When it comes to finishing a space, few design details have as much impact as baseboard trim and interior trim. These elements may seem small, but they frame every wall, door, and window, tying the entire design together. Choosing the right baseboard and wall trim for each room can elevate your home’s look, add character, and even increase its value.
From modern baseboard styles to classic panel and crown moulding, here’s a complete guide on how to select the right profiles, heights, and finishes for every space in your home.
Why Baseboard and Trim Matter
Baseboard trim is more than just a decorative border—it hides the joint between the wall and the floor while protecting the walls from scuffs and wear. Similarly to how door and window trim frame your openings, making them look polished and intentional. At the end of it, adding a thin piece of shoemoulding in front of the baseboard at the end will help keep a minimal gap from the floor as it follows the curvature, making it look seamless.
Paired with crown moulding at the ceiling, trim creates a layered, cohesive look that defines your home’s style. Whether you’re after the clean simplicity of a flat baseboard or the ornate detailing of a traditional profile, your choices will shape the personality of your interior.
Step 1: Match Trim Style to Your Home’s Design
The first step in choosing the right baseboard and interior trim is matching the style to your home’s overall design and vision. When selecting the design of your baseboard, you can match the profile to the packages already created by our experts at Royal Door and Trim Supplies. These 7 packages; Step Bevel, Sleek Bevel, Step Inspired, Modern Flat, Modern Groove, Colonial, and Ornamental have been carefully created to help achieve your vision.
- Modern Baseboard Styles: If you prefer a clean, minimalist aesthetic, opt for a flat baseboard with crisp lines and little to no detail. Pair this simple trim with a simple shaker door with square edges. Modern Flat and Groove are a very minimalist style packages meant for just this application.
- Transitional Styles: A subtle beveled baseboard trim with matching door and window trim works well for transitional interiors, offering a balance between contemporary and classic. Transitional moulding packages include the Step Bevel, Sleek Bevel, and Step Inspired packages
- Traditional Styles: For more traditional and long standing home styles, go for taller baseboard profiles, layered mouldings, and curvatures to create a luxurious, grandeur, and a timeless look. Go for our Colonial and Ornamental profiles which are designed to achieve this type of look.
Step 2: Consider Baseboard Height for Each Room
Baseboard height plays a major role in proportion and balance. Royal Door & Trim Supplies offers baseboards in three heights 5 ½”, 7 ¼”, and 9 ¼” for all trim profile packages. Use this guide below to help determine what height baseboard is right for your home and aesthetic.
- Doors 80” and 84” Tall: 5 ½” baseboard works the best for this door height as it does not feel overpowering or too tall along the height of the door. It works well to keep the room feeling open.
- Doors 90” to 96” or Taller: 9 ¼” baseboard will help ensure that the baseboard does not look too small on taller doors. Tall baseboard trim paired with panel molding and wainscotting can make a large room feel grand and cohesive.
- The 7 ¼” baseboard, it is a very versatile baseboard height which pairs perfectly with any height door. Standard bottom rails of doors are between 8” and 9”, having a 7 ¼” baseboard really ensures a consistent look.
The exception for the 5 ½” baseboard application is when using the Modern Flat and/or Groove trim package. Many people are trying to achieve a minimalist look and is typically used for all door heights.
Step 3: Add Wall and Ceiling Accents
To create a more finished and elevated space, coordinate your baseboard with other moulding elements:
- Crown Moulding / Crown Molding: Adds elegance at the ceiling line, especially in a formal living room or dining space.
- Wainscoting or Wall Trim: Works well in entryways, stairs, dining rooms, or offices for added architectural interest. With many different creative designs, you can achieve many different looks through wainscotting and panel moulding.
- Quarter Round or Shoe Moulding: Installed at the base of the baseboard, a shoe moulding hugs and follows the curvature of the floor tightly, which is meant to hide the unevenness of floors.
Matching your baseboard and crown profiles ensures design continuity throughout your home.
Step 4: Select Trim Profiles for Different Rooms
Each room in your home serves a unique purpose, so tailor your baseboard and interior trim choices accordingly.
Living Room
A living room often benefits from a taller baseboard height—7 ¼” or more—paired with crown moulding for a balanced, upscale feel. Layered door trim around the wall of entryways can make the space feel more polished.
Kitchen
In kitchens, choose durable materials like solid wood for baseboard trim, and consider white or a colourful trim colour to match your kitchen cabinetry. Add a simple shoe moulding to the baseboard for easy cleaning and maintenance.
Bedrooms
Bedrooms can accommodate softer modern trim and baseboard styles or a classic beveled profile. Matching door and window trim creates a cohesive, restful look.
Bathrooms
Opt for moisture-resistant materials like solid poplar, MDF trim does not pair well with moisture, causing it to bubble. Pair with minimal door trim to keep the look fresh and uncluttered.
Step 5: Installation Tips
If you’re ready to install baseboard yourself, follow these key steps for a professional result:
- Measure Carefully: Account for each wall length and add extra for miter cuts.
- Cut Precisely: Use a miter saw for clean, accurate angles.
- Secure Properly: Nail into the wall for a secure fit, making sure to level out the top of the baseboard so it hugs the drywall.
- Add Shoe Moulding: Add the shoe moulding to the baseboard to finish the look and cover any floor gaps.
- Caulk, Wood Filler and Paint: Fill seams and staple holes for a seamless appearance and apply paint or stain to your desired finish.
If your trim plan includes crown moulding, consider tackling that installation first before the baseboard trim to ensure a clean joint where they meet.
Step 6: Coordinating Door and Window Trim
Door trim and window trim should match or complement your baseboard for a harmonious look. In many cases, the profile and material are identical, with only the dimensions changing to suit the application.
For example:
- Modern baseboard styles with a flat trim and baseboard often look best with minimal door details, so opting for a squared door profile like our one-panel shakers.
- Traditional, layered baseboard trim pairs beautifully with decorative window trim and large backbands, wainscotting and wall paneling. Incorporating details into every corner of your home.
- Transitional applications are the best of both worlds, with details being toned down but not forgotten to help create a seamless look across your home with bevelled profiles and smooth lines.
Step 7: Trends and Design Ideas
- All-White Trim: A fresh, versatile choice that works with any wall colour and makes spaces feel open. You can’t go wrong with this option.
- Contrasting Trim: Painting your baseboards, trim, and doors a dark colour against light walls creates a bold, modern contrast.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right baseboard, trim, and moulding for your home involves balancing style, function, and proportion. The right choices can help transform any space.
Remember:
- Consider baseboard height in relation to ceiling and door heights.
- Match styles across door trim, window trim, and wall accents for cohesion.
- Use shoe moulding for a clean, finished transition.
At Royal Door & Trim Supplies, we offer a wide selection of baseboard trim, door trim, panel moulding, and window trim in styles to suit every home—from modern minimalism to timeless tradition. Visit our showroom to see our profiles in person, or speak to our experts about how to install baseboard and choose the perfect trim for every room in your house.
