But in recent years, the chair rail, along with other traditional types of ornamental trim, such as wainscoting, tall baseboards, and crown molding, has surged back into homes as a design element. Chair rail molding is easy to install, and there are many styles to choose from.
This is a question I get a LOT, particularly with the 1990s homes and the old gals (referring to homes, not women). The chair rail was ONCE a sign of a fancy-schmancy home but nowadays, can just look dated in a home where the goal is to 'update and modernize'.
Studies have shown that installing moldings (like crown or chair rail) can have a positive impact on the selling price of a home.
If you have a chair rail or wainscoting and you want to paint the top and bottom of the walls different colors, it's best to use the darker color on the bottom portion and the lighter on top. The light color will dominate, and the dark color will have a grounding effect.
Like many creative pursuits, interior design has guidelines, but no hard and fast rules. The typical trend is to match your chair rail and baseboard colors, but playing with this trend the right way can also make a dramatic visual statement.
If you imagine the wall height divided vertically into three sections, the chair rail is best placed at the line between the bottom and middle thirds of the wall. For example, in a 10-foot-high room (120 inches), the chair rail can be placed 40 inches above the floor.
Chair rail creates a decorative element in a room, but it also acts as a protective barrier from wear and tear in high traffic areas or spaces where furniture is moved around often. This trim is commonly used in dining rooms, breakfast nooks, living rooms and foyers.
Crown molding has been around for centuries and it will continue to be a touch of elegance for centuries to come. It is not going out of style. However some people have a preference for it while others will never notice it until it's not there.
Chair rails would protect the walls from any moving furniture to prevent it from hitting against the wall. This is where the moulding got its name, since wall damage was typically caused by the back of a chair.
But just because wainscoting is no longer required to keep your home warm doesn't mean it's lost all its magic. With the right pairing, this once old-school element can feel surprisingly fresh and modern. Below, 25 wainscoting ideas that don't skimp on style.
Chair Rail Separating Multiple Wall Colors
It is best to paint the lighter or warmer color on the upper portion of the wall to create a more open feel to the room. The chair rail and other trim should be painted in a neutral or light complementary color.
In a traditional sense – no. Crown molding is not used as a chair rail. Crown molding is designed to cover imperfections where the walls of a room meet the ceiling. A chair rail, which sits much lower on the walls, typically has a much slimmer profile and doesn't extend as far from the wall as crown molding.
Nowadays, most people don't hang their furniture on the wall, but chair rails remain an excellent way to add character and interest to otherwise basic rooms.
Simply install a chair rail in the bedroom and you're on your way. Bedroom chair rail molding is inexpensive and easy to install, and provides an opportunity to introduce a second paint color, wallpaper, or beadboard above or below the molding, as these bedroom chair rail ideas demonstrate beautifully.
“About 28 to 32 inches is an optimum range for chair rail height,” says Hull. “Lower is always better than higher. For me, a good rule of thumb is to install chair rail molding at 25% of the height of the room.
Our designers expect wall treatments will continue to grow in popularity, such as beadboard (wood paneling with vertical lines instead of horizontal), picture molding, and shiplap plank styles. White on white, or tone on tone, for treatments and molding is on trend right now.
As far as I'm concerned, while things like herringbone floors, gently curved side splashes, and beadboard walls have never gone “out of style”, there's no denying that these old world-esque additions are hot in the design world right now, and for good reason.
Wainscotting is set to be a major interior design trend in 2022 according to experts, but it'll take on an updated feel. Alessandra Wood, vice president of style for Modsy, told Insider that the classic will come back as a way to upstyle cookie-cutter homes.
A dado rail, also known as a chair rail or surbase, is a type of moulding fixed horizontally to the wall around the perimeter of a room.
It's true that the average chair rail height will be around 32 inches. However, they can be positioned anywhere from 24 to 72 inches from the floor, depending on the height of the walls and the proportions you're hoping to achieve.
As a rule, chair rail should be applied one-third of the way up the wall from the floor. For a room with an 8-foot ceiling, installing the chair rail at around 32 inches is a safe bet.
Add Molding
Apply construction adhesive to the back of the piece of trim and fit it to the wall, overlapping the top of the paneling. Use a nail gun or hammer and nail set to attach the chair-rail molding over top of the wainscoting.
Apply Loctite® Power Grab® Molding & Paneling Adhesive to the back of the chair rail and press into place. Power Grab has Instant Grab™ so it will stick to the wall with minimal bracing, greatly simplifying the job.
Painting the wainscot in the same color as the walls tones down its inherent traditional feel and makes it more contemporary. Choose a color a few shades lighter or darker than the walls, or use the exact same shade to make the molding as subtle as possible.