Should i paint skirting boards

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For decades the classic colour for internal mouldings has been white, however, recently painting skirting boards a different colour has been on trend. In this article I will show you different ways to use colour on your skirting boards for different effects, and outline considerations for those who are pondering what colour to paint them. All colour schemes revolve around two primary principles: contrast and continuity. Your skirting board colour choice can be used to achieve either of these principles, but can also manipulate the perception of height in a room or help draw attention to other room features.

The balance you choose to strike between contrast and continuity will depend on what you want from your colour scheme. So first, you need to ask yourself some questions to inform some of the themes we will talk about further down:. You can view our range of styles in our skirting board section.

Colour schemes featuring deep, strong colours always stand out, whether the colour is used throughout the room, or just on a feature wall. However, a strong colour is often most effective when contrasted against a secondary colour. A secondary colour acts as a balance, and stop the primary, bold colour being too overbearing. White is a good primary or secondary colour to employ this technique with, and for this reason is why skirting boards are usually painted white.

White will complement almost any other colour in your room. This can be especially striking when used with darker colour schemes, and can both brighten a room, and lift the tone of a colour scheme, while providing contrast. I think the interior above does this very well. The white skirting in stark contrast against the blue wall colour, lifts what would other-wise be a dull scheme, but also gains continuity with the white pictures, light shades, throw and ceiling. Alternatively, you could fold up a piece of cardboard and tuck it underneath the skirting board and tape it down.

Use a sugar soap solution and a sponge to wipe down and clean your skirting boards. Sanding gives the paint a better surface to stick to and means applying fewer coats. Lightly sand the surface of the skirting board and wipe down the dust. Leave it to completely dry. How to paint skirting boards Once your skirting boards are dry, you need to prime the surface for a professional finish.

Start at the top of your skirting board. Position the brush at a 45 degree angle and paint from right to left starting in one corner of the room and working your way to the other.

Repeat the process on the bottom section of the skirting board, being careful not to drip any on the floor. Fill in the middle. The question whether you should paint your skirting boards often comes up in design discussions and there is no clear wining answer.

It is, after all, down to personal taste and the look and feel that you want to achieve in your personal space. Advocates of skirting board painting like Farrow and Ball's Creative Director Joa Studholme and Interior Designer Abigail Ahern are adamant that your space will be transformed when you move away from white gloss.

This article is sponsored by MDFSkirtingworld All views are my own Thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog and allow me to create fresh content monthly. If your home is newly built, you might be forgiven for hoping to add lots of character to it with moulding in most rooms and ornate skirting boards.

In many instances, this work has beautiful results as shown in image 1. On the other hand, why not embrace the fact that your home is contemporary and finish the rooms in minimalist square MDF skirting Image 2 that is easy to clean and looks great when combined with an off white or light grey wall.

If you are still undecided, paint brand Dulux advices that you should choose a crisp, pure white colour although, as a rule of thumb, your skirting boards should follow the same colour tone as your walls. Compare the different looks - a Victorian home entrance in similarly dark colours. One home has the skirting boards painted white, while the other has them painted dark. This is a trend that has been going strong for a few years now, mostly because more people than ever decorate their homes in an array of colours - especially dark colours - and share these on social.

Queen of dark interiors, Abigail Ahern has always advocated painted skirting boards, to draw attention away from them and make a wall feel taller by increasing the painted surface to beyond the space between skirting board and coving.