Home improvement is not always about lavish expenditure and profound lifestyle change, we don’t have to build an extension and install a heated swimming pool to harness the home improvement bug. Sometimes it is about making small changes which result in a satisfactory outcome or scratching an itch that has always irritated. And installing bespoke skirting boards is one of those projects; minimal expense and a relatively easy installation, but a transformative effect which can have eternally pleasing results.
Why do skirting boards need changing?
The most common reason why skirting boards need changing is because they are damaged. Skirting boards are in the line of fire from a number of potentially damaging factors, such as the kids, pets and vacuum cleaners. Consequently they can become damaged or can become loose. This also leads to them dating quickly and looking tired, so a lick of paint might make a difference, but too many layers of paint over the years and a skirting board can start to lose its pleasing finished appearance.
Another reason why skirting boards may need replacing is if you have a period home and are not able to find a match for your existing skirting board. This might mean that your surrounding rails or architrave don’t match and come from a similar, but not the same, design period. This can become quite irritating, even if it is only you who truly notices. But when you can’t find a match for an original period skirting board, this is where bespoke skirting boards come in to save the day.
The benefits of bespoke skirting boards
Bespoke skirting boards can be hand-crafted to your exact specifications, so in an older property where it is hard to find original replacements, you can have a flawless match specifically machined and then able to be re-ordered at any time. Custom profiles mean a custom solution, and hence you will have a unique design for your skirting boards which can provide a creative flourish, but most importantly can finish off a room and provide balance where it is needed.
So bespoke skirting boards offer a key support for your home improvement project, add to the character of your property and use quality wood materials to create your unique spec. This expands the possibilities of your interior design and allows you to showcase your creative flair. But how do you maximise your bespoke skirting boards to fully transform their appearance?
How to get the most out of your bespoke skirting boards
The obvious answer is to paint your bespoke skirting boards. Quality woods such as Pine, Sapele, Tulipwood and Oak can all take a good layer of paint and retain their natural grain, and so still look amazing in the home. Of course you can also varnish and stain good quality woods, but in terms of colour, it is a long time since we simply painted skirting boards white automatically. We can now use skirting boards to balance out contrasts or to introduce subtle shade changes.
Another way to transform a room with bespoke skirting boards is to change their dimensions. This may only need to be a small change, but visually and aesthetically it can make a big difference. So you can change the height – either increasing or reducing – to provide more balance with the walls and ceiling, or you can change the thickness. Thicker skirting boards will be much stronger and robust, but they will also look more prominent and grand, which makes them a stronger feature and more of a focal point, if that’s what you want. If you want the opposite effect, thinner skirting boards may bring other features into prominence, particularly in a smaller space, and visually, this may be more appealing.
So if you can’t find what you need in our extensive skirting board range, then check out our bespoke skirting board service, and with a suitable-sized sample we can get you a unique product that can finish off your interior design and transform your skirting boards.