How do you make a room look bigger with dado rail?

You can paint the skirting board, dado and dado rail the same colour, but use a different colour or wallpaper above the rail. If you choose a lighter colour for the dado, it will ground the room and make the room feel bigger .

How do you make a dado rail look good?

By placing the rail approximately one-third of the way up the wall , it elongates the walls and makes the ceiling appear higher. Painting the area above the dado rail the same colour as the ceiling can enhance the sense of spaciousness. Light and bright colours are particularly effective in achieving this effect.

How do you paint a room with a dado rail?

It is common to see dado rails painted white, this draws focus to the cutting line around the room. If this is not intentional, painting the dado the same colour, or similar tone to the wall will make it blend in . A darker paint used in the area below the dado rail will ground the wall.

What pattern makes a room look bigger?

Stripes can work wonders! The same rule applies to interiors as it does in fashion. Thin stripes give the appearance of stretching, vertical stripes will make a room appear taller and horizontal stripes will make a room look wider.

How do you arrange your room to make it look bigger?

Some expert tips to make a room look bigger include using lighter paint colors, hanging curtains at ceiling height, incorporating large mirrors, using multi-functional furniture, and utilizing wall space for storage .

What is the trend in hallway decor in 2023?

Consider bright and airy shades for hallways with minimal natural light — think Alabaster and Blue Angel by Benjamin Moore. Decorating with metallic accents, like a gold mirror, and colorful wall art can also boost light-starved spaces.

How do you decorate a hallway with a dado rail?

"To decorate your hall and staircase, choose lincrusta or anaglypta relief wallpaper for below the dado rail, then paint it in a mid to dark shade complemented by a lighter paint shade or wallpaper above the dado rail .

What is the best color for dado rail?

Dado Rails A white dado looks clean and classic, whether it's breaking up a single wall colour or drawing a neat line between paint and wallpaper. Meanwhile, painting your dado the same colour as the wall – as in this all-Vardo living room – creates a strong contemporary look.

What is the point of a dado rail?

The dado rail, also referred to as a chair rail, protected the wall in areas that would be of high traffic and have people passing or furniture touching the wall . The protection of walls was clearly very important within historical interiors.

Do dado rails make room look smaller?

If you happen to live in a period home then think about highlighting some of its architectural features, such as the dado rail (also known as chair rail). It's a great way to create a more spacious feel with just two colours. Try painting the bottom half of the wall with darker shades to anchor the room.

Does chair rail make a room look bigger or smaller?

The chair rail could be higher in rooms with higher ceilings but not higher than 48 inches. It should catch the eye and add dimension to the room, but it should not make the space seem smaller .

Should the darker color be above or below the dado rail?

If a small room features a dado rail, use a strong colour below the rail and the lighter colour above . This gives the impression of the room 'opening out' and appearing larger than it is. If the stronger colour is used on the top area it can feel as if the walls are closing in on you.

Should the color be lighter or darker above dado rail?

Dado rails also present a great opportunity for tricking the eye. In this home office, India Yellow stops just short of the rail, giving the illusion of more wall, and more space above it. For the opposite effect, bring your darker base colour higher .

Dado Rail Ideas: How to Use This Detail to Transform a Room (2024)

The right dado rail ideas have the potential to take a room from being a bland and uninspiring space to one that is packed with character and charm.

Much like other mouldings and skirting boards, dado rails came into being through a practical need, in this case to protect walls and wall coverings from damage. However, they quickly became a design feature and can be used in all kinds of homes —not just those with period features already in place.

Dado rails have been a fashionable home detail since the 18th century and, although their popularity has wavered a little over the years, they are currently enjoying huge popularity. Alongside painting skirting boards, painting dado rails in a bold colour to complement walls has been one trend of late.

Here, we have brought together some of the best dado rail ideas around, to ensure that no matter what style of room you are working with, there will be something to suit you.

Which Dado Rail Ideas Are Right For Me?

Despite their very traditional roots, dado rails these days come in all kinds of designs meaning they are no longer the reserve of period properties —with the right treatment, this type of moulding can be used in even highly contemporary homes.

If you live in a period house that is missing sections of original dado rails, it will usually be possible to ask a specialist to make replica sections to match the existing. Dado rails are most commonly made from timber or plaster. However, it is also now possible to buy dado rails crafted from high-density polystyrene and MDF —often a cheaper option.

Modern dado rails are usually unfussy in their design, as opposed to period styles that tend to feature intricate decoration and ornate profiles.

For a nice, uniform look, aim to tie the design of your dado rail in with that used for your other mouldings and bear in mind your skirting board sizes to ensure everything looks in proportion.

1. Highlight Period Dado Rails With Paint Tricks

If you are lucky enough to find original dado rails in place, you want to do everything you can to draw attention to them. One of the best ways to do this is by using paint techniques.

Here, the classical design of the dado rail has been put on show thanks to a combination of subtle paint colours – Temple 238 and Monument 151 from Paint & Paper Library – on the upper and lower walls respectively, with a bold strip painted in New Black 126 just above the dado rail.

Painting skirting in the same colour as the wall is also a good skirting board ideas.

2. Tie Your Dado Rail in With Other Mouldings

Ensure that your dado rail design of choice is mirrored in your other mouldings, such as architrave around windows and doors, cornice and skirting. You can either opt for the same profiles, or simply paint them all a coordinating shade, such as has been done here — the colour of the woodwork has also been picked up in the wallpaper, from Bobbi Beck.

