Chair Rail. Dated or awesome?

[Anonymous]

We're painting our library/den navy and are debating whether to take down the chair rail or leave it up. We have a traditional house and traditional style, but definitely not dated or granny like. Does chair rail cut a room in half or make it look shorter?

We aren't concerned about the amount of work (we already took it down to take off the wallpaper off the walls), just about the final appearance.

Would you take it down or leave it up?

[Anonymous]

I personally love chair rail. I think it adds detail to an otherwise ordinary room. I have it in my dining room.

[Anonymous]

We have a traditional house and style too, and we took ours out. I like wainscoting, fully paneled, or bare.

[Anonymous]

Chair rail is perhaps the most important moulding in a room. The trick: not higher than 1/3 of the ceiling height, and lower if possible. 36" hight chair rail is a mistake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chair rail is perhaps the most important moulding in a room. The trick: not higher than 1/3 of the ceiling height, and lower if possible. 36" hight chair rail is a mistake.

What is important about having a chair rail?

[Anonymous]

I would keep it, but please don't two-tone the paint (eg beige above, maroon below). That is very dated. I also agree with the PP who mentioned wainscoting. Like that a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would keep it, but please don't two-tone the paint (eg beige above, maroon below). That is very dated. I also agree with the PP who mentioned wainscoting. Like that a lot.

So are chair rails.

[Anonymous]

Our new construction has chair rail through out the entire first floor. What's the alternative ?Nothing? Builders would love it cause it's much less work. Add that on to hardi plank instead of brick or stone for trends that save builder's money but not he buyer.

[Anonymous]

We have a chair rail in our dining room only and I love it. And we got two tone paint and it looks awesome. It's monochromatic though, so lighter on top, darker on the bottom.

[Anonymous]

Get rid of the chair rail unless you are living in some sort of historic home to which it was original.

Two tone above and below - NO.

[Anonymous]

Paint it navy like the walls. then it's a nice accent.

Although we had a room with a navy bottom and white chair rail and top and it looked great. What you don't want is a white chair rail between two different colors of paint.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chair rail is perhaps the most important moulding in a room. The trick: not higher than 1/3 of the ceiling height, and lower if possible. 36" hight chair rail is a mistake.

What is important about having a chair rail?

I didn't mean to say that it's important to have them -- as with any decorative item, any moulding (except window and door casement -- is pretty much optional. I meant that, from a purely decorative viewpoint, chair rail is more important than other types of moulding, since it's immediately more visible.

Put it should be used (as any elaborate moulding) where it is architecturally adequate, and not over used.