13 Types of Moulding for Your Kitchen Cabinets

April 28, 2021

By: The Finished Space

Cabinet moulding is a terrific way to bring a kitchen’s design to the next level. It can elevate design details, provide ideal spacing alignment, hide imperfections, and more. Above and below, from decorative to functional – there’s a place for cabinet moulding in every kitchen.

Here are thirteen types of moulding for your kitchen cabinets to help inspire your design:

1. Traditional Crown 

For Blog Only - House of Jade Interiors - Traditional Crown Kitchen

House of Jade Interiors

Did you know you can use traditional crown moulding on your cabinets? It helps draw the eye upwards while adding an element of elegance to your kitchen. Traditional crown moulding is usually applied on the top of cabinets or on the ceiling right above them. Crown moulding helps make homes feel more upscale and classic, so make sure it’s a fit for your aesthetic before installing.

2. Stepped Crown

For Blog Only - Jillian Harris, Love It or List It Vancouver - Pastel Green Kitchen with Stepped Crown

Jillian Harris

This type of cabinet crown moulding is trendy in custom kitchens. Stepped (aka staggered) crown moulding helps to accentuate and refine the cabinet arrangement. The crown appears to step a cabinet towards the ceiling to create a more dramatic look.  

3. Riser Moulding

For Blog Only - Design Line Kitchens - Riser Moulding Kitchen with Crown

Design Line Kitchens

Some people like to have space between their cabinets and ceiling to display decorations. However, others want to do away with the top of the counters altogether because it’s one less place to have to dust. Riser moulding helps serve that purpose. Generally, it’s applied to fill the gap between existing moulding, but it can be the only moulding you have as well. It simply serves to seamlessly connect the top of the cabinet to the ceiling.

4. Minimal

For Blog Only - The Haebler Group - Simple White Kitchen

The Haebler Group

Minimal moulding is the perfect choice for a contemporary kitchen. It helps to refine and elevate the kitchen and cabinets without being too ornate or attention-grabbing. It’s the ideal choice if you want to let the other elements in your kitchen shine.

5. Stacked Crown

For Blog Only - Design Line Kitchens - White Shiplap Ceiling Trimmed Kitchen

Design Line Kitchens

Stacked crown moulding is made up of multiple pieces of moulding that are stacked to create a uniform appearance. Stacked crown is perfect for kitchens with high ceilings (above eight feet tall) and can serve as both a decorative and functional element at the top of cabinets. Stacked crown can be used to completely hide the gap between your cabinets and ceilings to create a flush final look.

6. Dentil Moulding

Dentil moulding is a decorative moulding that is used on the tops of counters and around ceilings and doors. Each piece of moulding is cut individually with exact measurements to ensure the perfect fit.

7. Light Moulding

For Blog Only - Nicholas Bridger - Kitchen Hood Light Moulding

Nicholas Bridger

Light moulding is all about placement. It sits right at the base of cabinets to conceal cabinet lighting. It adds a nice finishing touch to your cabinets while also blocking any unsightly light fixtures. It’s a win-win because it’s functional and beautiful. 

8. Edge Moulding

Edge moulding can be applied to nearly every part of shelves or cabinets. It’s an add-on element for the edges and borders of cabinets to add a bit more character.

9. Scribe Moulding

Do you have some gaps between your cabinets and walls? Scribe moulding can help. Scribe moulding is used to cover up gaps and hide any visible inconsistencies so that your entire kitchen design will look cohesive and seamless throughout.

10. Corner Moulding

Easily hide the rough edges of cabinets and counters with corner moulding. Rather than leaving the edges raw, you can apply corner moulding to create a more polished motif.

11. Applied Moulding

For Blog Only - HGTV's Home Town - Panel Kitchen

HGTV's Home Town

You can add applied moulding to the front of walls and cabinets to create a cohesive appearance that can match the other moulding in the room for a truly coherent design. If the moulding isn’t a perfect match to the other trim in the room, It is still a fantastic way to add intrigue to the surface of cabinets and walls.

12. Shoe Rail

For Blog Only - Thifty Decor Chick - Kitchen with Base Shoe Rail

Thrifty Decor Chick

Shoe moulding is applied to the bottom of kitchen cabinets as a decorative element to elevate the look of the bottom of cabinets. As a bonus, shoe rail moulding can also hide any imperfections in the flooring installation. If you’ve just installed a new floor, shoe rail moulding can make the edges around the cabinets look flawless.

13. Toe Kick Moulding

Toe kick moulding is a bit like shoe moulding in that it is installed on the bottom of your cabinets, but it’s for a very specific area beneath the cabinets. Most kitchen counters and cabinets have a slightly indented space beneath the cabinet, so you can get as close to the counters as possible while cooking and working in the kitchen. This small area is usually just a wooden slab. Toe kick moulding covers the exposed wood so that every detail of your kitchen is completely flawless and cohesive.

Get the Perfect Cabinet Moulding for Your Kitchen

We hope these thirteen ideas helped spark some inspiration for your kitchen. If you’re still unsure which cabinet moulding is right for your kitchen – give Option {M} a try. There’s a short quiz that helps you identify a design aesthetic and finishing touches based on your taste. You can also check out our inspiration gallery for more ideas.