Dado rails - what do you think?

BeenieCat

My living room has white dado rails around the middle of the walls. I'm going to be decorating soon and need to decide if i'm getting rid of re-painting them.

Just wondered what others think of these? I always said i hated them but having had them for so long (they were there when i moved in) i think i've gotten used to them.

Currently the top half is painted cream and bottom terracotta.
Is the whole top/bottom splitting in decor outdated now?

Not sure how i want to decorate, i'm useless at choosing colours!

olias

Is the house old and are these original period features? If so, then definately keep them. If not, and they were put in in the eighties when it was in fashion, then rip them out, they are definately dated now.

Olias

Doozergirl

I agree.

If they are original or do suit the room then take a tip form what they used to do - dado rails were never 'features', they would be painted in the same colour as the wall and there would be no colour split from top to bottom. If I had dados I would do this - it can look really sophisticated in the right colour.

BeenieCat

Good point, it's not an old house so it's definitely the latter. I think i'll get rid of them then! Hopefully it won't be too messy as i hate filling holes in!

caela_2

I think you can be quite artistic with dado. Either wallpaper bottom half with a striped design and use a pale paint on the top half for a regency effect, or ragwash the bottom half with paint and plain paint the top half. For contemporary, you could do some crazy graffiti design under the dado or use bold colours. Dado gives detail, I feel, which may not suit a minimalist look where you are trying to empashise a few primary details, but works well with simple layouts to add detail. Usually, dado is better with tall celings, or picture rails instead of dado, just to break up the walls a little. They can also help provide a continuum, lengthening hallways or short rooms. If you wanted to keep it simple, paint the same colour above and below the dado, but maybe paint the dado a different colour. You could go super contemporary and paint it gloss black with white walls for a weird monochrome effect. I think dada frames are nice for featureless rooms- mark out a square in dado and fill with wallpaper, or if you're artistic, maybe create your own design.
See these home decorating shows for inspiration, see what goes with your design ideas and home layout/ style.

Mojisola

Doozergirl wrote: »

If they are original or do suit the room then take a tip form what they used to do - dado rails were never 'features', they would be painted in the same colour as the wall and there would be no colour split from top to bottom. If I had dados I would do this - it can look really sophisticated in the right colour.

It wasn't like that when I was growing up - all the houses had a dark colour, usually brown or very dark green, below the rail and a lighter colour above.

BeenieCat - I would do what you like the look of. It doesn't matter what's in fashion, unless you're doing up a place to sell it on.

Depending on how well the rails were fixed on, there may be quite a bit of making good to do and, if you're going to paint the wall, you may still see the line where the rail was. Try taking a piece off somewhere that won't show too much and see how easy it is. If it's going to need too much making good, you can stick it back on.

edgex

Is it quite a large room?
are there other 'detail' pieces, eg fancy skirting, coving, fire surround etc?
does it all work together as a 'scheme'?
if it does, probably best to leave it. as others have said, you can paint it the same colour to make it blend in, but still retain some detail.


you could always post a picture of the room up.

[Deleted User]

I think the dado rail has had its day, in a modern house. If its really hard to take down then maybe paint the rail and walls the same colour. I remember my other house and we stained the dado rail lol. My brother went one further and painted his black and then used large round headed studded nails along it :eek::eek: !!!! Wot was we all thinking. I think now days everyone is tending to go for a more natural look, not the eighties chinz or batchelor pad look :rotfl::rotfl:

Doozergirl

Mojisola wrote: »

It wasn't like that when I was growing up - all the houses had a dark colour, usually brown or very dark green, below the rail and a lighter colour above.

Presumably you weren't brought up in the 19th century? I'm talking about originally, originally.

Doozergirl

caela wrote: »

I think you can be quite artistic with dado. Either wallpaper bottom half with a striped design and use a pale paint on the top half for a regency effect, or ragwash the bottom half with paint and plain paint the top half. For contemporary, you could do some crazy graffiti design under the dado or use bold colours. Dado gives detail, I feel, which may not suit a minimalist look where you are trying to empashise a few primary details, but works well with simple layouts to add detail. Usually, dado is better with tall celings, or picture rails instead of dado, just to break up the walls a little. They can also help provide a continuum, lengthening hallways or short rooms. If you wanted to keep it simple, paint the same colour above and below the dado, but maybe paint the dado a different colour. You could go super contemporary and paint it gloss black with white walls for a weird monochrome effect. I think dada frames are nice for featureless rooms- mark out a square in dado and fill with wallpaper, or if you're artistic, maybe create your own design.
See these home decorating shows for inspiration, see what goes with your design ideas and home layout/ style.

I'll have some of whatever it is that you're taking :rotfl:

Home decoration programs feature none of that unless you're watching 10 year old re-runs of Changing Rooms.

Mojisola

Doozergirl wrote: »

Presumably you weren't brought up in the 19th century? I'm talking about originally, originally.

Not quite that old!:rotfl: