in residential spaces with warm colors, to avoid creating unpleasant contrasts.

Floor and furniture combinations complete the picture. Warm white cornices and cornices pair well with wood floors, stone-effect stoneware, or neutral resins. More pronounced profiles, in shades like warm gray or sand, complement simple furniture with light palettes. In more classic settings, richer moldings in plaster or textured polyurethane, painted white or ivory, enhance portals, traditional swing doors, wainscoting, and statement chandeliers.

Decorative cornices and cornices find their place even in very contemporary settings, if treated with a minimalist approach: extremely thin profiles, linear coves, lines of light running along the ceiling without frills. In this case, the colors remain neutral and the light design takes center stage.