1st June 2023 INTERIOR STYLE When selecting your skirting board and architraves first you have to determine what is the interior style of the house, or what style you are looking to create. This will determine the profiles of the board you choose. How to choose skirting boards There are some basic rules when choosing your boards, although they are not hard and fast, they give you a good guide on what works best. Choosing a skirting boards based on your ceiling height is a good starting point. Ceiling Height Skirting Height Architrave Width 2400 – 2500mm 135mm 90mm 2501 – 2700mm 185mm 90mm 2701 – 3000mm 230mm 115mm > 3001mm 285mm 115mm Think about what you are looking to achieve. Do you want drama, a cosy space, or to open your room out? How prominent do you want your skirting to be, and will you have them as a stand-out piece of architectural art, or do you want them just to enhance the look of your room? Skirtings based on the size of the room The first proportion to consider is the height of your ceiling, and then decide what you want to achieve with the space. It is a myth that you should only use large skirting in large rooms with high ceilings and smaller skirting in small rooms. Large skirting will indeed fill a room and make it feel smaller, but if you want to create a cosy space, then this is something you can experiment with. Using smaller mouldings on a high ceiling will create the illusion of height, making the room feel taller. Large skirting for a bigger space Skirting for small space Practical use of space Is your home high traffic? Do you have kids and animals running and playing inside? If so, you may wish to consider a high skirting board to provide better protection for your walls, especially if you’re using wallpaper or a bold colour where chips and marks will be more noticeable. We consider a larger skirting to be 185mm and larger. 185mm suits most houses and spaces. A more busy profile will suit a room with more space available and if you’re using that size in a smaller space you don’t want to close in too much, we would recommend a profile design that itself has more breathing space, and may have some elaborate detailing on the top portion, and have 50% or more flat space on the profile. Skirting for bold colour wall Large skirting for a busy space Considering your colour scheme Another decision you will need to consider is whether to paint your skirting boards and architraves white, opt for a neutral colour, stain natural timber, or choose a bold colour. Most people choose to paint them in whites and neutrals, which creates a more spacious feel. However, if you want something on trend and a little different, you can try some bold colours. This can close the space, but adding colour in other areas of the room can help create the illusion of a different space. For instance, you could paint your skirting boards and the bottom half of your wall up to and including a chair rail, mounted below the halfway point on the wall, to create the illusion of a higher ceiling. You may also want to try painting all of your skirting boards, architraves and walls in one colour to help the eye pass over the whole room and not be distracted by changes in colour. This can be excellent if you have something else you would like to draw the eye to and feature in the room, like artwork or mounted sculptures. White skirting on beige wall White skirting on grey wall How to choose architraves for your skirting boards If you have already selected your skirting and are looking for the architrave to match it, we usually suggest using the same profile design in a smaller size to provide a consistent style, scale, and balance. However, in some cases, if the skirting has a large area of detailing it may not be available in the smaller size for your desired architrave size. In such cases, we suggest you go for a similar profile, which would be a different profile code. So, if you ask if the skirtings and architraves have to match, then yes, they should match; however, matching is more relevant to proportional sizes rather than design. And if using the exact same profile is not possible, you can choose a different profile with similar details. Discover a suitable architrave and skirting combination When considering what works well with your skirting board size, we recommend: Skirtings Architrave 135 – 185mm 90mm 23 – 2850mm 115mm 230mm+ 115mm+ The most common size combinations sold are: 135mm skirting with 90mm architrave 185mm skirting with 90mm architrave How to go about matching skirting and architrave If you choose to go with a different profile for architrave, there are a few things to remember: You will need to make sure that the skirting board and architrave you choose are the same thickness. If the two profiles you have chosen are significantly different in appearance and design, you may need to use a skirting block to prevent the area where they meet from appearing messy or too busy. Try to stick with profiles that have similar features, i.e., both with bold curves or both with steps and sharp lines. Don’t try and mix profiles that are worlds apart in look. Here are some of our recommended profile combinations if you’re looking to experiment. Clever use of skirting blocks to support your design A skirting block is an excellent choice if you are using different profiles, thicknesses, or heights for your skirting and architraves, as it seamlessly allows the two profiles to blend in, preventing them from looking out of place or odd when placed next to each other. You can use the below skirting block size guide for reference with your design. Skirting Block Size Guide Skirting Height Architrave Width Skirting Block Size (hxw) 90mm 66mm 100x70mm 115mm 66mm 125x70mm 115mm 90mm 125x95mm 135mm 66mm 150x70mm 135mm 90mm 150x95mm 135mm 115mm 150x120mm 185mm 90mm 200x95mm 185mm 115mm 200x120mm 185mm 135mm 200x140mm 230mm 90mm 250x95mm 230mm 115mm 250x120mm 230mm 135mm 250x140mm You can find more information on matching skirting boards & architraves here. Stylish architraves and skirting ideas to elevate your interiors When selecting your skirting board and architraves, first determine the interior style of the house or the style you are looking to create. This will determine the profiles of the board you choose. Hamptons: Bigger is better Hamptons Skirtings Hamptons Skirtings with Wainscoting Traditional Hamptons use high, thick skirting boards with big, rounded profile features. This not only creates a standout look, but helps the skirting hold its own against elaborate wall wainscoting. A more coastal or modern take on Hamptons skirting is still to have a tall skirting with a simpler design. French: More is more French Provincial Skirting French Provincial Curved Skirting The French Provincial style is admired for its symmetrical design, classic proportions and decorative elements. Skirting boards are a key feature in French-style homes and are ornate and decoratively detailed. Victorian/Georgian: More of everything Victorian skirtings Victorian/Georgian skirtings Victorian/Georgian interiors mantra is ‘more of everything.’. Highly detailed dado rail, wall panelling & highly decorated skirting board profiles, which are balanced and elegant, will help you achieve this beautiful look. Modern/Contemporary/Art Deco: Keep it simple Shadowline Skirting Modern Skirtings Interior mouldings in modern homes are most popularly chosen as a minimal shadowline skirting or a smaller profile with sharp, hard lines. We have seen an emergence of the use of high but thin skirting boards with simple designs with large flat space. Don’t be afraid to experiment with size; as long as you keep it simple, you can’t go wrong. Farmhouse/Country: Close to nature Country style skirtings Farmhouse style skirtings Farmhouse/Country style houses are generally cosy and relaxed. This look can be achieved using large skirtings to give a touch of warmth and cosiness to the space. Quality architraves and skirting boards delivered to your door The Intrim range of architraves and skirting boards is extensive and covers myriad interior design projects. We deliver across Australia! Order online today to begin your next creative project, or you can book a mouldings consult for expert support.
