From your pictures, I'm not sure if all these mouldings are in the same room or just throughout the house.

The base & shoe look to be a simple 1970's ranch style. The ceiling cove looks more modern, but it doesn't go with the beams or the painted paneling(?).

Just for reference, go to Metrie.com

They have online catalogs that picture the different types of mouldings of each style and how they are used in a room. This will give you an idea of what does & doesn't go together.

That doesn't really look like shiplap. I wonder if it is 4'x8' paneling popular in the 60s. It likely matched the ceiling beams but has been painted. Typically, base moldings aren't used with paneling. Hence, the shoe molding alone here. Where the walls are sheetrocksheet rock, the base moldings would preferably have been removed, and the floor planks installed almost to walls, then the base reinstalled on top. Eleminates the need for shoe moldings. If the flooring stops short of the baseboard, shoe molding will needed. You didn't show a photo of the squared-off mdf without shoe. I like the simplicity of the baseboards you have, especially for 8' ceiling height. Have you considered painting them white instead of replacing? You would definitely need to become best friends with a caulk gun (all seams and corners) before you paint. Are you planning DIY?

This is super helpful, thank you! So to clarify:

• Ceiling cove is only in the living room and dining room

• 4x8 paneling (I think youre right as it seems quite old and there are a lot of holes we need to patch in it) is only in one room, which we plan to use as an office. I think it does currently have just the shoe, so we would rip that out and reinstall.

• of the other two upstairs bedrooms, one has no ceiling trim, and the other has oak trim and exposed beams (see photo)

We did consider just painting the original oak baseboard, but its a little short (under 3” tall) and know it would take a bit of gruntwork to prime it so the grain doesnt show through. Seems almost easier to judt redo. We are having the original hardwood refinished, so would have that business also install the new baseboards

This is the white MDF baseboard where you can see the gapping

Thinking about this a bit more, I guess we could try painting the original baseboards and just replacing the low quality MDF with something that matches better?

Agree

That's interesting that they switched to the mdf. Hard to understand why. It might be worth trying to find a reasonable match to the existing. Yes, they definitely stopped short with the shoe molding. That mitered inner corner certainly makes it look like there was a plan to continue.

Not that it can be remedied now, but you can see how, if the flooring had been run closer to the wall and under the base, shoe molding would not be needed.

I am glad that you are outsourcing any potential base replacement if you're not experienced in that.

Wood floor with baseboard but no shoe molding.

If you pull the MDF baseboards it might damage the sheet rock. It can be repaired, but I did not know if you had thought of that. You could just add quart rounds to the MDF baseboards to cover up the space in the floor. Once they are puttied and painted the base board will look nice. You could buy a piece of quart round and test it out to see if you like the look.

I like the size of the oak molding you have for eight-foot ceiling, but since you have so much of the MDF base boards I would replace the oak with that. The professionals might have a different answer for you.

Would you say there is more mdf or more wooden baseboard throughout the house? The mdf can be easily removed by gently prying off with a small pry bar. You can see where the nails are located because a lot of them were not completely filled. Just be sure to cut any caulk line between the trim and the wall before starting to remove. Or if you have it done, emphasize that requirement. You would think an installer for a flooring company would know that. Ask me how I know!

Definitely more oak than MDF. And the MDF is 2.5-3” taller than the oak trim.

Someone did a poor incomplete job of updating portions of the home you bought.

Is the cove molding in your 3rd photo made of wood or a synthetic material? It is so smooth and very thin at the top that it looks like the latter.

Is the painted paneling in good shape? It can be prone to buckling at the seams as it ages.

Before you start changing baseboards or flooring… evaluate the floors, trim, walls and ceiling in all the rooms. It‘s best to make the changes you want all at once to update and have the rooms be cohesive.

Not sure what you want . You have some white base now so why not just get the same and add the shoe mold not 1/4 round but flatter shoe mold.

" That's interesting that they switched to the mdf. Hard to understand why. "

MDF is 1/3 the price of the pine. Your original trim is a 3/1/4 or 3 1/2" clam shell base in pine stained. The mdf is what is called sanitary base and looks to be 4 1/4". Cannot tell what the window and door casing is but it should be from the same family.

Here is a better visual of what it looks like side by side. What I am wondering is whether to:

1. Replace the MDF with wood baseboards that mirror the original

2. Rip out all the baseboards and replace with white

3. Wait until we can replace all baseboards and doors/door trim at once. but, I’m not sure whether white trim will look odd in the rooms with exposed beams

What is the profile of the window and door casing? Would you paint that? I would probably just the old base board to the MDF Painted and change doors and door trim at a later date.

"Let the floors be the star without competition from trim."

Except that I am looking at the same patten repeated three times in a row in just the short hallway. I would want the base trim to at least break up the starring at the floor and the repeats in pattern. Like said MDF Base throughout and painted.

Nice eye on the laminate pattern, @millworkman

OP your self-described "amateurs at best" may not be up for the trimwork. The deficiencies of the previous owner's DIY skills and choices may be compounded by the work you undertake, just sayin'. If you recently moved in, maybe a pause to evaluate whole home goals and a unified direction rather than piecemeal.