Remove a piece of both. Do the paint lines match up? When you pull off the taller one where does the wall paint end?

Agree - go with the 9”

How high is the ceiling and please tell me you are getting those textured walls smoothed .

Easiest is to ask an neighbor if they have original trim and see what their height is. How tall are your ceilings?

Sorry for your fire. Hope you are all safe.

Ceilings are 10 feet. I’ll ask the neighbor about the baseboard trim. Walls are plaster and will be demoed. Sheetrock will go in. Haven’t decided on a texture. It’s a lot to think about!

I think the 9" is more likely to be original. The 9" is a smoother and nicer grained wood, and I have seen that style of board many times in older homes around that era. The 5" trim looks like a more modern trim type, and you can see from the raised grain in the paint that it's more likely to be a softer/poorer quality wood more commonly found in modern trims.

Also, your floorboard width. And ceiling height. The 9" board is proportionate to both. The 5" looks undersized compared to the floorboard, and perhaps to the ceiling height if you had a photo far enough out to show it.

I'd say the smaller one has more layers of paint! :)

I have 8 foot ceilings and 9" base moldings, which are original to my 1920s Colonial Revival home. I'd rather go bigger than smaller.

Hi Sunny House!

I lived in a restired bungalow at one time and the moldings were quite sparse. Would recommend if you are adding ceiling moldings too, to go with the 5 inch — 9 inch molding in a bungalow might be — a bit much? If your decor is classic, then go for it!

Currently live in a Belle Epoch turn of century, 10 foot ceilings, all original molding definitely at 5 inches. Truly up to you ❤️