3. Create a Two-Tone Look

A simple yet effective idea is to paint the lower section of the wall a bold shade that sits in complete contrast to that used for the mouldings and upper section of the wall.

Using a darker shade on the lower portion of the wall will help add visual height to the room, while the interesting two-tone effect that is created can really work to distract the eye from a room that is on the more compact side.

4. Use Your Dado Rail as a Picture Shelf

Dado rails not only protect walls from furniture damage, they can also become handy spots on which to sit pictures, mirrors and knickknacks.

Leaning artwork up against walls, as opposed to hanging them, adds a more eclectic look to a spaces —plus it makes it easy to swap out your choices as and when the mood takes you.What's more, you don't need to know how to hang a picture frame or fill holes in the wall should you wish to move pictures around.

In this calming neutral living room, the shade Paper III from Paint & Paper Library has been used on the upper section of the wall, whilePaper V has been used for the lower part —the chunky dado rail design sits the artwork comfortably.

5. Keep it Fresh and Simple

If it is hallway ideas you are after, in order to address the issue of a narrow space, it is a good idea to stick to a simple, unfussy approach when it comes to your treatment of mouldings such as dado rails and skirting boards.

Rather than getting too carried away with paint effects and tricks of the eye, it can be best to stick to just one pale shade all over the walls. This way, your dado rail will still stand out, but the space won't feel crowded —the decorative element the rail adds will prevent the room from looking too stark.

6. Consider a Tiled Dado Rail

Wall tiles are not just for bathrooms —they can add a really interesting look to hallways too.

7. Create a Headboard Effect With a Dado Rail

Finishing off half wall panelling ideas with a dado rail above is a great idea behind a bed, where it will help to create the illusion of a full-width headboard.

Here, simple tongue-and-groove panelling, painted a fresh white, has been topped with a simple wooden dado rail, positioned just higher than where the pillows sit to complete the headboard look.

8. No Dado Rail? No Problem

Not everyone has existing dado rails to work with —and not everyone wants to spend time or funds on fitting one either.

If you are keen to break you walls up visually though, you can easily conjure up a similar effect to that created by a dado rail by using painting techniques.

Simply paint just the lower portion of your wall a different shade to that used on the upper section — and achieve a crisp finish using masking tape or similar. We like Frog Tape from Amazon.

10. Set Off Original Dado Rails With Wallpaper

Using a richly patterned wallpaper beneath your dado rail will really bring out the detail of its profile. Keep the paint colour you choose for the rail neutral in order to keep the focus on its design at the same time as ensuring the pattern of the paper doesn't have to compete with anything, and to avoid the look becoming overly fussy.

Here, SUZIE Q printwallpaper from Mindthegap has been paired with an unfinished section of wall —together they offset the period mouldings perfectly.

11. Get The Dado Look With Wallpaper

There is an enormous range of wallpapers out there to choose from, some of which do a great job of mimicking the look of other materials and products, from wood effect to tile.

An idea we love right now is wood panelling-effect wallpaper that adds depth and interest to any wall —and looks perfect when fitted beneath a dado rail, which will add to the 3D effect of the paper.Plus, it's a look you can achieve on a budget if you learn how to wallpaper.

Here, Library Frieze wallpaper from Lime Lace and designed by Cole & Son in collaboration with Historic Royal Palaces, has been used to add to the classic architecture of this hallway.

12. Look at Modern Dado Rail Ideas

Dado rails need not be limited to those living in traditional homes —they can suit contemporary interior schemes really well too.

For a sleek, modern look, pair plain wall panelling with a subtle pencil profile dado rail and paint both the same shade —although the example here looks great in crisp white, a brave dark shade would work equally well. Building the panelling out a little, as has been done here, will provide a handy shelf too.

13. Give the Illusion of a Dado Rail

There are now many wallpapers and wall decals available that mimic the look of, or give the impression of, a dado rail —a sign, perhaps, of the popularity of this type of moulding right now.

Wallpaper is a great option for those after wall covering ideas that can easily be changed —it is simple to remove or paint or paper over, and easy to fit on a DIY basis.

The room here features paint effects created using stencils from Annie Sloan that allude to a dado rail, with a plain lower section and a patterned upper half.

What is a Dado Rail?

Before getting stuck into our collection of dado rail ideas, it is well worth taking a moment to get to grips with exactly what a dado rail is.

The word 'dado' describes the lower section of a wall when it comes to home design —and a dado rail is the moulding strip that sits above this space. They can either sit alone on the wall or be used to finish off the top of wooden wall panelling.

The Georgians are thought to be the first to widely use the dado rail. It was introduced as a way to protect walls and wall coverings from damage caused by furniture, mainly chairs, which would often be pushed up to the walls at this time. The backs of the chairs were often at the exact height of the dado rail —which is why they are also sometimes seen referred to as 'chair rails'.

Don't confuse dado rails with picture rails, which are placed higher on the wall and were, as the name suggests, designed as a way to hang pictures without having to disturb the surface of the wall.

What Height Should a Dado Rail Be?

There are no hard and fast guidelines to state the correct height of a dado rail — the proportions of your room and how you plan on decorating and furnishing it should influence its height.

Ideally, you want to go lower rather than higher, particularly in rooms with low ceilings wherea dado rail set too high can give the illusion of bringing ceilings down further.

To find the right height for your dado rail, measure the distance between the floor and ceiling of your room, then aim to fix your rail around a third of this measurement up the wall from the floor.