Coloured Skirting Boards: Trends and Ideas for Your Home

Obviously, we love skirting boards. They’re literally in our name. But even we have to admit that skirting boards haven’t always been at the sharp end of interior design. So how come that in the past few years coloured skirting boards became a trend?

Traditionally, colour choices have been pretty limited, with everyone from professional designers to homeowners preferring glossy white skirting boards or – on rare occasions – natural wood colours.

But times are changing, and coloured skirting boards are now a legitimate trend. What’s more, it’s not a difficult style to achieve. Simply choose our white-primed skirting boards, because they’re moisture-resistant and ready for an undercoat and gloss finish. 

Read on and find more about the most popular coloured skirting boards trends and ideas! 

 

Best paint for skirting boards

MDF Skirting boards allow you to use the same type of paint you'd use for wood. It all comes down to your own likes but the most common types of paint you'd use on skirting boards are either gloss, satin or eggshell finish. A glossy texture will result in quite reflective surfaces, whereas an eggshell finish will look matt, and satin paint will meet you in between. 

If you are planning to do the job yourself, check out our full guide to painting skirting boards!

 

4 Coloured skirting boards ideas: What's trending now?

Whatever your interior design preference, there’s a skirting board colour trend to suit you. Ultimately, your imagination is the only limit to the styles you can create. But if you’re looking for a bit of inspiration, here are some of the most popular and stylish trends going around:

 

 1. Grey skirting boards

In the past, people would think that grey skirting boards were grim, a bit sad and well...grey! However, people keen to bring elegance, a high-end look or even a zen vibe into their interiors are going all-in with this trend. If this seems a bit out there for you, think that there are many shades of grey to choose from, plus the dirt and dust on your boards would go easily unnoticed! 

To achieve a high-end contemporary look, we suggest our Modern Style of White Primed Skirting Boards.

 

2. Matching skirting boards to the colour of your walls

As a rule of thumb, skirting boards have traditionally been white because most homes would have white walls. Nowadays though, more and more people choose to style at least one of the walls in the house with a contrasting colour. This changes things for skirting boards! Dark greens, soft pastels, clay and grey tones are on high demand, and matching skirting boards are a good element to bring a feeling of continuity and completion.

To add even more style and texture to your walls, choose any of our Period Style Skirting Boards.

 

3. Coloured skirting boards for a colour-pop effect

Contrasting colours and vibrating spaces are making a great comeback thanks to the maximalism trend. Pushing the limits of design and waving goodbye to the minimalism that's been a major trend in the past few years, maximalists are all about creating impact! Even if you don't go all-in, this trend can set your creative juices free. Get ready to explore painting your skirting boards in contrasting colours, creating a colour-pop effect!

To achieve the look go for an Art Deco Skirting Board.

 

4. Opting for skirting boards in a lighter or darker colour to the walls

With this option, your coloured skirting boards will definitely become an extra decorative element in the room. If you also paint your architraves in the same tone, you can clearly enhance and bring style to any space. Some people choose a different shade of the colour that's already on the wall. Others go for dark walls and white skirting boards! Whatever your choice, always keep in mind the result you want to achieve and focus your decorating efforts on it.

Take a look at the Skirting board Shop line of white primed skirting boards.

 

More things to consider before painting skirting boards

Of course, as with any other design choice, not all of these trends will be suited to every room or home. There are a range of factors to bear in mind when assessing whether a style of coloured skirting board will look good. 

 

How much natural light reaches the room in question? 

Some styles are really effective at creating a natural, airy look, whereas others may exacerbate an already dark space. It’s important to weigh up whether you’re looking to create a snug, cosy reading room or study, or something bright and breezy, like a living room or bedroom.

 

How big is the room? 

Again, some coloured skirting board trends are perfect at making a small room seem more spacious, while others work best in larger rooms.

 

What does the rest of your home look like?

If you’re eager to maintain a classically stylish look throughout the property, you’ll probably want to avoid any radical colour pops. Alternatively, if you’re seeking a more contemporary feel, you’ll have more freedom to mix and match styles and trends depending on what works best in each individual room.

 

How to tell which trend will suit your room

That’s enough about the theory – now it’s time to consider what you actually want to achieve with your redecoration.

As we’ve outlined above, there are numerous trends, each of which will produce a different aesthetic. Here, we’ll explain how to use coloured skirting boards to achieve a variety of effects.

 

Create the illusion of space

Is space at a premium in your home? Are you looking for interior design tips to create a more spacious feel? Choosing a uniform colour for your walls and skirting boards could be the perfect solution.

This simple style hack is really effective because it removes the visual contrasts that typically exist between wall and skirting board, creating a clean and striking look that exaggerates the available space.

This trend can work equally well in contemporary or more traditional properties, although naturally, this will depend on the chosen colour. You probably wouldn’t opt for a bold turquoise or striking orange in a classically styled Victorian townhouse, for instance.

 

Best trend to achieve the look? Matching skirting boards!

 

Give your room a contemporary aesthetic or zen vibes

Whether you prefer Scandi-chic, industrial or minimalistic interior design, the colour of your skirting boards can play a big part in giving a room an ultra-modern feel.

We’ve seen some fantastic examples of homes that have been given a contemporary twist by pairing lightly shaded walls with darker skirting boards. This helps to make the walls feel elongated and lighter in contrast, which has the added bonus of making the room appear brighter and airier.

This effect is often achieved by matching grey skirting boards with white walls, but there’s no reason to stick with this look. Any combination of light walls with a slightly darker shade of skirting board can be just as effective, whether you prefer mild pastel tones or bolder colours.

 

Best trend to achieve the look? Grey skirting boards!

 

Creating impactful and vibrating spaces

There are various ways to adapt this style to your own home. For a subtle burst, consider painting the top of your skirting boards in a bright colour, choosing a hue that complements your walls. Think yellow skirting boards against purple walls or blue walls paired with orange skirting boards.

Alternatively, for a bolder aesthetic, go all out by choosing a skirting board colour that stands out intensely against your walls and/or floors. Create a striking contemporary look by twinning primary coloured skirting boards with walls and floors in shades of grey.

 

Best trends to achieve the look? Colour-pop and skirting boards in a lighter or darker colour to the walls.

 

 

 

Feeling inspired to give the coloured skirting boards trend a try? Then get in touch with our team of experts! Call us on 0800 048 0786, or send us an email at [email protected].