Do you have Dado rails.

grannypiper

I would be boxing the stairs in before i done anything else.

Me too. Our stairs go up off the lounge and the amount of heat that went straight up to the landing was horrendous. We soon fitted a door across the bottom and the difference it makes is huge.

We had dado rails 30 years ago wouldn’t be my choice now but if you like them go for it

I agree with Doodledog, panelling is very on trend and there are lots of styles to chose from. Have a look and see what you think.

I would be boxing the stairs in before i done anything else.

What about panelling? That is a similar effect to a dado, but definitely in fashion if Instagram is to be believed.

Look on Pinterest for ideas - there are loads of photos in different heights, colours and so on. That would go around the room too, if you wanted it, or you could just have it on the stairs.

CanadianGran

If anything, I would paper above, not below the rail. I found an inspiration picture on line. I think it only works if you have quite high ceilings, otherwise it could make the room look out of proportion.

I like that.

Perhaps we don't mind rails as we've a very old home, very high ceilings, lots of trimmed out windows and casements.

I don’t find they collect any more dust than skirting boards, and a quick flick round with a duster soon sorts it anyway 😁.

MerylStreep

Doodledog
We had these Edwardian pattern lincrusta panels on our boat.

lincrusta.com/dado-panels/edwardian-dado

They are lovely. Very Art Nouveau.

On a boat? It sounds like The Titanic! Was it a very luxurious boat?

Do you mean those dust collectors half way up the wall! Yes I’ve got them in our 80’s built house.
They do collect dust (especially behind doors you forget to look behind)
They also mean that you can’t have bookcases etc flush against the wall.

Not a fan of dado rails. I ripped them out when I moved into my current home.

But yes, each to their own.

It is your home so you can do whatever makes you you happy

I agree that if you want/like dado rails, just go for them. We had them put in the lounge here, as this house was built with odd bits of exposed wood. At first we went for stripes on the bottom half and a smaller, pattern on the upper - very Laura Ashley, Sanderson. Last time, we went for a plain gold paper below and above. I’ve just arranged for my decorator to come in March and he is going to take the dado rail off and I’m going with a plain green, slightly textured paper.
I’ve got a set of 3 swallows from Next on the family room wall - a modern version of Hilda’s ducks.

Some interestingf ideas about, my house is very small, I used to call it my dolls house.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202301/medium-28679-20230125-171654.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202301/medium-234381-20230125-183912.jpg

I too don't follow trends with decor/clothes/colours. I do need something to break the wall up. (ignore the dappled effects it is the lighting)Oh and ignore my junk on the stairs, I am about to put new plastic windowills on the inside.

Nope not thinking of moving as yet. I think I will take a look at some kind of wall art if all else fails.

I have Dado rails in both the dining room and lounge but nowhere else. My stairs are in the dining room, that's how the house was built. My dining room isn't difficult to heat even though the ceiling is very high going up the stairs. I have 3 shades of paint, darkest at the bottom, lighter above the rail and lighter still above the rail going up the stairs. My Dado in that room is a light natural wood. The Dado in the lounge is painted grey, the walls are not grey. I like it and that's all that matters to me. No one has ever said they dislike it and I wouldn't care if they did. I put the rail up when I moved in in 1979 and never felt inclined to remove them. I don't find them old fashioned as there is nothing old fashioned in my house and the rails blend very well with everything.

Doodledog
We had these Edwardian pattern lincrusta panels on our boat.

lincrusta.com/dado-panels/edwardian-dado

I don't care about fashion either. We've just had bookcases built in - the full length of a wall and into an alcove, so a lot of wood. We used walnut, which is dark, but we love it, and we're the ones who are living with it. I'm not planning on selling (or giving them away) any time soon, so I don't care if it's fashionable or not.

If you like dados, bikergran, get them? Are you planning to sell up soon? If so, and if you think they might put off the sort of people who would be interested in your house, then maybe think again, but otherwise, I wouldn't let fashion sway you.

(my sister was telling me that those Hilda Ogden ducks are very desirable now, so what goes around comes around anyway )

Who cares whether dado rails are in fashion or not, if you want them you have them.

We have always liked old and antique brown furniture and we have a houseful of it. Desperately old fashioned, you cannot give this furniture away these days, but I do not give a toss, much of the furniture is inherited, replacing our less beautiful initial purchases and I could not give a toss what people think.

CanadianGran that looks very elegant I do like it, my ceilings are quite low.

Hmm Doodledog I hadn't thought about further than the bottom of the stairs (silly me) was going to take it fron nr the door then up the stairs. Think I need to have a re think.

I did once paper the big wall going up the stairs, so some of the paper was sort of in the lounge and the rest on the way up to the stairs.(who on earth had the idea of putting stairs direct into the lounge) presume it was a cost cutting idea as a lot of modern houses seem to have the stairs directly into the lounge (like with no door seperating the lounge and the stairs).

If anything, I would paper above, not below the rail. I found an inspiration picture on line. I think it only works if you have quite high ceilings, otherwise it could make the room look out of proportion.

You could always put a narrow border where a dado would go then if you like it put a wooden dado rail next time. Though I think Borders are considered old-fashioned as well.

Decorating might be easier in future, as the area under the rail is unlikely to get dirty (particularly if you have it a darker colour), so you'd just have to paint above.

What would you do in the rest of the room, if the stairs are in there? Would you extend the rails around the rest of the walls, or just have it on the stairs?

Thanks all for the ideas. Still pondering if I do decide then they are on for good, as If I wanted to take them off they would bring half the plasterboard with them.

I always go on Pintrest if I’m looking for DIY inspiration. Dado rails are dated but it’s often a case of, What goes around, comes around with decorating- in which case you’d be ahead of the game!