It really is for aesthetic purposes. I think traditonally cornicing and skirts were used to cover any flaws in the plaster where the walls met the ceiling/floors. It can also give a roundness to the room and avoid shadows where the wall and ceiling meet. On the flip side, if painted white it can give the appearance of a bigger ceiling ceiling and therefore shorter walls. Nowadays a lot of contemporary homes do not have coving. I think it depends on what you like, personally I love it in the right space. What do you mean by low beams btw?

Hi George, What a great property, coming along nicely. I agree with sksj1 - it is not essential to have one now. I would go for the picture rail now and save until you can afford to have it done properly in the style that matches the space. You also then have time to shop around and get things in sales or if you are using an interior designer somewhere in the property, they would be able to sort something for you and use trade discounts etc. If you are set on one of the two choices you have shown above then the larger one will have more of an impact - the other one may get lost which might look odd with the taller and detailed skirting I see there. I hope this helps but if I can be have further assistance please do not hesitate to contact me. Regards, Gina

How faithful to the period are you hoping to keep your renovation? Many homes from this time would have only had coving in "the good room" and as such it would be totally in keeping to leave the other rooms without. If you do go ahead and install I would definitely go with your plan of keeping the design simple and without too many curves (curves would be more in keeping in a Victorian style home). Good luck!

We’ve recently had a French style curtain pole made for our room, albeit straight rather than on a bay. But worth talking to someone about options. The main thing for us was not wanting any support in the middle, and we have achieved that. We went to Smithy Ironworks and have a lovely black pole which doesn’t come too far out from the window frame. There are other places that make poles for bay windows. Just a thought, would go nicely with your fireplace.