I had both stained and white moulding on my hardwood flooring to match white baseboards. I have rooms with and without shoe molding, and the only time I felt like a new coat of paint was needed was after we had some floors refinished -- the sanders really scuff them up (with or without a shoe). I wouldn't have it at all, if possible. It not only makes the baseboards look smaller (and they are already too small in my opinion) but it makes the floor look like its creeping up the wall which at first I was OK with but now after painting I really dislike. I Own a flooring Company in Florida and with all our installs we add in for shoe molding instead of quarter round. Maybe my eyes got used to this look. When to paint and when to stain crown and base molding? Then again.were pretty old fashioned up here . Im a fan of stain and would prefer the baseboard and the shoe be stained. White looks like a cheap tract house. Our floor is stained concrete. 5. An UPDATE was needed years back, and we painted ALL of it! Is he kidding. Less decisions: The stained floors tie in to stained shoe perfectly, no need to change colors when you make the transition from white base board to a accent color cabinet or island. We also live in a plains state with lots of dust and white quarter round or shoe molding looks very ugly very fast here! Never in greek or roman architecture would you ever see a shoe mold. I say it is up to you. Concerned if we should paint quarter to match. 1) If the installer nails only into the baseboard then painted or stained work well because the seam between the shoe mold and the baseboard remain tight. I guess personal preference is the deciding factor. I chose to go with the stain (shoe mold is the color of my wood floor) and it looks really nice; she says it should be white as are the baseboards. If you are laying quarter round on a ceramic, vinyl, or stonetile floor, you should paint the quarter round to match the baseboard molding. It is easier to stain the shoe moulding with painted base you dont have ti chaulk or paint to the hardwood floor. Then theres the spare room thats a little darker but beautiful, and the middle room is yucky, and darker (maybe nothing had been done to it, but waxed). Which do you prefer? You can select as many choices as youd like, and if you want to suggest other options, send me an email. I really love the wood and spent so many weeks removing all the paint . When I put laminate in the dining room and livingroom last year, I had to get quarter-round to put over the laminate. I match them to my pants. :). However, Once I remeodeled a bathroom and I palced a stained quarter round that matched the stained baseboard that I used from another room. The contractor said NO ONE stains stuff. If your kitchen has walnut floors I would paint the quarter-round white to match the baseboard rather than highlight one stain over the other. Bought pine and painted it the color of the baseboard which is a very pale yellow. This gap is intentional, allowing for the expansion and contraction of the flooring. In the rooms in which the baseboards are painted, ALL of the trim is painted, because the pieces belong to each other. How about one more question: The living room goes into a kitchen that I plan to tile and a dining room is off of the kitchen. Aesthetically the base shoe looks better painted to match the molding. Please read through the post and cast your vote at the end. I personally felt the stained moulding (also had some hardwood shoe moulding) made it look very aged/rustic and old-fashioned. How many white shoes leave scuff marks unless its a black floor? When I did oak floors upstairs I did not use any shoe molding and simply took off the baseboards and put the flooring to the wall then attached the baseboards. Three nays for our preferred treatment! Like Todd, I feel its part of the trim and should be painted (or stained as the case is in our home) to match the trim. I wonder if its somewhat of a regional thing? If you ding it, a little touch up stain on a paper towel does it. Another exception would be when the baseboard is an authentic stained wood itself, in which case the quarter round should be stained to match the baseboard molding. I loved this site. Stained shoe is a more traditional look with several benefits especially ease of install and everyday wear. I started trimming custom houses in Ohio and installed 2,3,4 and even 5 piece baseboard. Just put down Brazilian Cherry hardwood floors in 2 rooms. Theres no more defined line around the perimeter of the wall that delineates the walls from the ceiling. Id planned to stain them darker than the floor color and install shoe moulding at the base stained the same, but now not so sure. You have to caulk both at the bottom. Today since craftsmanship isnt what it once was..larger profiles are used and it is easier to paint the base and shoe than to take off the shoe to paint the base. The disadvantages are the wear, additional steps in installation and quality of material. Dave D: I agree 100%. so you get a professional look. If you have laminate or wood floor its hard to paint it without getting some on the floor. Its unique character should not be hidden with opaque pigmentation. My problem with all the stains is that they are too thin