Baseboard Snob

Hi Christine,
         Right now my dining room is half wallpaper and paint as you can see. I want to really change it up. I Iove the wainscoting look, just don't know if it would work for me. The whole house has that same ugly trim. So if I change in one room I have to do it all. My other idea was just to paint the whole wall including chair rail the same color. What do you think of that idea?

- Amy

 

Hi Amy,

I hate telling people that the "HAVE TO" do some large project...  But, since you asked, I would say, "Yes.  You have to change the trim through the whole house." Do you have ANY room where that 2 1/2 inch oak trim looks terrific?  Of course you don't.  And that chair rail falls in the better to have nothing than that category.  Little dainty chair rails are a menace to our society and they should all be turned into kindling.  The only chair rails that improve the look of the space are beefy chair rails, like those in the pictures here.  I honestly feel like little ones should not even be manufactured. 

Don't be overwhelmed.  You don't have to do everything at once.  (unless you want to).  Make this room how you want it, (wonderful wainscotting) and then when you are up for a new house project, keep going with a much larger, nicer baseboard throughout. I previously called myself a chair rail snob, perhaps I am a baseboard snob as well.  What do you think? Is it just me, or is there any hope for short oak baseboards?  Should replacing your baseboards be on everyone's list that has similar ones?

Check out the photo below, where someone painted over the short oak baseboard and then added a half round to make it look higher.  Great idea!

Here's a post in 2008 that I did when I was going through the same process.  (btw- I went 9 1/2)

XOXO

Christine

Susan's Family Room

Hi Christine,

I have a question about how to determine the focal point in a room. I think the focal point in my family room is the window at the rear of the room.  However, with the furniture positioned for TV viewing, does the TV then become the focal point?  With the size of the sectional and the shape of the room, I’m not sure how to arrange the furnishings so the window becomes the focal point instead of the TV.  Is it bad design to have the TV as the focal point? Also, I know the room is in need of more color, texture and pattern but I’m not sure where to begin!  Currently, the only thing with color and pattern is the new rug which I bought to introduce a new color palette into the room.  I thought the rug would give me inspiration but it has only made me feel overwhelmed with choices.  Should I pick up on the blue in the rug  by adding throw pillows in shades of blue?  The floral chair needs to be reupholstered, the walls need a color that will coordinate with the colors of the rug and should I add window treatments or would they detract from the architectural element of the window? What colors and patterns would work? Also, I want to get rid of the piano (a freebie which no one plays and the color is not the best) and make a picture gallery display on that wall. I would also like to move one of the chairs to that wall along with a lamp and side table.   Am I headed in the right direction? Please help me “Christine-ize” my room!!

 

Thanks so much for your help!! 

- Susan

Hi Susan

#1-  Let's start with your focal point question.  Yes the window is the architectural focal point.  Sure- it could be a secondary focal point- but no- it is not the focal point.  So long as you have it as a TV room, and have your current sectional- it cannot be the focal point.  Ideally, yiou would have different furniture that could be arranged in such a way to open up that wall.   If I had a pretty window like that, I would not want to stick a big sectional in front of it.  So long as you have a TV, and the main purpose of the room is watching it, the TV wall is the focal point wall.  To learn how to make the TV wall a better designed wall, worthy of being the focal point, see this post.

#2.- This would be hard to say if you were my good friend, but since we don't know each other, I'll just throw it out there.  You made a poor choice on your rug.  Now, I hope you didn't spend thousands of dollars on it.  Maybe it can go in your bedroom.  Is it not a pretty rug?  Sure it is.  However, it is too formal a style for your furniture.  It is too formal for the carpet, and it is too small.  Find a new home for the rug in a different room, and start over.  Your rug should be large enough to encompass your furniture, laying under the furniture a bit.  You have a big room, you need a big rug.  You also need a more casual rug.  This rug from Homedecorators.com would go great with your oversized sectional. Can you see how the sectional is super casual, and the rug is super formal?

OK - now remove the chair rail.  Chair rails don't work well in rooms filled with furniture.  Keep them in dining rooms or hallways.  Instead, add some texture to your walls with a beautiful cream grasscloth wallpaper throughout.   

Replace your leather ottoman with a coffee table and two pouffes.  Put the table where the ottoman currently is, and add the pouffes on the other side of it.

The pouffes will add color and interest, additional seating or a foot rest.  They also fill the space, along with the coffee table, giving you a better scale relationship with the large sectional.

