Location: Whitby, North Yorkshire.
When planning their kitchen renovation, this homeowner knew the finishing details would make all the difference. With beautiful high ceilings and plenty of natural light, they wanted the space to feel elegant, balanced, and true to the character of the house. Choosing coving became a key part of bringing that vision to life. After comparing styles and samples, they fell in love with our timeless Swan Neck Plaster Coving LPC030 profile — a design that not only added softness and structure to the room, but quickly became a feature they knew they wanted throughout the entire home.
This stunning renovation proves just how much impact the right finishing touches can make. By incorporating our plaster coving, this kitchen has been transformed into a refined and elegant space that feels both timeless and full of character.
Project: Creating a Luxury Family Kitchen with Swan Neck Coving
As part of the renovation:
How important was craftsmanship and detail in your decision?
“Craftsmanship was really important to us. While we could have gone for a plastic alternative and saved some money, it just didn’t feel like it would do the house the justice it deserves. The kitchen is the heart of the home, and adding coving has brought to life the exact vision we had when we first planned the space. The section that runs across the top of the bespoke cooker hood, in particular feels incredibly luxurious to us.”
Unlike lightweight plastic alternatives, traditional plaster coving offers a level of craftsmanship, depth, and authenticity that simply can’t be replicated. Its crisp detailing and solid finish help create a more seamless, luxurious look, particularly in period properties or high-end interiors where architectural character matters.
What was the biggest challenge in choosing a style, and how did you overcome it?
“We had to think carefully about the depth of the coving. As much as we wanted it to match the original coving in the other rooms, we felt that because it would run across the cooker hood, it needed to be a little less overpowering. Thankfully, we’d ordered a few samples to compare, but in the end, we went with our trusty favourite. That was the moment we realised just how much we loved the Swan Neck profile — it simply had to go in every room.”
This project is a perfect example of why ordering samples is always worthwhile. Seeing different profiles in the space helped the homeowner confidently choose the right depth and design for their kitchen, ensuring the coving complemented the bespoke cooker hood without overwhelming the room.
Did coving help with the proportions or architectural balance of the room?
“The thing we loved most about the house when we first viewed it was the ceiling height. With 9ft ceilings and big open windows, we knew the space could handle bold design choices. It also meant creating clean, intentional lines was really important—and honestly, we don’t know how anyone lives without coving. It frames the ceiling beautifully and instantly makes the room feel complete.”
What inspired your design choices - period homes, Pinterest, magazines?
"Our design choices were mostly driven by wanting to restore period features to our Edwardian home. Sadly, many of the originals had been replaced with more modern alternatives over the years. We turned to Pinterest and Instagram for inspiration, along with the Plaster Ceiling Rose website. It’s so helpful seeing real installations in real homes. We absolutely love getting messages on Instagram asking where our coving is from, because we remember how valuable that kind of information was when we first started renovating.”
Other coving designs we recommend for kitchens that bring both architectural character and a refined finishing touch to the space:
- LPC017 - If you are looking for authentic Victorian cornice for a period property and your ceilings are high enough (9-10 ft plus).
- MPC064 - Egg and dart cornice can be used throughout the house in bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms, in all of which it adds an unmistakable style.
- MPC067 - This is one of our most versatile cornices, because of its ability not only to look good but to look in keeping with any property built in the last 250 years.