Here’s everything you need to know on POP designs for your home’s interior design.
POP or Plaster of Paris has been for centuries now. It is a compound made from a powdered mineral called gypsum that was found abundantly around the city of Paris and hence the name. Artisans use POP to design statues, cornices, interior mouldings and more as it does not contract after drying. It is also inexpensive and easy to work with.
POP is popular in the world of medicine and most of us have seen it in the form of casts to hold in place a fractured bone or Ganesh Idols that are submerged during the Ganesh Chaturthi. POP has now found space of its own in the home interior industry with false ceiling designs, mouldings and more. They are cost-effective, lightweight, fire-resistant and can be moulded into intricate and ornate shapes/ designs.
POP Ceiling Designs
POP is the choice of material to design any type of false ceiling be it for a bedroom, living rooms, dining rooms or kitchen. They are lightweight and are ideal for ceilings as weight is a key consideration when it comes to design elements inbuilt into a home at such a height. The relative strength of POP to its weight is an advantage as it does not require major modification to the existing load-bearing characteristics of the walls, columns and beams.
POP can be moulded into fluid and organic shapes with relative ease. This allows you to experiment with complex shapes that overlap or delicate floral pieces like rosettes and crown mouldings that are elegant.
Some of the popular ceiling designs are
- Plain ones with recessed lighting at the edges and spotlights for a clean and minimal look
- False ceilings with cove lighting that is extremely popular among modern homeowners
- False ceilings with intricate geometric patterns custom-designed for each room
- Ceiling designs with CNC cut steel, aluminium, copper or bronze panels backed on frosted acrylic that lights up for a luxurious look
- False ceilings that use wooden rafters and woodwork elements with POP designs
All these ceiling designs are thanks to the versatility of POP that allows designers and homeowners to design and experiment limited only by their imagination.
POP Wall Moulding Designs In A Bedroom
POP is extensively used to add a bit of flair to boring walls and thereby gives them depth and character. There are a multitude of design options for 3D wall panelling made of POP for you to choose from. These panels are made in factories and come in standard sizes with patterns that can be repeated seamlessly. And since they are factory-made they have superior quality as compared to what’s made on-site by masons and are stronger thanks to the use of substrate materials like metal wire mesh or frames.
POP 3D panels are an ideal design choice for statement walls, for minimal or over the top designs or for fluid or flowing designs or if you are looking for something unique. These are best suited for foyer walls, the main wall of the living room, behind the TV unit, or as statement walls in the master bedroom. They can also be painted with a colour of your liking to match the aesthetics and theme of your interiors. POP is also used in wall mouldings, columns, rosettes, mandalas and skirting to give the space a European Classical look. Statues or figurines made of POP are also used to achieve his style of interiors.
POP In Pooja Rooms And Gardens
A pooja room is a place where the full potential of POP can be unleashed. POP can be moulded into many delicate and intricate traditional designs to enhance the design of your pooja room. Though many designers prefer to use marble, stone or CNC cut particleboards POP is a budget-friendly alternative that can actually give more detailed reliefs and designs, especially for large pooja rooms. Another area where POP décor elements are used widely are in both indoor and outdoor gardens. They are used extensively to build water fountains, lawn ornaments, statues and figurines
The Drawbacks Of Using POP
The versatility of POP may make it seem like a wonder material that has no disadvantages. However this is not the case. One of the biggest disadvantages of POP is its softness or lack of strength. It can easily chip and crack when light to moderate force is applied onto it. POP wall mouldings, cornices tend to break or chip easily if you are not careful when installing or moving heavy furniture like wardrobe, sofas and the like. This is the reason why POP is often limited to use in false ceilings out of reach of every day wear and tear. Having said that, it is easy to add strength to POP by using a stronger binder or additives that increase durability. You can also make any element designed/ built with POP by using wire mesh or steel rods as a substrate material to give it design rigidity at the cost of adding weight. A lot of these factors are primarily dependent on the skill levels of your labour working on it. Most often, POP is blended on-site during installation, leaving a lot of variables in the hands of humans that may lead to issues with quality. However, this is a minor problem that can be overcome by hiring an experienced interior design firm to undertake your home interior project.
POP is a wonder material that can do many things for your home. It can turn your dream home into a dream castle. But as with all things, there are caveats to keep in mind and when done right can help you run wild with your imagination.
Also Read:
- Plus And Minus Pop Design
- 2022 Home Design Trends
