The dimensions used to measure plaster coving and plaster cornice can sometimes cause confusion, especially when measuring plaster cornice or plaster coving that is already installed in a room.

The two main measurements are the cornices drop and projection, these can be explained as follows, if you take a piece of plaster cornice and hold it in position against your ceiling and wall, then draw a line on your ceiling and wall along the top and bottom edges of the plaster cornice. 

From these two lines measure the distance to the top of your wall where it meets the ceiling.

The projection is the distance from the line you have drawn on your ceiling to where the wall meets the ceiling

The drop is the measurement from the line you have drawn on the wall to where the wall meets the ceiling

The third measurement we use when measuring plaster coving and plaster cornice is the width, the measure this take the piece of plaster cornice or plaster coving you have been using and measure from the top edge to the bottom edge.

You can divide Plaster Cornice and Plaster Coving up into three categories when considering the drop and projection.

Firstly, those plaster cornices where the drop is smaller than the projection this is a classic Victorian cornice design and is often known as swan neck cornice and is instantly recognisable to many people, our designs LPC017 and MPC065, are Victorian cornice designs, which are still very popular today. These designs are plain and do not feature ornamentation such as acanthus leaves.

Secondly those plaster cornice designs where the drop and projection are roughly the same, such as LPC050 or MPC046, these again are plain designs with roughly as much of the plaster cornice coming down the wall as across the ceiling.

Thirdly those cornice designs where the drop is greater than the projection, there is more on the wall than the ceiling, these designs tend to be decorated and the pattern of leaves or flowers runs along the top of the wall, popular designs of this type MPC075 a dentil cornice and MPC074 a Victorian cornice design featuring acanthus leaves.