Baseboard and ceiling height?
+23
Is there a correlation between baseboard and ceiling height? I am doing a farmhouse look and was planning a board and batten look in the kitchen/ laundry area, with a 6 " baseboard and 4" top rail. We have standard 8 ft ceilings, and our contractor thinks I should do 4" baseboards because of that. What does everyone think? Will the 6" look bad?
This is the look I'm going for!
18 answers
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I think you should put up what you like, you are the one going to look at it not your contractor!
![Adrianne C]()
Adrianne C
on Jul 28, 2014
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@Lana Westerfield i agree you do what you want contractors are not always right maybe he has a stash of 4" he wants to use up lol xx
![Chris aka monkey]()
Chris aka monkey
on Jul 28, 2014
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Lol he's really a great guy but I think he is just going the "safe" route! I'm stepping outside the norm maybe... :) I'm going to go for it! Thanks everyone for taking the time to respond!
![Lana Westerfield]()
Lana Westerfield
on Jul 28, 2014
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I would stay with the base size you have in the rest of the house. Also the larger the trim the smaller the room will look. Put a length down of each size and look at it. Choose the one you like the best and return the other.
![Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com]()
Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com
on Jul 28, 2014
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All of the baseboards are being replaced, so there is no issue with mismatched baseboards. All of the concrete was painted... We have removed all the paint and baseboards in the entire house.... We are walking on the slab and in the process of tiling the entire house
![Lana Westerfield]()
Lana Westerfield
on Jul 28, 2014
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Then go with the one you like best. Also remember if your using tile the larger the tile, the larger the base should be as It will appear smaller in size compared to larger tile.
![Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com]()
Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com
on Jul 28, 2014
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I had a friend that put in taller base boards and I loved them. But if you increase the size of the baseboards, they look better if you increase the width of the door facings too! Those 3" door facings look strange with 6"+ baseboards. Notice in the photo you posted...the 2 are balanced! Also, keep in mind that even with 8' ceilings, you can make the batten board taller if you wish and even put a small shelf on top! This would be particularly handy in a kitchen/laundry. I was recently at my sisters and she has a drop in stove and at the top where the dials are, there is a 2" space...like a little shelf. She sits spices on that shelf! SOOOO handy. There are many uses for small shelves in that area. Put some grooves in some of the boards as you go in case you want to sit plates on them later on!
![Jeanette S]()
Jeanette S
on Jul 29, 2014
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I have 5 inch baseboards with a 8 foot ceiling and they look great to me. I think it is a matter of taste and what appeals to you. I say go with what looks good to you.
![Gay E]()
Gay E
on Jul 29, 2014
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I think you will be disappointed if you don't go with what you originally wanted. The taller base will be impressive and give you the vintage farmhouse look you are going for.
![Carol]()
Carol
on Jul 29, 2014
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The base should be taller (wider) than the rest of the trim - personally would not think of doing 4' baseboard unless you are looking for the rustic beach cottage look.
![Craig W. Isaac Architecture]()
Craig W. Isaac Architecture
on Jul 29, 2014
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Sometimes a contractor will do what he's always done, rather than what you want, or what's in style now. Do it your way!
![Marilee H]()
Marilee H
on Jul 29, 2014
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GO FOR IT.. ITS YOUR HOUSE
![Sunny Lavallee]()
Sunny Lavallee
on Jul 29, 2014
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cut our some paper (newspaper?) the differnt widths and tape them up in a corner and see for yourself which you prefer, or if you have scrap wood, try that. Until I really "see" it, I'm never really sure.
![Edith]()
Edith
on Jul 29, 2014
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Agree with "do it your way!" It's not the baseboard height that will matter, as much as the right height and width of the wainscotting above the baseboard, and how well it's applied! My landlord insisted on wainscotting the walls of my bathroom. What was once a classy old bathroom now looks like the inside of a barn as he put the wainscotting too low and too wide on the wall, painted the upper wall and wainscotting a pale taupe, and kept the old chestnut wood baseboard below. He did a horrible job of the entire project that took him months to complete! He ruined the plaster walls so that if the wainscotting were to ever be removed, the walls would require extensive spackling to restore.
![Mary Davin]()
Mary Davin
on Jul 29, 2014
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Absolutely go with the 6" over the 4.
![St. Paul Haus]()
St. Paul Haus
on Jul 29, 2014
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6 definitely
![Kemberly Boston]()
Kemberly Boston
on Oct 11, 2016
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I am a residential drafts person/ designer. 6" is not too tall for the baseboard of an 8' tall wall. But, I wouldn't use anything wider than that. The height of the baseboard IS relative to the ceiling heights in good design. I suggest a simple 1x6 for your baseboards. If you are doing wainscoting on the wall, remember the 1/3 rule. Keep the wainscoting no higher than 36" for pleasing balance. Or do a taller wainscoting at 2/3 height of the wall.
![Cynthia Clayton Carpenter]()
Cynthia Clayton Carpenter
on Oct 24, 2016
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Is that not wainscotting?
![Brian Cartwright]()
Brian Cartwright
on Nov 04, 2016
Adrianne C
on Jul 28, 2014
Chris aka monkey
on Jul 28, 2014
Lana Westerfield
on Jul 28, 2014
Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com
on Jul 28, 2014
Jeanette S
on Jul 29, 2014
Gay E
on Jul 29, 2014
Carol
on Jul 29, 2014
Craig W. Isaac Architecture
on Jul 29, 2014
Marilee H
on Jul 29, 2014
Sunny Lavallee
on Jul 29, 2014
Edith
on Jul 29, 2014
Mary Davin
on Jul 29, 2014
St. Paul Haus
on Jul 29, 2014
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