Chair rails are horizontal moldings applied to walls designed to protect them from “irrationally exuberant” chairs on the move. Not surprisingly, they’re usually installed about 30 inches from the floor—the approximate height of most chair backs.
What is chair rail?
What is the chair rail paired with?
What Does Chair Rail Moulding Look Like?
Why do they put pegs in chair rails?
Where did chair rails originate?
Can you paint the top of a chair rail?
Is chair rail moulding a good addition to a home?
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What was the original purpose of chair rail?
Chair rail actually traces its origins to Ancient Roman and Greek architecture, used solely for visual aesthetic purposes to divide the wall into pleasing proportions. A chair rail's accompaniment, the wainscot, originated in the 16th century to keep out cold and damp weather.
Do people still use chair rail?
Chair Rails, Most Popular Before World War II Busch says chair rail was most popular in the decades leading up to World War II, but is still used in traditional homes today.
Is chair rail out of style?
Chair railing is still in style! Trim molding is seeing a major resurgence today. Introducing a wall covering above and below the chair rail can help modernize it,' says Jessica Davis, owner and principal designer of JL Design (opens in new tab).
What rooms do you put chair rails in?
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. Bedrooms, dens, playrooms, and offices are all great spaces for a chair rail.
Do chair rails add value?
Studies have shown that installing moldings (like crown or chair rail) can have a positive impact on the selling price of a home.
What's the difference between chair rail and wainscoting?
Wainscoting is paneling installed below chair rail moulding and covers the entirety of the lower portion of the wall. Chair rail moulding is a strip of moulding typically installed above wainscoting or by itself to protect walls from constantly shifting furniture (i.e., the backs of chairs).
What design trends are out for 2022?
Who wants to look like everybody else? In 2022, designers are ditching faux-distressed furniture, redoing kitchens to erase the all-white mode, and tossing boho chic throw pillows and wall hangings that are ubiquitous in the farmhouse trend.
Does the darker color go above or below the chair rail?
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.
When painting a room two colors which wall should be darker?
Paint walls opposite windows a cool, dark color to absorb light in too-bright rooms. If you want a brighter room, paint a dark color on the window wall with lighter colors opposite to reflect light back into the room.
Is a chair rail Modern?
It is a chic design feature in modern times, but historically, it was applied in dining rooms to protect plaster walls from being dinged by chairs – hence the name. Today, chair rail moulding has been freed from its functional use and is used decoratively in every room of the home.
Why is there a chair rail in bedroom?
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.
Do you put chair rail in bedrooms?
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.
Is crown molding Still in Style 2020?
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.
Does the darker color go above or below the chair rail?
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.
Does chair rail have to match baseboards?
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.
Does chair rail make a room smaller?
It should catch the eye and add dimension to the room, but it should not make the space seem smaller. Installing a chair railing too high will visually shrink the room, while installing it too short will make the walls appear unbalanced.
What is the purpose of a chair rail?
The real purpose of a chair rail is to add visually pleasing architectural interest to your room so the wall’s dimensions are what should guide the placement of the molding.
Why do you need a chair rail?
Although it’s pretty widely accepted that a chair rail was, at times, used to protect the wall from chair damage in cramped dining rooms (some say that Shaker chair rails were used to hang up dining chairs in order to sweep the floor. Handy!), letting your chair determine the height of your chair rail on your wall is akin to trying ...
When was the chair rail and bead board made?
Chair rail and bead board circa 1915 , Tampa Florida. Another important detail comes at the end of the rail. See above for an example of the proper way to finish the line. The horizontal chair rail should never interrupt or cross the vertical casing of a door (meant to mirror a classic column).
Why do we need chair rails?
Chair rail moldings installed along the walls first came into use as a buffer to prevent the backs of chairs from hitting delicate plaster walls in dining rooms, where chairs were constantly being moved back and forth around the table. As plaster walls turned into wallboard and formal dining rooms lost their popularity, so too did chair rails fade from prominence. 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.
What is a chair rail made of?
One of the most popular chair rail designs is to use it as a top finishing edge for a wainscot. Traditionally, wainscoting was made from wood panels set within moldings. But in the modern form, it often takes the form of "faux wainscoting," in which vertical lengths of molding are attached to the wall from the chair rail to the baseboard to create the look of panels.
How high should a chair rail be?
You can look at chair rail height from two perspectives: Height above the floor : In rooms with 8-foot-high ceilings, you can place chair railing between 30 and 48 inches above the floor. In most instances, though, a chair rail will be between 32 and 36 inches from floor level. Relative placement: Not all ceilings are 8 feet high;
How to protect dining room chairs from backs?
Of course, in rooms where the chair rail serves its classic function of protecting dining room walls, it should be installed where it will successfully protect the walls from being marred by the backs of dining room chairs. Measure the height of the chair backs and position the chair rail molding at this height. In almost all instances, this will fall into the classic zone for chair rails.
Can you DIY chair rail molding?
This is a project that provides a lot of satisfaction for a modest investment in time and materials. Even though chair rail molding can be fairly pricy stuff, you won't be using a lot of it. Even so, you don't want to waste any of this precious product by making mistakes with the installation.
Can a chair rail be used as a bumper?
In the past, when a chair rail was actually used as a bumper for chair backs, the answer would have been "as high as the backs of the chairs.". But chair rails are now used more as a design element than as a practical device for protecting walls. You can look at chair rail height from two perspectives:
Can you paint a chair rail before attaching it to the wall?
