Modern crown molding can be traced to the late Renaissance, when designers adapted elements of Greek and Roman architecture to ornamental plaster and wood cornices used to disguise and beautify the juncture of ceiling and wall.

The cornice's curves, referred to by classical names such as scotia, cyma, and ovolo, add sculptural definition and visual interest to an otherwise characterless space. The molding used can be simple stock or elaborate pieces built up from separate lengths of various profiles.