Your flowered chair is not one that I would reupholster. It would cost as much to reupholster as it would to replace, and the style is not that much of a keeper.   Select one with a pretty back, and a consistent level of formality as the sectional.  The chair below is from Palececk.

Speaking of scale, your wall decor needs to be much larger on the wall over your sectional.  I would add a large picture, like the New York one below from Uttermost,

and then also add a couple of sconces to either side.

Yes, your room can still can use drapes.  I would add two long panels,  hung on the outsides of the window.  Think of them as the wall decor for that wall.  I selected an off white, the same color as the grasscloth, so as to not have them stand out too much, but rather just add a soft texture.  I do that because of the sectional visually cutting them off.  A bold pattern could draw attention to that, making it feel awkward.  The drapes below are from Pottery Barn.

I put everything together for you below.  Can you see how selecting the wrong rug can be so frustrating, whereas, selecting the right rug can make everything come together easily?  Add some throw pillows to increase your pattern, as well as a patterned lumbar pillow on the chair.  If all of this is too contemporary for you, you could always keep the rug and lose the sectional.  ;-) 

Chair Rail Questions

Christine,

First, let me apologize for the horrific pun in the subject line. I ought to know better… but I don’t.

I’m redoing one of my upstairs rooms. I’m a composer and need a space to use as my studio. The only available room (sorry, no photo) is about 11’w x18’d x11’h (back side of the row home on Philadelphia). I’d like to turn this room into my studio. After I patch the drywall I’d like to install crown molding, chair rail, and base molding (the room, I think, is too small for wainscoting, unfortunately). I’ll have an upright piano in the room, a drafting desk next to it, a small computer desk, and a number of bookshelves. All of the furniture will appear to be old fashioned, maybe late 1800’s/early 1900’s – I’d give you a period but I’m better at music history than furniture. I’m looking at dark oak or cherry colors for the furniture.

This leaves me with two questions – is the room too small to use such a large amount of molding?  And – I’ve seen your photos on chair rail and other moldings; they are all white. I’ve been thinking of doing a natural/dark stain on the molding. Is this taboo?

Thank you so much for your help. Your website is quite well laid out and informative.

Thanks again,
Ben

(photo from home stories a to z)

Hi Ben,

Thanks for writing in.

1.  There is no such thing as too much molding.  (That's up there with a metabolism that is too fast, or a master closet that is too large.)   Have you ever actually seen a room and then thought, "Gee, I think there's too much molding in there?"  I haven't.  I would love a small bathroom with wainscoting to the ceiling.  Can a room be too dark in color?  Yes.  But it doesn't sound like you have that problem.  Would the room be too small for wainscoting?  No.  Definitely not if it were painted white.  Without pictures, it is hard for me to say with assurity that stained wainscoting would be a good solution.  But my gut says it would be great.  It might just require more attention to your lighting design for the room.

2.  If your furniture is mostly stained, I would paint the woodwork.  It would be much nicer to contrast with the furniture rather than blend in.  Also, I would have to say, that I simply prefer the look of painted chair rails compared to stained.  (Upgrading to wainscoting could change my opinion though; wainscoting looks great in a stain or painted finish.)  Whatever you do, keep all the molding the same.  Don't stain part and paint part.  That's like wearing Crocs with a dress.

3.  If you have a lot of furniture against the wall covering your chair rail, you might want to reconsider.  If I were your interior designer, I would draw elevation drawings of the walls showing the amount of chair rail that is exposed.  Areas where chair rails work best do NOT have a lot of furniture against the walls.  Wainscoting, again, is less of an issue with a lot of furniture against the walls. 

If you have read my previous posts on chair rails, you know how I feel about small chair rails...  and the height of your chair rail, so, I'll skip that part today. 

You know what would be easier and look even better?  Just forget the wainscotting or chair rail and wallpaper the room.  It would look really great with your antiques.

(photo from Design Sponge)

Lisa's Hallway Makeover

Christine,
I'm in need of your help. As you can tell by the pictures my front hallway, stairs and my hallway upstairs, are in need of a serious makeover! We do plan on putting a carpet runner down the stairs, they're a bit of a death trap. I do live in Ontario, Canada so mats are needed at the front. My main concerns are paint colour, seeing as how everything including the floor and doors are painted the same colour. It's my New Year's resolution to get this sorted out, we've lived in the house for 3 years and don't plan on moving anytime soon. Thanks for your time, looking forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
Lisa

Hi Lisa,
I see that your first concern is paint color- but as I have said many times- paint is the very last selection. So- I will not start there- and neither should you. ;)

Your bench is too large. Move it to a better location in your home. If you want a bench here- that's great- but I'd get a smaller one.

