1930's picture rail. Keep or get rid?

Mojisola

benjus wrote: »

I use hooks from B&Q and heavy duty transparent fishing twine to hang them.

luxor4t wrote: »

The picture rails are too high for my pictures, but are invaluable for pinning up Christmas decorations !

I've got pictures and mirrors at all different heights.

Just adjust the length of the picture wire or fishing twine to position them where you want them.

casper_g

Keep_pedalling wrote: »

I would try and keep them. We still have them in some of our rooms in our 1930s semi. We don't hang pictures from them, but I do think they look better from a decoration PoV. We paint the walls white above the rails, and I think the clear demarcation line the rails provide looks better the taking the wall paint / paper to the ceiling.

You can get new identical rails to replace any lost rails, but the tooling set up costs and minimum order size might put you off a bit.

https://www.wrp-timber-mouldings.co.uk/made-to-match

We had matching skirtings made up to replace a missing section where we had a fireplace put in. We only needed a metre! It's well worth shopping around as prices we were quoted varied massively. I almost gave up after the first few were over £200, but eventually got a quote of about £40 which we could just about justify. http://www.prontojoinery.co.uk/mouldings-sections/

Mojisola

rosie383 wrote: »

We would have to try to source some rail of exactly the same style and try to fill in the gaps.

Unless you've got an unusual design, you should be able to find ones that match up, eg https://skirtingboardsdirect.com/products/category/mdf-dado-rails-picture-rails/

rosie383

That's very helpful Mojisola. Not too expensive either at around £13/3m. I would only need about a metre I think.

DaftyDuck

Upsides: Lovely length of brass chain, brass picture rail hook, turns a cheap knock-off Ikea mirror into something decent. All those tatty prints you (ahem.. I) have look like they were bought at Sotheby's, not the local junk store. Painting can be divided into above and below the rail, so interesting colour contrast possible, and job can be divided. Great to pin cards or Christmas decorations up, and can be used to run a low-voltage light cable in secret. Estate Agents invariably include them amongst the "period features" of a room, and it appears buyers want them...

Downside: can trap the dust, but easily solved with vacuum nozzle or cloth....

I think you can see the way I'm leaning. :D

paddyrg

Keep!!! Edwardian rooms are tall, and designed with a picture rail to balance the proportions aesthetically.

Hoploz

I'd say try and keep them too. It's easy when renovating to get carried away and rip everything out, and modernise everything. But it's those little touches that make a house into a home - people like a bit of period charm these days.

jellie

Despite my dislike for anything which attracts dust, I'd make an exception and would keep them.

Owain_Moneysaver

I would keep, at least in the downstairs reception rooms and assuming the ceiling height is reasonable.

I would also love to have original 1930s doors and lightswitches etc...

Eenymeeny

I remember my mother saying that they were used to save on the amount of wallpaper required when it was in short supply and expensive after the first world war. We reinstated ours in the bedrooms of our 1930s ex-council house. It still has the original doors and door fittings. I think that it gives a cosy feel. Unfortunately downstairs had all been 'modernised'