Australia’s building sector is under pressure to reduce waste and speed up delivery without compromising finish quality. The Cornice Store (cornicestore.com.au), a Victorian cornice manufacturer, is introducing a recycled-content XPS (extruded polystyrene) cornice that delivers the traditional plaster look with modern sustainability and installation benefits.
“Lightweight cornice products have been in use across the world for many years, so it was surprising to learn that no such product exists in Australia, despite the ongoing demand for large-scale housing development and increasing build costs. By tapping into the circular economy and manufacturing our products from material that would have otherwise ended up in landfill, we’re solving a few different problems at once.”
Made from locally recycled and manufactured XPS, The Cornice Store’s profiles are lightweight, moisture-resistant, and paintable — designed for quick, clean installation with water-based or acrylic adhesives. Unlike plaster, XPS requires no cement mixing, is easy to cut with common tools, and can be installed by a single person, helping cut resourcing requirements.
“The first thing professionals generally notice is the lightweight nature of the material. If they’re used to working with plaster alternatives, it almost seems completely unviable in contrast — but once they start working through the objections in their head, it starts to make sense. Many plasterers and builders have walked out of the shop with their first order still somewhat sceptical, only to call back once the job is done to share their excitement at how easy it was to work with, and how well the installation turned out.”
Lightweight coving made from polystyrene is already established in other markets: Orac Decor in Europe, NMC’s NOMASTYL® range in the UK, and wide distribution through UK DIY chains like B&Q and Wickes. It is also the standard in South Africa, where there are multiple manufacturers supplying home developers and retail channels. This positions The Cornice Store’s offering as a proven concept adapted for local conditions with a recycled-content edge.
“The material we use to manufacture our cornice is made from up to 100% recycled EPS polystyrene, collected from communities across Australia by Styrocycle (styrocycle.com.au), and then processed into XPS boards for the Australian construction industry. We’ve chosen XPS as our base product because the finish is much smoother than that of EPS polystyrene cornice, and quality of finish is our priority in the Australian market.
The material is manufactured without the use of ozone-depleting substances, and while it contains a fire-retardant additive, it is free from the harmful chemical hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), a flame retardant commonly used in the past. The entire process — including all recycling processing and manufacturing — is managed onshore, minimising any shipping. Waste from the cornice manufacturing process is also returned for recycling, making the entire process virtually waste-free.”
Some plasterers prefer gypsum out of habit but site demos show the finish parity once painted, while real-world installs highlight faster handling and fixing due to the material’s low weight — a dynamic echoed in overseas markets where lightweight coving is stocked by major chains and specified by trades. Despite the practicality, cost benefits and popularity elsewhere, there is still a lot of education to be done in the local market to encourage greater comfort with the product.
“We had a customer who is an ex-tradesman, still employed in the building industry, walk into the store not expecting the cornice to be anything other than plaster. He was doing a renovation on his own home and had already placed the order, but I could tell by the look on his face that he was a bit puzzled. He called a week later to order enough for the rest of his house, and confessed that he’d walked out of the store that day thinking he’d made a silly mistake — but decided to give it a try. Once he’d actually put it up, he was raving about the result and telling everyone who would listen about it. His partner loved the look of the design and asked to do all the rooms with it.”
While The Cornice Store currently supplies the consumer and trade markets, the long-term focus is volume supply: consistent profile sizing, bulk packaging, and straightforward install SOPs make the product attractive for multi-dwelling and renovation programs. The team boast the capacity to manufacture in excess of 20,000 meter of cornice per month, with the ability to scale up very quickly if required.
“Cornice may be a tiny detail on a build plan, but it can make a tremendous difference to the aesthetic of a room. In a world where we’re mass-producing homes to meet ever-growing demand, we want to ensure we can add a bit of class to homes in a cost-effective way — and if we can do it while removing waste from the environment, all the better.”
About The Cornice Store
The Cornice Store manufactures lightweight, recycled-content XPS cornice for Australian interiors. The range is designed for fast installation, reduced waste, and a painted finish that matches the look of traditional plaster. Learn more at cornicestore.com.au.
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