How to Use Painted Baseboards in Home Decor

24th Oct 2023

One of the quickest ways to transform a room is to paint the baseboards with an accent color.

Before jumping into this fairly simple one-day project, it’s important to think of the different ways you can have your baseboard work for your room.

The color you choose could complement or contrast the color of the wall and other furniture in the room for maximum effect.

How Designers Use Baseboards in Home Decor

Conventionally, interior designers use baseboards to help frame a room and accent the clean lines of the corners and floors.

Baseboards can be used to help carry color themes throughout the house or can be left unpainted to let the natural hardwood moldings take the spotlight. For more flair, designers will often paint baseboards in either complementary or contrasting colors. Maximalist interior decorating uses baseboards to add another layer of texture and contrast to the room.

Complementary colors often help to soften corners and edges which can help a room feel larger. These colors are great for maintaining a subtle minimalist style that offers a little more depth than an all-white wall and baseboard style. Contrasting colors will have the opposite effect.

Contrasting painted baseboards will give the room and its floor edges a distinct sharply defined framing. This can help to give the space structure or even carry color themes throughout a home.

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Using Painted Baseboards to Blend Colors of A Room

If you don’t like the baseboards of a room but also don’t want to pay to have them removed and replaced, you can always paint them the same color as your wall. This will minimize the visibility of the baseboards and keep them as a minor note in the overall decor.

If you prefer not to match the painted baseboards to the wall, we recommend a close complementary color. The slight color contrast will help to accentuate the natural architectural lines of the room. This will also keep the baseboard style subtle while still helping the room’s base edges appear tied together.

Using Painted Baseboards to Stand Out

If you choose a strong contrast color for your baseboards you’re transforming them from a minor element of home decor to a major feature. Contrasting colors can strongly frame a room, or even add to the structural art.

If you choose a contrasting baseboard, you may want to carry that to other trim features like window sills and frames, or even the chair or crown molding. This makes the project a little lengthier but will give your contrasting color style the maximum effect.

It’s also important to note: if you’re going to sell your home in the future, contrasting baseboards can make the home a harder sell for potential buyers. You may need to paint them a more subdued color to appeal to the widest buyer’s market.

Make Painted Baseboards Work for Your Style

The most important thing is to remember you can always make your baseboards work for your style. Whether you need them to blend in or stand out, there’s a way to make these often-overlooked pieces of architecture work for you or your home’s style.

If you need help matching new molding to existing molding in your home, please don’t hesitate to contact our experts at Mouldings One.