and when more coats are added they just dont look like a good match or border. Architects and builders started adding small shoe shaped molding matching the wood floor to cover the gaps. the heights were very close to even and with a little manipulation they worked out fine. Id hate to buy 2 different stains to do these. It turned out beautifully. Installation: Stained shoe is solid wood, the same species as the flooring (most common is red oak) Stained shoe is typically cut to length then stained by installer prior to install. It is easier paint the molding above the quarter round without being an expert painter. Theres a staircase in this room too. depending on the material it can shoe the actual finger joints as well as chip. If you want to avoid paying the high price for matching trim, but still want aclean, finishedlook, consider buying unfinished trim pieces at your local big box and staining the to match your prefinished floor. I just finished installing/replacing a laminate wood floor in our den. In the pictures, I think the stained looks huge compared to the height of the baseboards so the painted looks better. these are usually installed to cover up flooring that has been installed imperfectly so covers the unevenness up. How I look at things is this, I look to what I am nailing to (cabinets, baseboard etc) since I do not nail the shoe to the floor. Paint the molding to match the baseboard When I originally wrote the article i was very heavily leaning towards the stained shoe molding. I like the baseboard and quarterround to match. Fred.at least the hardwood flooring guys will be happy. They want to sell matching shoe molding to put extra dollars into their pocket, sure. just my 2 cents. It matches the floor. Thanks all for your input!! The one thing I will say about painted vs stained, painted shoe molding does get dinged and marked up easier than stained molding. By the way, you WALK on your floors, NOT your baseboard. Well, thanks for all the info. We are having all carpet taken up and hardwood installed. I bought unfinished oak trim in both cases and made all the cuts(picture framing the ceramic tile around the fireplace. I have both the white and matching quarter round for hardwood as it seeems I have different tastes in different rooms. Painting wood is more contemporary in style, but it is still done by those who think its classical but have been actually deceived by there preconceptions of what is right. We have ours the same as the wood floor, but nobody asked me if I wanted otherwise. I live in a mid century brick rancher that I inherited from my grandparents in North Carolina. Even in old houses with orig shoe..if you scrape off the paint you will find a stained wood matching the orig floor. Nonetheless, we still like the quarter round to match the floor. My house is a 60s ranch, so it has pretty stark trim. Ours match the stain of the wood. I do plan on getting it stained where the room is notty pine paneling (wished there was a man around to pull it down and put up sheetrock, but I wont be doing that seems alot of men like this room though). It looks more integrated into the base, is more traditionally 'correct" and the proportions look better too. Or are these different rooms? We are getting hardwood floors in our entry, family room and kitchen. This is a very personalized decision, but in your case I would probably paint all the baseboards white. He says designers almost always recommend it painted to match the rest of the trim. Here are some ways to encourage stockinged feet, Even an innocent swipe with water may cause permanent damage. 1) expensive wood that isn't stained, only varnished, or. all that needs done is to be installed, which you could easily do yourself. In our old house all of the quarter round was painted the same color as the baseboards with wood floors with a medium-dark stain. Please let me know what is most liked now. Should we just go ahead and match the molding to the floor? The rest of us paint to match the trim. Here's what to know about how rugs and fabrics react, Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers, Outdoor Lighting & Audio/Visual Specialists, (Lynn Goodwin) McAdams Remodeling & Design LLC. Quarter round messes up bookshelvesoffsetting them too far from the wall. Ive sanded them all down to stain as well with a darker color. My old 1950s house was built with the ugly blonded doors and trim. I think here it depends on your preference. There are several Advantages/Disadvantages to both Stained and Painted Base Shoe. The floor and baseboard move appart due to humidity and an unsightly crack or space will develope at the seam between the shoe mold and the baseboard. I know it will look bad to add a natural colored wood quarter round to the mix, but I dont want to end up painting the quarter round every year. Four reasons why it gets painted is: it is plastic, the builder used finger jointed molding, the previous owners did it or the staining procedure is too challenging to the installer. Even in classic homes like Mount Vernon or Moticello will you see a shoe. While theres no hard and fast rule on this, heres our thoughts on it: If you are laying quarter round or shoe molding on hardwood floors, you should lay a quarter round or shoe molding that matches the floor wood grain & stain. I really appreciate all the valuable comments on this website. 