How to paint baseboards

Refreshing woodwork in a room is a simple and effective way to update an existing scheme. Often skirting boards are painted a neutral or white shade out of habit, but their proportions are the perfect opportunity to add a little color.

All-Over: Paint walls and baseboards in the same tones

Paint walls and skirting boards the same color to create a calming and enveloping overall look. This works particularly well with warm, gemstone tones or muted greens to convey serenity and the calm of nature.

Coordinated Colors: Choose a deeper shade for woodwork

Combine colors from the same color gamut families to achieve a harmonious result. Use a deeper shade of the same pigment for the wood trim and a lighter shade for the walls to create a gentle contrast. 

Highlight color: Use bold, light tones on baseboards

When using a wallpaper pattern in a room, consider picking a bold, light shade from the pattern to tie all the elements of the scheme together. The color you use for skirting boards and doors if you want to add a color accent depends on the accent colors of your wallpaper. 

Color Block: Color blocking to catch the eye

Extend the baseboards by using the same color for the wood trim and the bottom half of the wall to create contrast and create a focal point rather than architectural features. 

Neutral: Opt for neutral baseboards 

For a timeless finish, choose an off-white or pure white that complements your chosen wall color and enhances skirting boards and door frames. If you find white to be too bright, consider choosing a neutral shade like "French Gray Pale" or "Slaked Lime" for a softer contrast.

How to paint skirting boards: step by step

When choosing the color for the skirting boards, we recommend the following finishes: Intelligent Satinwood, Intelligent Eggshell, Intelligent Gloss or Traditional Oil Gloss.

For skirting boards, architraves, interior doors, paneling and architectural elements such as skirting boards and picture rails, we recommend following the following steps when starting a project.

Wooden parts tend to attract more dirt than walls, so you should clean the surface before painting. Use a small amount of detergent and wet and dry sandpaper to clean and sand the surface at the same time.

1. Protect the floor with newspaper or cardboard and secure it around the edges with adhesive tape. Whether you're painting skirting boards and laying carpet or hard flooring next to them, a secure protective layer is essential.
2. Be sure to completely remove old, peeling paint and fill and sand any surface abrasions to a smooth surface. Although the paint provides a nice coat of paint, it cannot hide cracks and holes.
3. Previously painted wood in good condition should be sanded back to obtain a key; this is particularly important for shiny surfaces. If the surface is uniform, no further priming should be necessary. Otherwise, apply a coat of Little Greene Intelligent ASP (All Surface Primer).
4. Use a small brush to apply paint to the edges of the surface and into intricate moldings. Be careful not to let the paint collect in crevices where it will slowly sag or drip as it dries.
5. Depending on the scale, larger areas can be painted efficiently with a small foam roller or a larger brush. A popular method for painting woodwork is to use a roller to apply the paint efficiently and a brush to paint the surface while the paint is still wet. This avoids the orange peel effect that occurs when the paint is applied too quickly or the roller is left idle for too long.