When purchasing hardwood flooring, you may also want to know if a matching baseboard is available or if having a matching baseboard is a poor idea.
Well, if such is the case, you should be interested in answer to the question, should hardwood floors match baseboards?
In our opinion, your hardwood floor does not need to match your baseboards. However, there may be times matching baseboards and hardwood floors will be an appealing alternative.
So, understanding the visual effects of painted or stained baseboards will help you decide what is best for you.
Should Hardwood Floors Match Baseboards?
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Back to the million-dollar question, should hardwood floors match baseboards?
Well, if your baseboard matches the floor, it will blend in nicely and appear to be a cohesive part of the floor. This may appear to be a wonderful thing, but it can give the unnerving impression that your flooring is going up or is part of the wall.
At the same time, it creates the more enticing illusion of making your floor appear larger. You may achieve the look of painted and matched baseboard at the same time by utilizing painted baseboard with a quarter round trim at the base that matches the floor, though you may or may not enjoy having two trims that don’t match together.
Unless you often invite interior designers to your home, few of your guests will notice if your hardwood floor doesn’t need your baseboards as long as the different woods don’t intersect anyplace.
What illusion is created when your hardwood floor doesn’t match with your baseboards? A baseboard that contrasts with the hardwood floors has the effect of defining the architecture of a space, attracting attention to structure, and effectively outlining the area.
It also clearly defines the boundary between the wall and the floor, which you may find appealing. This offers a pleasing visual effect and is a safe design decision if you are unsure of what is ideal for your room.
Related: How long does it take to install hardwood floors
Should Baseboards Match your Walls?
If you paint the baseboard to match the walls, it will blend in with the walls. This might make the walls appear larger, which is a good thing in a tiny room.
It also blends the architectural aspects together more, which is useful if you want to attract attention away from something.
By limiting the number of colors on the wall color and the floor, you attract greater attention to both, highlighting the floor and making it appealing if you have a very nice hardwood floor.
Related: Can you paint or stain laminate flooring?
Should Baseboards Match your Trim?
If you have other natural wood trim in the room, such as window trim or chair molding, having the trim and baseboards match the floor can give the area a sense of consistency.
The stained wood elements will bind together and complement one another across a room. You may still have the appearance of the floor climbing up the walls, but it will appear as part of the overall design or décor of the room rather than as an aberration.
Read: How to install baseboard molding
Conclusion
In our opinion, baseboards that match the hardwood floor appear to be a wonderful thing in theory but might not be such a practical idea.
Matching baseboards and hardwood floors can give the unnerving illusion that your flooring is going up or is part of the wall.
So whenever the question comes to mind, should hardwood floors match baseboards? YOu already know the answer to that and the decision to make.