6. So shoe molding was painted one time and then the next guy who owned the house, well he saw it it thought it was supposed to be painted and so on. To me it seems illogical to make a piece of molding look like flooring. Ive owned 2 older, turn of the century homes here in Dallashardwoods throughout. If the floor is dark walnut, the kitchen cabinets are golden oak and the baseboard is painted white, should I paint the quarter round against the baseboard white and stain the quarter round under the kitchen cabinets? Painted 100%. Hi, I just found this site, so really hope its still active. I prefer to match the shoe molding to the white baseboards, but what do we do in the kitchen where we have oak cabinets. Oh, Im in Texas, maybe that accounts for my taste. The reason for this is the shoe mold is actually considered to be part of the base trim assembly. The wall color is SW amazing grey and is beautiful up against the cabinets and floor. Base Shoe is 1/2" Wide by 3/4" Tall. It suits its purpose and protects the above baseboard. You will find it on VERY high end homes. What are you referring to as shoe molding? FYI Quarter round is not the correct term for this trim, quarter round is 3/4" wide by 3/4" Tall. My little house is an older house and I chose to paint the shoe molding the same as the baseboard molding. No shoe molding or quarter round at all I also thinks it beefs up the existing trim, and we have 18ft and then 10 ft ceilings, so I think that will look better! Are there any advantages to one? My question and dilema; our kitchen island only has a base plate now, our new flooring is much lighter than the island cabinets and the kitchen cabinets. White quarter round does have an advantage if your other molding is white. To me the crown should match the cabinets. Wood stained quarter round doesnt show dirt or dust as ez. There is no right or wrong choice, just preference. I used it n the wood floors in the living room, formal dining room, and halls, carried it through the tiled kitchen, breakfast rooms and bath rooms, and finally through to the wood floor den. I never prefer coverups over the wood. That being said I much prefer the look of painted quarter round (and trim). If i had a combination of tile, carpet, hardwoods, etc. I feel like all of the really nice homes on Houzz have it painted now, the newer homes at least, but my floor guy said most ppl still do the stained. 2) If your installer is an old school craftsman and reads Tauntons Press books and magazines they may follow those references directive and nail the shoe moulding to the floor. Problem is my husband really wants wood doors. Any help and thoughts would be appreciaed. Absolutely paint it. More decisions/colors: When you use painted shoe once you get to a painted cabinet you will need to have the cabinet manufacturer paint shoe prior to install or try to match it on your own. Try out the different scenarios to make sure you like the end result. We are painting all of our existing trim BM white dove too. Should the quarter round be stained to match the cabinets to give it a finished furniture look, or should the quarterround match the floor? We are laying greige barn wood flooring and wondered what molding to use in front of the hearth? I would rather the floors and baseboard be nice and straight and not be in the need of shoe molding to cover up gaps. In my opinion, a dark stained quarter round against the white base moulding (in my house) adds a more formal look and really dresses up the room. however in my den I have a fireplace that needed a reducing transition border, and I have a long 8ft opening that leads into the kitchen that required T-molding. if you want, you can fill nail holes with a colored wax but typically the nails disappear pretty well on their own. Ten years ago I sanded and painted all of the woodwork in the entire house with Behrs best quality paint and I am amazed at how my woodwork still looks like the day I painted it. But it evolved in wood contruction because its very tough to get a tight transition from the base to the floor. i agree with you, to my eye it looks better to have the quarter-round match the stain of the floor. Check out the comments, and youll see why people feel so strongly. We painted ours to match the baseboards also when we tore up the carpet to reveal the hardwood underneath. Paint can be much more pleasing to the eye and psyche. To old house people, painted trim usually indicates inexpensive trim. Painting seems more natural -- it just becomes part of the shape of the baseboard. Im in the shoe is the same color as the base camp but its personal preference. This is a painted sheetrock room. I tend to agree with this. The stain shoe moulding will not show stains like the painted . Shoe mold is not part of the base. Its nice though as everyone can do what they please for the look that they are going for. Thanks!! 