I would remove the chair rail. You have some terrific moldings - great size base and window trim- but the chair rail is first of all- installed too high, and secondly- too small. Look at the size of the chair rail next to the window trim- it is smaller than the window trim. (All of you should now be appalled- and gasping for air.)

Add some wallpaper. What a perfect place for wallpaper. You can add style and interest and personalization and color and pattern and texture- all with one selection. Wallpaper. I selected a toile for you- trying to find something that coordinated with your trim color. However- if changing the trim color is part of your plan- select whatever wallpaper you'd like to- than select paint colors from there. Get wallaper samples - make sure they match your trim color. Get a style that is consistent in color and style with the decorating in the rest of the home. You don't want to create a disconnect by falling in love with a contemporary paper if your home is decorated in a traditional style.

Your floor should be a different color than your trim. I would paint it a shade of brown- again- wallpaper selection first- then use the colors there to make the perfect paint selection.

I love your door panel style. I can tell that you have a charming older home. The new California tract homes that I live in don't begin to have such great style in their doors and knobs.

I liked this toile from York.
For your stairs- I would go with a sisal runner. Simple and classic- a bit more modern than the paper- keeping the look current and fresh- while at the same time traditional and charming. Remove your wall decor- add a cool mirror like the one from Uttermost at the top of the post. I don't have a great shot of your wall space in the hall itself- but if you have a good location- add a sconce or two. Can you see it? I can and it looks terrific. A true makeover for your hallway. If you don't want to do wallpaper- do it anyway- you will thank me later. ;)

Happy New Year everyone! Anyone else have home improvement New Year's Resolutions?

For more hallway posts click here.

Chair Rails and Shadow Box Colors

Hi Christine

On your website, you mention that the darker color should always be on top of a chair rail. But, many pictures on your and other websites show white at AND below the chair rail with a color on top. Typically the white below the chair rail has shadow boxes as well. Do you think white at and below the chair rail with a color on top works? We have golden brown hardwood floors in the dining room with a darker brown dining room set. I wanted to do Benjamin Moore antique white in a semi gloss at AND below the chair rail, with show boxes below the chair rail, Benjamin Moore atrium white on the molding around the archway to the living room and door opening (no door) to the kitchen, with a fairly dark blue (Benjamin Moore Blue Lapis (2067-40) eggshell on top of the chair rail. Do you think that would work? What should I paint the crown molding and ceiling in? The room is approx 12 x 13. The dark blue is the thing that I question the most.

Thank you for your time.
Mike

Dear Mike,

If I actually said that the darker color is supposed to be on top- please show me that post- I would not have meant to say that. To avoid confusion- I will try to be more clear- but the subject itself is somewhat confusing- so- follow along here.

1. When you have two colors below and above the chair rail- I would put the darker of the two below. Why? Yes- there is a reason. The darker shade is more visually heavy. It is subconsciously uncomfortable to be in a room that is a little top heavy. Having the heavier weight lower feels better- subconsciously.
2. When the area below the chair rail is a wainscot- the rules change. Your wainscot is part of your wood trim. In most cases- it is better for these to all be the same paint. Same paint on the window casings, door frames, baseboards, chair rail, picture frame mouldings, floor skirts, and wainscoting. (This is a most of the time rule- not an all the time rule). Frequently this color is white. White as a wainscoting below the chair rail and a color on top is perfect. Does that make the room visually uncomfortable because of the top heavy thing? No- because the visual weight of the mouldings is more than the darker color. However- sometimes- I think this is pushed a bit- when the top paint color is too dark- like in the photo above. I personally think the paint color is too dark here- and the room would be more comfortable with a lighter shade. I know the desired effect is drama- and perhaps with the right window treatments, and other furnishings- this might look amazing- but I will say that as is- it is a top heavy room.


3. If I were to do the shadow box- or picture frame moulding like you are describing- I personally- would paint it all like it was wainscoting. To me- that is what it is trying to be- and when it is all painted the same white- I think it looks the best. I would treat it like wainscoting. Paint it the same color as all other mouldings. For example- I do NOT like the photo above. I think it would look better to have it all white below the chair rail. Theoretically you shouldn't be able to really tell it is not a real wainscoting- and yet here they are drawing attention to it. I don't like it. It's like hanging a sign on your fake purse that says, "I am not really louis vuitton."

So there- is that clear- or still confusing?