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jess_mao

Help please!

12 years ago
I recently bought a house but the previous owners had installed wooden crown moulding but left the baseboards white. The baseboards are the traditional cheap 1.5 inch baseboards, not the more modern ~3 in baseboards. My husband and I have more modern tastes so I kind of want to paint the moulding white, but we have wooden blinds and the banister on the stairs are wooden with iron spindles. Do I install matching wooden baseboards or paint them white? Also, the previous owners put tile throughout the house, minus the bedrooms. We're on a budget since we bought the house and have a baby on the way, but it's driving us nuts!

Comments (13)

  • PRO
    12 years ago
    since the ceilings are varied angles, you should paint them the same color as the walls and let them disappear. Large rugs will take care of the tile until you can replace with what you like.
  • 12 years ago
    Marino Homebuilders has a good point with the various angles of the ceilings. White moulding may still give that boxy look - go with painting them the same color as the walls, like they suggested.
  • 12 years ago
    What would you like to say?

    I agree with the previous poster. Replacing them would require wall and ceiling repair and would more costly. You can always replace all moldings in the future as the budget allows.
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    With the angles of the ceiling the crown moulding is the first thing you notice in the room, I would tear them down if possible and if not I would paint them the color of the ceiling.
  • 12 years ago
    I like having moulding but just don't know whether to get matching wooden baseboards or paint them white to match the white baseboards.
    This room is the only one with odd angles, so I don't think I want to match the moulding to the paint color. Would it be weird painting the moulding white, even though my banisters are wood?
  • 12 years ago
    I think it wouldn't be weird at all. I love the stairs, let them be their own centerpiece. There's no law that says it all has to match - at least I don't think there is, LOL! But having wood moulding and baseboards would really look boxy.
  • 12 years ago
    last modified: 12 years ago
    Crown molding was not a good choice for this unusually configured room. I'd absolutely 100% tear down all that molding, patch, and paint for a mode modern and less busy look.

    If you can't tear them down for some reason, then paint them to match the walls and ceiling.
  • 12 years ago
    I took the crown down in the house I did for a client you. They too wanted a more modern look. I also painted all the oak trim white....big difference. You can see the before and after pictures here on Houzz at Joan Gilbert Designs. I'll also try attaching some.
  • 12 years ago
    last modified: 12 years ago
    Paint your crown and trim to match your ceilings, shade of white!!!! Keeping the wood blinds a wood color is not a problem, The wood becomes an accent. Right now the blinds draw attention to the crown because they are the same color.
  • 12 years ago
    We stayed with the wood banister and railings, works great with the white trim.
  • 12 years ago
    last modified: 12 years ago
    HI -- I think the crown molding should be removed if you like things more modern, it just doesn't look proper in that first photo with all the angles . Also a modern look is for no base boards or just a plain flat base board painted the same as the walls . I would plan for changing the stair rails and so on for the modern glass treatments.
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    Consider removing the ceiling molding because it competes with what can be clean contemporary lines of the room. Also removing the door casing would be consistent with the other larger entry ways ( as well as the windows) throughout your house. Then one neutral color can be applied to walls and ceiling to complement art, furnishings and floor covering.