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baseboard proportions

Vertise
12 years ago

Is there anyone out there with knowledge of molding styles and proportions? Will these two selections work well together size and style?

I've got 2 1/4 inch colonial window and door casing installed like this and am putting in wider baseboards. I've always liked the baseboard below which is 5 1/4 inches. It will have 3/4" shoe molding. Ceilings are 8 feet.

Does anyone have this combination? Do you have any pictures?

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Comments (5)

  • sombreuil_mongrel
    12 years ago

    2 1/4" casing goes with 3 1/4" baseboard. Scale them both up together.
    Casey

  • karinl
    12 years ago

    For professionals there is a "right" way and a "wrong" way but homeowners do have the freedom to do things differently (I'm the latter). In this case I actually didn't know there was a rule about what goes with what; I do it by eye and by preference (and sometimes by what I've got in the basement :-)).

    Our original house casings are 4 3/4" with baseboards that are 7 1/2" in case that is of any help for choosing proportional relationships. Also, in most settings I would find 3 1/4" baseboard to look skimpy no matter what casing it was paired with!

    Karin L

  • Vertise
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I think the 2-1/4 does look a bit skimpy at least from what we're accustomed to seeing in the States. But there are pictures of beautiful rooms out there that do show thin casing and high baseboards.

    I still think the 2-1/2" looks more balanced but have all this 2-1/4 already in place on the lower level. I've been thinking of doing the upstairs in 2-1/2 (those doors are not done yet). Then for the downstairs, widen the door casings but leave the windows as they are at 2-1/4. There's a header and sill on those, so changing to 2-1/2 would be tight. One window is tall and narrow, the casing has always looked a bit thin. The other looks fine to me.

    There are a few non-prominent doors that would be tight with the 2-1/2 and probably look bulky. I thought I'd keep or do them in the 2-1/4. My bedroom closet is only 24 inches so wouldn't 2-1/4 look better? I have read more prominent doorways can be done wider for emphasis.

    The other thing is that the 2-1/4 has a beaded edge. The 2-1/2 has what I believe is the ogee edge. Do you think that makes a difference? They seem to read about the same just one a bit wider.

    So it would basically be 2-1/4 windows, beaded edge. 2-1/2 for prominent doors, ogee edge. Some other doors in the 2-1/4 beaded.

    Do houses sometimes mix their moldings if needed? Such as for a smaller door?

  • millworkman
    12 years ago

    Personally I prefer the 2 1/2" over the 2 1/4" Colonial Casing as the 2 1/2" looks better in proportion on doors. That being said there are no hard and fast rules on baseboard size. No reason you cannot use that 5 1/4" Neck or Band base with 2 1/4" Casing. It is normally seen however with the 3 1/2" Colonial Casing or even the 4 1/4" width casing.

  • Vertise
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks to all for the input.

    I agree that 1/4 inch somehow makes a difference. The lines on that size are also a little more spread out and refined looking. Wish I had known. I'm going to switch to that upstairs and swap out the more prominent doors downstairs since there are only three.

    Guessed the 3 1/2 might be for this board but it would be too large in my house. In some areas there wouldn't even be enough room for them. There are also some door groupings that would get overwhelmed. It is around the front door for emphasis and looks too large for some reason. Maybe the wide baseboard will change that perception.

    Now I'm wondering if that baseboard I'm looking at is formal? Could this work in any setting? I like the curves and its softness.

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