How to Determine the Best Chair Rail Style for Your Home

Determining the right chair rail for your home can be a challenge. There are many different types of chair rails to choose from, and you must be careful to choose a chair rail that coordinates with the style of your home. Once you have determined your style, you can easily choose a chair rail that blends seamlessly with the rest of your home’s décor.

Step 1 - Determining Your Style

The first step to choosing the best chair rail style for your home, is determining the style you have or want to achieve. If you have a Victorian style home, a chair rail molding should portray a lot of detail and intricate carvings. If your home is traditional, you have many choices from simple to elaborate that will fit in well with your style.

On the other hand, if you have a craftsman style home, you will want to choose dental molding or straight lines to keep your home looking authentic. There are many choices out there for you, and taking the first step of determining your style will help you narrow down the selection that fits your needs and the design of your home.

Step 2 - Choosing the Right Wood

After determining the style you want to achieve with you chair rail, you will need to pick out the wood that best fits the style of your home. If you have determined that your home features a traditional style, you can choose from woods like oak or cherry to compliment your design. You also have the freedom to paint your chair rail cream, white, or a color complimentary to that of your home. With a craftsman style home, you will want to stick with darker woods like a deep cherry or an oak with a dark stain.

Step 3 - Choosing You Chair Rail

Once you have determined the style of your home and decided which type of wood you want, you can choose from a couple different rail styles. There is a molding profile with one single piece of wood; this is the most common style. You can also choose to combine two or more different moldings together to create what is known as a built-up profile.

At this point, you can choose to add wainscoting below your chair rail if you would like to add more character to your room. This addition would compliment traditional, country, or New England cottage styles best. If you choose to use a wainscoting with your chair rail, remember the wainscoting must be installed first. You will also need to make sure the chair rail you choose has a groove on the underneath side, so it can be installed seamlessly onto the wainscoting.

After evaluating your home and making a few simple decisions, you will be ready to install a beautiful chair rail that coordinates with the style of your home. You will be able to enjoy the beauty and functionality of this design choice for years to come.