Should we paint picture and dado rails white or same colour as the walls?

[KimaGreggsSausageRoll]

We have a large double reception room with double doors between the two rooms, and 11' ceilings with ornate cornicing. We also have dado and picture rails. The floors are dark wood.

We are planning to paint the skirtings, woodwork, ceilings, and area above the picture rails, white, and the walls a fairly sludgey grey (F&B Hardwick White).

My question is - do we paint the picture rails white too? And what about the dado rails? If yes to both, the dado rails will look like a sort of white stripe through the grey walls - will that look odd?

I thought we could do dado rails same colour as the walls, and picture rails white - but would that look odder?

For some reason I can't picture in my head what I should be doing with all these flippin bumpy bits everywhere lovely original features! Has anyone got any ideas/experience/similar?

I think all the woodwork and cornices needs to be the same colour - white or else stripped wood. I personally don't like gloss paint and would paint them a matt white.

And then, yes, paint your walls whatever you feel like and keep the ceiling white.

It will look lovely providing your furnishings are reasonably minimalistic restrained.

White! Looks classy. I can't see the point in a dado rail painted a colour the same as the walls - it would just be lost. A white 3d relief to the grey will look gorgeous unless the grey is quite dark.

I'd go for silk rather than matt because matt seems to show up marks more.

good quality white gloss.

very wipe clean. picture rails get very dusty and matt harder to shift marks from (if it reaches 'sticky dust' point) - dado rails get finger marks on.

i'd consider a different complimentary colour (not the same as walls)

but probably still go for white :) unless the actual wood is something special.

If you have a lot of cornices/dado rails/picture rails etc, you must have a very good vacuum cleaner with a good soft brush attachment in order to keep them dust free. It is sadly true that cornices etc collect dust like nobody's business.

A good microfibre "feather duster" on a long handle is good for day-to-day dusting too.

Thanks, so the consensus is picture rails and dado rails should be white. But I just can't picture in my head whether it will look odd with a white stripe (dado rail) going through the grey walls.

This is the colour I am planning for the walls, it looks darker on the sample area I've done on the wall than it does on my screen:

Hardwick White

And yes all these lovely period details are indeed a gorgeous dust trap!

I'd say white, but something like pointing. It will still look white, but be slightly softer than brilliant white.

Try F&B Lime White or Off White.

Thanks greyvix and fresh, my next question would of course have been what F&B should I used for the ceilings and woodwork

"what F&B white should I use for the ceilings and woodwork"