In this blog we will run through what you need to consider when shopping for new baseboards. While some of these tips will only apply to those who are replacing existing baseboard, most of the content should help all homeowners make a baseboard selection they can be proud of for years to come. Because while baseboards may be the final design decision you make, believe us when we say your guests will notice them when you choose intentionally.
Style of Baseboard
When shopping for baseboard we always recommend looking at what style you want first. Now the style of the baseboard selected should be one that yes, matches with the rest of your home, or alternatively it aligns with it. But that doesn’t have to limit your style selection.
For example, if you are redoing your main floor and you’re not yet ready to tackle your upstairs level, don’t sweat it. Pick the baseboard style you want for the main floor and come back to us down the road when you’re ready to replace all your upstairs baseboard. We keep all the previous styles on hand at Riverside so that if we do something completely custom for a client they can always comeback and order more. Or even if you yourself have seen an image of baseboard that we have shared, you can choose to get the same exact baseboard down to every groove.
So, when you’re starting to make a style selection, approaching style can be started by determining which of the following you like more:
OR
If you want something like A but with a little more detail, then you’re leaning towards a modern style of baseboard. If you are thinking B is more ideal as it offers many ridges and more to be drawn to looking at, than going with a more traditional baseboard style may be the way you want to go.
We always recommend our clients shop through our readily available options on our website to see which style they want to go with, or visiting one of our social channels such as Pinterest to get more baseboard style inspiration.
Baseboard Height
Over the last decade the baseboard height standard has been getting taller and taller. This is fun to see as historically baseboard was taller before the late 80’sand early 90’s arrived, when everyone was choosing baseboard around 4” in height and these days we sell more baseboard that is in the 7” to 9” range!
Why taller baseboards? As our homes started to get bigger in square feet or sometimes just bigger in ceiling height, the baseboard height needed to remain aligned. Without having a tall enough baseboard in a home with 12-foot ceilings you could be making the ceiling look lower than it is. So, if you have good ceiling heights and you want to make sure it looks even better when you replace your baseboards, we say, go big or go home! If you’re looking for the exact height to go with, you can use the 7% rule – choose a height closest to 7% of the overall height of your room.
So, for a room that is 9ft in ceiling height (108 inches) you would use a baseboard height of roughly 7.56 inches or taller.
Painting Baseboards
When it comes to baseboard colour, the typical option these days is to paint it white. While white is a timeless choice that works in contrast with any wall and flooring colour, it should be noted that painting your baseboard white should match the white of the casing around the doors and windows, if that casing is also white. Typically, most people will choose an eggshell or semi-gloss finish even when the walls are more of a matte, but again this is always a homeowner’s choice to make!
If you’re also considering a trending black interior door and choosing to go with black casing around the door it is important to note that you can still choose white baseboards. See here a model home by Millstone Homes features white baseboard from Riverside with a black interior door and black casing also from Riverside. All of these pieces are painted on site after install and so it is important to note as a homeowner that you can choose whichever paint colours and finishes you desire.
Baseboard Colours
When it comes to colour, instead of white, you have the whole rainbow of options, but if you’re looking for something you don’t have to change with the seasons, were commend a neutral or wood colour choice is the timeless option. With some of our customers going outside of black and white for door options like the example below going with a neutral light gray for the doors, we still see white as the most common baseboard colour.
But if you’re feeling like leaning outside the norm you see in some of our inspiration and wanting to go towards a wood trim because part of your home already has this, here is some design inspiration to help you courtesy of Oak Olive Studios.
Or explore a variety of blues as shown by remodelaholic.com.
Above is a lighter blue with some hints of green, while below is a brighter blue.
If you think you know which direction you want to go in for your new baseboard now, or if you think you need to shop through some options in-person, contact us to visit one of our nearest showrooms. We can walk you through our best sellers and offer the best advice, so you end up with a home you love down to the details.