2ndly, any FLOORING is horizontalthe TRIM is VERTICAL. It is your home. We are not going to be able to have solid wood doors due to the budget. Haven"t seen pictures of this suggested combo. Remodeled my house 5 years ago. Hahaha. There is some history behind the "base shoe". Its solid wood unlike most primed shoe so it doesn't chip or show cracks from the shoe separating from the wall or miters opening up. Would it look better if the color of paint matches the ceiling (so it doesnt look too busy) or the walls? Then someone said if I stain it, I should buy the oak shoe molding. I too am in the minority (quickly becoming the majority). thank you so much for this article! In my current home, i elected to stain the quarter round to match the floor and i do not regret it. Now the adjacent area that is painted sheetrock what color of quarter round and baseboard should I use? Install the flooring and do the millwork right instead of covering it up. Shoe moulding matches the baseboard as it's vertical (a part of the baseboard) not horizontal (like the floor). Thinking of adding quarter round. If the quarter-round is separated by things like door-jams its easy to paint one area and stain another. Agree! I even like the looks of unstained quarter round. 3) I personally prefer baseboard with poplar wood shoe mold nailed to it and then both painted white at the same time for a long lasting, crack free, crisp look. Here's the stained look, just for comparison. Then it will blend in with the base moulding and go away. How the shoe mold will be nailed is a factor to consider. Thanks for the blog. Wear: stained shoe is very practical in day to day living, doesn't scuff like painted shoe from vacuums, toys or kids. Why do people use quarter round? Ive been pondering on which to use too. @Donna, Did you put walnut in your kitchen? The reason for painting the trim white is that a stained quarter round tends to draw the eye to the corner of the floor, instead of framing the floor itself. Any input sure would be welcomed. Over the last eight years we've documented hundreds of home improvement and DIY craft projects along with many tool and material reviews. I am totally blown away at how Behr paint wears like iron and how it stands up to multiple scrubbing in high fingerprint areas like on doors. Arent I just going to end up painting the quarter round year after year? My white baseboards are 8 inches high. No quarter round was mentioned by the subcontractor. I don't think that shoe molding is to cover up poor workmanship as much as just to finish off, and perhaps even up, a floor that is is not completely level. . Fingerprints on SHOE molding?!?! I usually use a white painted quarter round. How do I match the stain at the cut? However, I have an early 1900s Craftsman styled house with 10 inch baseboards. This is a much cleaner look. The molding is 8 inches with shoe molding, plus a cap piece of molding on the baseboards. To me it looks like the floor is going up the walls if its stained. If so, should I stain that quarter round the color of the cabinets or the floor? It was great. Planning on staining quarter round color of floors. Pre-finished stained shoe mold is better in this scenario. Most folks know that hardwood flooring companies generate a lot of profit from trim pieces. You guys are terrible! Floors are supposed to be flat. They both looked good. Otherwise, your broom and mop must be brutal! The other option is to pick a matching hardwood, chair rail, and baseboard so that everything matches. Are there any advantages, aesthetically or otherwise, to having trim that is white as oppposed to trim that is stained? I have a similar question that I have been struggling with for several months and so nothing has been done. (I actually wondered what you were doing when I saw your picture a while back!). It gives such a finished look to the floors without that stark white against the floors. Funny how divided this is. This is an older house built in 1950. We are planning on painting crown molding, trim & doors & base boards a mix of 1/2 agreeable gray & 1/2 white. The results were fabulous! Hi, we're Ethan, Jocie, Kim and Fred. Discover 5 ways this black and white beauty broke the mold but not the bank, Know the right solutions and when to use them to prevent stains from pets, soda, chocolate, blood and more, Can a mini shoe showroom, an office and chic living spaces fit into just 750 square feet? Well of course they did they were all gummed up with paint! I may be leaning more on painting the other rooms to match the trim. Im so struggling with this. Matching the floor looks odd to me. Please, please, please give me help and advice. A guy who built me a closet in a spare room, said I should stain the shoe molding. Do what you like and what you feel comfortable with and have the time to do. My builder told me he hasn't stained the quarter round in ten years. I agree with one of the commenters, that when you stain the quarter round, it looks like the floor is running up the wall. I have ceramic tile (yuk) in my kitchen, white baseboards and no quarter round. It should match the floor colour. Well, Ive looked around and see alot have theirs painting. Im at the point now where I am touching up everything in the house and painting all the white trim pieces (window/door frames) a nice bright pure white. The white looks more elegant and clean! Kathy probably not an easy way to fix this, since wood absorbs stain more when it is put on across the grain rather than with it.
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