Baseboards? Most cost effective replacment

They’re just plain, not really out of style. Consider painting them to blend into the wall. If they bug you, they’ll be less obvious painted. It’s not hard to change them if you’re handy with a mitre saw. Measure how many linear feet you need and price it out at a lumber yard or Hd/Lowes. Warning...once you start this you’ll probably want to do any adjoining rooms.

paint them over white (get at home depot where they have return paints, should be less 60% from the orig. cost)

We had the same clamshell base board and were also on a budget. We added a 1” molding above the existing, then a quarter round along the bottom to add a finished look. Spackle, smooth and paint. Much less costly than ripping it out and buying all new.

Raw cedar planks are a great option for baseboards! You don't sand them, paint them - nothing! Just nail them up there and they look great!

In my area, we go to the dump where there's a household chemical recycling center. All the paint you want is free. I get several partial gallons, making certain they are all latex and in the same general color family. Then I mix all the paints together creating a new color. Use this to freshen your wall paint and also paint the baseboard. Usually, my color ends up being a very pleasant taupe.

Good quality paint and good quality brushes are not cheap. To complete the job properly, painting baseboards while still attached to the walls requires a certain amount of physical agility. Once you start, you are comitted to finishing, and it often requires more than one coat to cover the brown. Although it can change the look of a room, it does require patience, and is not always inexpensive.

Go to the habitat restore they have lots of baseboards and boards. I bet you're creative enough to come up with something you love!