Tips for Choosing the Right Baseboards for Your Home

When it comes to decorating a house, the devil’s in the details. The furniture sets the aesthetic of your home, and the paint job can be a hit or miss, but it’s the finer details that really give the place a unique look that people will remember.

These fine details can be anything from small decorative trinkets to your home’s finishing. One of those finer details is the baseboards you’ll be using in your home, which add both a personal touch and give your home a chic finish.

So, how can you choose the right baseboards for your home?

Consider the Household

Baseboards are elegant and add a delightful touch to any place, especially if it’s a usually duller part of the house like the kitchen. But you still need to think of your family before you go on and choose baseboards.

Do you have kids? Why is this an important question? Well, kids have toys and crayons, and baseboards are unfortunately within their reach. Needless to say, it’s a recipe for disaster.

If you have kids or are planning on having them anytime soon, you need to consider the color and the material of the baseboards. It can be very frustrating to buy luxurious baseboards only to have them ruined by your kid’s colorful masterpieces.

Additionally, pets should also be taken into account –– dogs and cats can scratch them easily. If you have children or pets, you might want to opt for simpler boards that can be replaced after a year or two rather than pricier models.

What Style Do You Want?

You have to consider the overall design and style of your home before you buy baseboards . It would be rather pointless to buy skirting boards if the architecture of your home doesn’t comply with the aesthetic.

There are plenty of design options when it comes to baseboards, and not all will work with the general layout of your place.

If you’re unsure of what kind of baseboard is right for your home and its needs, you should hire professionals to help you find the best type of baseboard that will compliment your home’s distinct style.

You will need to think for a while about what kind of style you’re going for with the baseboards. Do you want an eclectic design? Maybe you want something simpler with plain colors and a straightforward finish.

The colors and the material of the boards will depend on the style you want for your place as well as the current state of the house. Upgrading your current boards is a whole other ballgame compared to redoing them entirely.

If you’re just replacing them, you can bring in new boards of the same color shade and materials. If you’re redoing the baseboards in the house, however, you need to be mindful of the overall style.

For example, baseboard styles like torus and ogee are better suited for period homes as opposed to chamfered and bullnose skirting boards, which are best for modern homes.

An interior designer can help you figure these details out and they have an eye for detail that will help you find the best match.

The Materials

Materials of baseboards

The good news is there are several types of baseboards that you can choose from. The material will determine factors like the strength of the baseboard and its durability.

Each material has its pros and cons as well as certain finishes that may or may not work with your home. A popular choice is MDF sheets cut to size with the thickness of your choice. MDF is quite affordable and very easy to work with.

Even though it’s quite malleable, it’s best to let experts undergo the process so you don’t waste materials trying to cut them to the right size. MDF boards are smooth and are moisture resistant, not to mention their excellent durability.

Softwood baseboards, on the other hand, can be stained and sanded to give off a natural look if that’s the style you’re going for. Softwoods are cheap, and you can easily paint over them if you want to change the colors.

They come, however, in standard width and thickness. Hardwoods are heavier and more durable, and their finish is more aesthetically appealing than softwoods.

Hardwood boards work best for homes with oak décor, though they can be matched elsewhere.

Color

What color should you get your baseboards? A simple, yet elegant choice would be to pair the skirting with the walls or the furniture, but you can always mix things up and add a little personal flair.

A lot of people go with white baseboards since they go with most colors and styles. If you want, you can get baseboards in a different color than the walls and create a unique look for your rooms.

Some people get neutral baseboards and have them painted, which is common, but you’ll need to be mindful of your choice. At the end of the day, you control the color, so you can use neutral or vibrant colors.

Height

baseboard heights example

How high should your baseboards be? The last thing that you need is getting oversized baseboards or worse, shorter ones. Both will look extremely sloppy and will take away from the general appeal of your home.

The height of the baseboards is directly related to your household needs. Do you want skirting boards to protect your walls from the scratches and shoe marks of your large family? In that case, higher options are a smarter option.

The style of the house also makes a difference in the overall height. For example, older homes in Victorian or Georgian models have higher boards, while modern designs go with shorter baseboards.

Selecting baseboards is fun and exciting, but just like any choice in life; you shouldn’t rush into it. Try mockups of different combinations and see what works best for you.

This is one of the more interesting parts of home décor since it’s a fine detail that really ties everything together. Remember to consider your household needs and to select materials suited for your home, and don’t be shy to get creative with colors; after all, it’s your home.

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