Consider painting your chair rail molding before attaching the pieces to the wall. This can be considerably easier than trying to paint a chair rail after it is attached.
Chair Rail Placement
To maximize the impact that chair rail will have on a room, it needs to be installed at the ideal height for that room. As with all things having to do with design, there are no hard and fast rules, but there are a few good guidelines.
Chair Rail and Wainscoting
Chair rail looks great as a stand-alone accent to a room. But, it also looks amazing when paired with wainscot. Wainscot is a type of decorative paneling that usually covers the lower third of a wall, giving it texture and durable dimension. The top and bottom edges of wainscot are blunt and so need to be finished.
Chair Rail Designs
Chair rail comes in a variety of styles, widths, and profiles. While selecting chair rail designs or styles is a matter of taste, there are a few guidelines to help make sure the railing accents and doesn’t overpower the room.
Installing Chair Rail
Chair rail is one of the easier home improvement accents to install. We’ve outlined the basic steps here, but you may also want to consult with a knowledgeable contractor to do the work for you.
1. Chair Rails for Stairwells
Speaking of chair rail ideas, I recommend trying this one. As the photo shows, the chair rail molding elevates the stairwell’s design.
2. Chair Rails for Dining Rooms
This is one of the remarkable chair rail pictures for sure. As I mentioned earlier, this type of molding is the hallmark of dining rooms. Because of it, the plaster walls don’t get damaged.
3. Chair Rail Paint Ideas
Initially, people used chair rail moldings in their dining areas. That’s why you should consider adding it to your culinary space too.
4. Chair Rail Ideas for Hallways
Talking about chair rail ideas, this one surely deserves a chance. Here, the homeowner matched the chair rail with the wall panel.
5. Wooden Chair Rail Ideas
Chair rail moldings are synonymous with dining rooms. If you plan to revamp yours, I strongly suggest trying this one.
6. Chair Rail Ideas for Traditional Dining Rooms
Many homeowners are searching for chair rail ideas. If you’re one of them, consider integrating them into your rooms. Here, the chair rail, wall panels, and moldings wear duck egg blue. Moreover, the shade carves a feeling of serenity.
7. Two-Tone Painting Ideas with Chair Rails
There are numerous modern chair rail ideas, but this one is worth borrowing. The crisp white chair rail makes the living area feel light. In addition, it keeps the whole interior airy and bright.
What is chair rail?
Despite its name, chair rail actually corresponds to the molding at the top of a column’s pedestal. Fig. 1. According to Abraham Swan, the Doric order didn’t even have a base because Vitruvius said: “This order is like a strong and robust man, such as Hercules, who was never represented but with his feet bare.”.
What is the best way to terminate a chair rail?
Installing a backband is sometimes the best solution for terminating deep chair rail profiles.
How high should I put a chair rail?
How high should we install chair rail? Ask most carpenters and they’ll either say 36 in., 32 in. or they’ll measure the back of a chair and tell you to lay it out so the chair won’t scar the wall. Well, I’m sorry to say, that unless your ceilings are 16-ft. tall, 36 in. is way too high for the chair rail; and letting the back of the chair set the chair rail height is like letting the size of a rug decide the size of a room. In most cases, it just doesn’t work!
How many moldings are needed for a chair rail?
Now let’s look at the three moldings that make up a traditional chair rail, and the sizes that Pain recommends for each one.
Is a chair rail too high or too low?
When it comes to chair rail, I always advise customers to err on the side of too low rather than too high. Installing the chair rail or wainscot too high (see photo, right) diminishes the size of a room, making it feel uncomfortably squat and stuffed, kind of how you feel after eating Thanksgiving dinner.
Can you back cut a chair rail?
Never back-cut the chair rail at door or window casings.
Is chair rail molding?
And because of its close proximity to us (chair rail is often the nearest horizontal molding we see) chair rail can do more to make a room feel right than either the baseboard or the crown.
What is chair rail?
Chair rail is very clean cut and streamlined for optimally straight proportions. Classic and sophisticated, these mouldings are found in most old-fashioned, century homes. They are commonly seen in dining rooms, living rooms, hallways, mudrooms and stairwells.
What is the chair rail paired with?
Chair rail is often paired with wainscot beneath it; paneling placed on the bottom exudes classicism.
What Does Chair Rail Moulding Look Like?
Chair rail is a trim usually made from wood and horizontally attached to a wall, wrapping around the entire perimeter of a room. It can be either painted or stained and finished. Typically, chair rail is between 2 – 3 inches thick, measured from top to bottom, making it one of the skinnier types of mouldings.
Why do they put pegs in chair rails?
This is where the moulding got its name, since wall damage was typically caused by the back of a chair. Shakers installed pegs into chair rail moulding to hang chairs so they could sweep and mop around the dining room.
Where did chair rails originate?
Chair rail actually traces its origins to Ancient Roman and Greek architecture, used solely for visual aesthetic purposes to divide the wall into pleasing proportions. A chair rail’s accompaniment, the wainscot, originated in the 16th century to keep out cold and damp weather.
Can you paint the top of a chair rail?
Another option is to paint or wallpaper the top and bottom of the walls the same color. This seamless, one color approach is more modern in taste. The chair rail moulding can be painted to match the walls, or stained to allow the natural wood to shine through.
Is chair rail moulding a good addition to a home?
Dainty and timeless, chair rail moulding is always a wonderful addition to the home. It will not overwhelm the room; if anything, it unifies the space. Chair rails are seen in both old and new homes. In this article, we are going to cover the basics of chair rails, including their history, what they look like, and how they are used today.
