Unless you've undergone a major remodel, chances are you've never given much thought to baseboards. Today, we're tackling baseboards: an often overlooked design detail that, as it turns out, plays a big role in protecting walls and making rooms feel polished. Fortunately, architect James Dixon (a member of the Remodelista Architect & Designer Directory, whose firm specializes in restoring Manhattan apartments and building country houses) is only too happy to keep exploring "the wonderful history of moldings" with us.
What are baseboards?
Baseboards are installed partly for aesthetic reasons: Just as crown molding hides the area where walls meet the ceiling, baseboards hide the joint where walls meet the floor, which might otherwise be unsightly. But baseboards also serve a very necessary function in protecting plaster walls from getting kicked or scuffed by shoes, boots, and vacuum attachments.
Should baseboards look like the other molding in the room?
Dixon says there are many arcane rules behind choosing and installing molding. In general, however, the design should tie in with the room's other trim. "All the trim should be part of the same family, with similar detail and proportions," he says. "While I love an 18-inch-high, elaborately carved baseboard, it won't feel right in a tiny room with a low ceiling."
Baseboard trim is usually much less ornate than crown molding, though in modern houses both can be starkly simple. Remember that more streamlined molding will collect less dust and dirt. And since baseboards are adjacent to the floor, you need to make sure the two materials work together in terms of color and texture.
Another indispensible part for your house except for the baseboard is door jamb. With the invention of the door came a new and beloved part of humanity – privacy. Though interaction is an essential part of every civilization, so too is the need for time alone, an area to call one's own. The door was the perfect way to ensure that was possible. However, a door cannot stand on its own. It requires support. That comes in the form of a door jamb. Often overlooked, ignored, or underappreciated, the door jamb plays a very important role in every home.
