Secret ingredient: dado rails
THERE’S MORE TO THESE DECORATIVE MOULDINGS THAN MEETS THE EYE – THEIR STYLE POTENTIAL IS SERIOUSLY IMPRESSIVE
For those lucky enough to own a period home, dado rails – the horizontal moulding spanning the lower part of a wall – are an architectural detail that can easily go unnoticed. But these oft-unloved features come with a host of benefits. They create a welcoming first impression, add texture to the space without sacrificing precious square footage, divide walls and provide a canvas to experiment with colour – even in contemporary builds.
The historical significance of the dado rail means they are typical of period homes, originally used to cover and protect the lower part of the wall. Their use has filtered down over the course of architectural history, meaning you’re likely to spot them not just in Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian builds, but in modern homes as well.
Originally, the height of the dado rail was derived from the measurements of a classical column – about one-fifth of the height of the room. As the proportions of our homes have changed, today this works out to be around a third of the way up a wall. Anywhere between 900mm and 1100mm is a good basis for measurement. Architectural designer Naomi Astley Clarke recommends looking at the height of the furniture for inspiration: ‘The point at which your sofa brushes the wall should determine the height of the rail.’ Stairs are another question altogether. ‘You want to pay attention when adding in dado rails to the stairs as the skirting board might run at a curve,’ says Charu Gandhi, founder of architectural studio Elicyon. ‘We would ensure the angle aligns using a CAD drawing on a computer.’ Get it right, and your dado rail will sit so perfectly in proportion to your room that you won’t really notice it’s there.
Your dado rails should also make sense in the broader context of the room. ‘It’s vital to harmonise their profiles with the other period features to avoid them still feeling out of place,’ says Uwe Schmidt-hess, architect and designer at Patalab Architects. ‘For example, an ornate dado rail would be at odds in rooms without cornicing or taller more profiled skirting boards.’ Proportions aside, dado rails have aesthetic appeal. More contemporary dado rails allow them to act as a small ledge – ‘Great for displaying decorative objects or paintings,’ says Uwe.
The most common look, of course, is a clean, white dado rail with the same colour above and below. You might want to consider going for a subtle shade difference, using different hues above and below the rail. This can stress the horizontal layering of the room and draw attention to the shape and size of the room, helping to create the illusion of more space. ‘Go darker under the dado rail with fresh white woodwork and light colours above the wall to hide any scuffs and marks,’ advises Martin Waller, founder of luxury furniture brand Andrew Martin. Think off-white paired with light pink, two different shades of grey, or even different material, with shiplap panelling under the rail for added texture.
Think about painting the dado rail itself in a different finish. ‘At Elicyon, we like to finish the dado rail with the same colour or tone as the wall but in a different finish to create contrast,’ says Charu. ‘For example, the top half of the wall can be decorated in a pale green colour and the bottom half in a darker green, both in a matt paint; the dado rail can be in a shade of green but in a high gloss finish.’