Do Chair Rails & Baseboards Have to Match?

Matching Colors

• It's common to match the color of the chair rail to the color of the baseboards, but this matching of color usually extends to all of the trimming in the house -- including casings and crown moulding. This brings a cohesive look to the home. When the walls and ceiling are painted a different color -- usually a complementary shade or one slightly darker or lighter -- the matching chair rail and baseboards, along with the other trimming, act as a frame and make the walls really stand out.

Matching Styles

• It's less common to match moulding styles than it is to match colors. Often, chair rails are much more elaborate than baseboards. This is simply because chair rails are more decorative and are closer to eye level. Even if you do match the color of your chair rail to your baseboard, you probably are less likely to match the style. In fact, it is more common for the style of baseboards to match the style of the casing, or trim, around windows and doors than to match the style of the chair rail.

Wainscoting

• Wainscoting is one situation that mandates matching of the baseboards and chair rails, at least in color. Wainscoting is a type of paneling that covers the area between the chair rails and baseboards. Matching the chair rails and baseboards to the paneling and to each other ensures that the space looks pulled together and properly finished.

Other Considerations

• The focal point of the room can determine whether you need to match the chair rails and baseboards. Sometimes, chair rails are used to draw attention to a distinctive feature of the room. If you have an elaborate, black-marbled fireplace, for example, you might use black chair rails to encircle the room and draw attention to the fireplace. In that case, it's best if the baseboards visually disappear into the wall. On the other hand, if you want to show off beautiful, hand-painted wallpaper -- perhaps wallpaper that is installed below the chair rails and above the baseboards -- you likely will want the moulding to match, as it then effectively will frame and draw attention to the wallpaper.