Not white skirting boards - stupid idea?

[SpecialFlowSnake]

My matte white skirting boards look like crap - they are magnetic to dust and cat hair and scuff marks - pretty sure that's the original paint from new (2003). I was struck by the brilliant idea to paint them grey!

Currently have light oak laminate floors that are staying and magnolia walls that are probably going to be a very pale grey soon. Or maybe hint of green. The doors are the same white and I don't want them grey.

Is this a bonkers idea? I will be selling in 5-8 years so I wouldn't want to be painting it again. Would you buy a house with darker skirting boards?

Also feel free to chime in on pale gray vs lightest green walls in my bright open plan home!

I like non white skirting / woodwork but I think if everything is pale grey it will look like undercoat. Especially if you leave the doors white. Wouldn’t put me off buying a house though.

Do as you please. Im not a fan of white skirting boards. Im the same with ceilings, my ceilings are same colour as the walls. Pale grey has had its day I think. But in any event I wouldn't be put off buying a house due to the owner's choice of colour scheme

My parents had grey skirting boards/door frames back in the 60s onwards, with pink and pale green walls. Iirc it looked fine.

Thanks, good point! I did mean more colour for the skirting boards, something like this screenshot?

I'm overwhelmed by the sheer volume of work this place needs. It was rented then empty for a couple of years.

In the 90’s I painted my skirting same colour as walls in eggshell they just blend in

Mine are stained dark wood (walnut type stain). I like them, and they don't show the dust 🙂.
I do like nice clean bright white ones as well though.

I love skirting boards painted in a dun colour like Farrow & Ball Mouse’s Back or Little Green’s Rolling Fog. Or a very dark gunmetal grey.

Stop being lazy, re paint them and if you’re selling in 5 years paint them again.

Sounds like the problem is the existing ones are matt. Possible new build undercoat / primer only? So they will be dust and mark magnets. Try painting them with glossy paint and see how that goes.

My glossy skirting boards do have a line of dust on the top, but it does just wipe off when I can be bothered.

I do like dark colours too with appropriate decor, but beware white dust!

I'm the same OP hate white gloss skirting boards and even Matt white we are in the process of stripping ours back to wood. I personally think it looks a lot nicer and as you said doesn't attract so much marks and dust.

I like this sort of thing where the skirting is darker than the walls and matches the doorframe. Don't think it would work if your walls are grey though

Thanks for calling me lazy Brumhilda! I'm single with 2 jobs, 2 cats and 3 kids, 90m commute plus the mortgage to keep up. I want to do this once and do it right.

Sincere appreciation for those who are offering helpful opinions.

Oooh You might be onto something with the primer only. I'll have a look.

I have this sort of thing (but grey doors too) going up my stairs. We have a green grey rather than plain grey. Really glad I did as it doesn’t show the dust, paint cracks and scuffs from the kids nearly as badly as the white did. Would recommend but personally I think you need the doors to match.

I saw a tiktok with Kelly Hoppen the designer and she was saying that all woodwork and coving should be the same colour as the walls and not picked out in white.

Don’t go too dark or they’ll show dust. My in-laws have olive green skirting and it looks nice. Doesn’t jump out at you as being different.

Ooh that example you showed with the dark skirting looks lovely, Op! Definitely don’t go with matt paint though, I made that mistake and yup they are dust / cat fur / dirt magnets 🤦‍♀️ The woodwork looked lovely when it was first done, all fresh and clean and modern, for about 2 hours..