Buying the Best Ceiling Medallion

When making over a room a good ceiling medallion can be the perfect final touch that draws the whole look together. The humble ceiling medallion can also turn ceiling damage caused by the instillation of a fan or water stains into decoration. Whatever your purpose, you need to know where to go to get a good one. The most convenient place to start is the local hardware store. Nearly any hardware or builders supply company worth the name will have at least one or two ceiling medallions in stock. Convince however, comes at a price. These home improvement mega stores will likely lack selection. Some will stock only a single generic white ceiling medallion that looks only marginally better damage it will cover. If your purpose is purely practical, this is the best value solution.

For more decorative options you may wish to turn to a store that specializes in lighting and ceiling fans. These stores will often stock very fashionable ceiling medallions more likely to fit well with your custom look. They are also more likely to have the two-piece ceiling medallions that can be used to fit around an existing light fixture or fan. What might still be in short supply are the purely decorative medallions that shine all by themselves.

To find the widest array of ceiling medallion choices, you will need to take your search online. One excellent place to start is Architectural Depot. This self-styled "do it yourself superstore" has an astonishingly diverse selection of ceiling medallions. Many of the medallions on sale at the store are sold in a flat white color but are made with materials that can be easily panted.

The company also provides full color instructions on how to install your new ceiling medallion in the form of pdf downloads. These are very useful but the user reviews for the specific medallion you are considering can be an even better source of tips and warnings against potential pitfalls.

Another good place to look online is the well named ceilingmedallions.com. This California based specialty store has the largest selection imaginable. They even have a physical showroom if you happen to be in the Fullerton area. Despite the wider selection, the site is not as do it-yourself friendly as the Architectural Depot. You can find nearly any style or size, but the information on individual choices is limited and they lack any customer reviews.

No matter where where you decide to shop, be sure to measure before you checkout. If you are purchasing the medallion to go around a light fixture or fan, be sure to measure the diameter of the drop poll coming out of the ceiling.

If your purpose is purely decorative, measuring is no less important. Measure off the area of the ceiling you think you want to cover and make sure you have a good feel for how much space the medallion will actually take up. Nothing can turn tasteful to tacky more quickly than an over sized accent that has become the accidental center of attention.