Coloured skirting boards and trim

[thenewaveragebear1983]

We are doing a home renovation and we will end up with a huge living room (3.5 m x 7.5 m approx.

the long side has doors to the garden (sliding upvc doors not bifolds) abc the internal long wall has sliding double doors, leading from what will become our dining room. We are having a large skylight. I’ve ordered a green sofa and I have a few pieces of mid century teak furniture; I envisage the end room to be bright, airy with lots of natural cream textiles, plants, natural wood, and I think (not certain) I’m erring towards a plaster pink/mink wall colour, and combined with a dark lavender grey, or a dark inky blue (but I think that’s a bit dated maybe?) on the walls. It’s an east facing room so while it will be bright, it won’t really be sunny, and I’ve researched colours quite a lot as I want warmth in there.

I am toying with doing a 2 colour effect at least in one end of the room, eg dark up to dado height and light above.

anyway…. I would love to do coloured skirting and trim. It would be around the double doors and the skirting.

are there any ‘rules’ for this, (like design rules)? Has anyone done it? Would a mocha coloured trim look really shit?

photos below taken from each end, and of the doors

I've only ever done white skirting, but no reason why you couldn't do colour. If it's bright it might pull your eyeline down to floor level, and look a bit obtrusive. Mocha might look grimy, you could try painting a spare piece of skirting to put against the wall to see what you think before committing to the whole room.

I think mocha might look beige and a bit grimy.

We've just moved house and the hall has white walls and light blue/grey skirting and trim. It's ok, not my taste but nicer than plain white gloss.

Other option could be to just have massive tall plain skirting and wood stain them dark wood?

@Greentree1 @ThorsBedazzler thanks. I dont think I can do stained wood, my wood furniture is teak and quite orangey so I think that needs to be my only wood in the room.

I really like the idea of coloured skirting but I am concerned it looks a bit gaudy if the colours are wrong. Grey could look good though if it was the right grey.

My SIL recently repainted her house. She got a 'colour consultant' to advise, and as well as picking out colours, she advised painting skirting to match. (It's what's 'in' now apparently!)

I think I still prefer white skirting but it does make everywhere seem 'even' and create a sense of space. It looks well, overall.

You've plenty of space as it is tho.

I suppose whatever your own preference is (not v helpful sorry!)

My skirting and architraves is Little Green "French Grey" and walls are either F&B strong while or RAL 9002. I do have a French Grey Dark feature wall in one room.
Flooring and doors oak.
Much prefer the muted wood to bright white wood.

We have resently renovated our whole house and the skirting boards in every room are the same colour as the walls. I really like it and think it gives a finished look.

i’m Not sure about the same as the walls all the way round , I have seen a lot of them on Pinterest type boards, but I do like the idea of a contrasting colour.

i found this colour that I like and wonder if this on the wall and darker shade on the skirting would look ok, possibly with my darker wall shade in the same as the dark skirting?

(I appreciate this is not what I suggested in my OP—- I cannot make my mind up and keep getting distracted by lovely rooms!) although I could bring in my dusky/plaster pink as well somewhere.

@willthatbeall the paint I posted seems to be quite similar to LG french grey. That could work then … 🤔

We did this in our last 2 houses - off white walls and green paintwork in the hall, stairs and landing. A soft blue in the main bedroom. Looked lovely.