How to Decorate with Picture Rails for Period Properties

If you're the proud owner of a period property, chances are you're blessed with some stunning architectural features and these unique elements are often what drew us to the property in the first place, adding texture, visual appeal whilst preserving a slice of history within our period homes.

By the way, if your new here I’m Jessica. Interior Designer who helps period homeowners renovate their homes for contemporary living.

Image Credit: Studio Smith Interiors

Among these features are picture rails, which traditionally served to hang artwork and mirrors in a room without damaging the walls. However, with these features comes a whole host of questions about how to decorate your home, a main one being, should I paint above the picture rail.

Now, I don’t think there is a blanket answer yes or no answer to this question, annoyingly! So, in this blog post we are going to explore different options that will be able to help you decide based on how you want your space to feel!

I am always a fan of higher ceiling, I love how it makes a space feel grand and more elaborate, so I often advocate for painting between the picture rail and the cornice and even beyond to the cornice if you dare! I recommend this for ceilings that are 2.6m or lower, as it can really accentuate the ceiling height.

Image Credit: @thegarthhome

If you want to make your space, feel more cosy, intimate and enveloping is to paint your ceiling and down to the picture rail the same colour, this is a great option for snugs or living rooms to accentuate the snug feel. Scale and proportion are a really important factor here and if you have children or if your furniture is all of a similar height in the room then your furniture will look so small is comparison.

Image Credit: Interiorsbycolor

If you lean more towards wanting your home to feel traditional then I would always advise on leaving the architectural features white and painting the room in a contrasting colour – this is how rooms would have been decorated traditionally – they were designed to demonstrate the wealth of the home, so it is important that they stood out.

Image Credit: Pinterest

Over the years the more I have learnt about design, the more I understand how much paint can play a pivotal role in shaping the ambiance of a room. Once you understand the factors at play, it can really help you understand what decisions you can make about where you paint and where you don’t. If you’re renovating a period home don’t forget to explore my services, I’m here to help clarify your vision for the space, I would love to help.

Jessica x