Are Dado Rails in Fashion in 2021?

Whether you are moving to a new house, renovating your current home, or just planning some dream DIY projects for the future, keeping up with what’s hot in the interior design world is a fun and worthwhile thing to do.

The décor of your home says a lot about who you are and your individual style, so you’re going to want to make sure that your home is a good reflection of your personality.

When looking for the latest interior design trends in 2021, it is hard to look past dado rails. 

We’ve all seen them before, and some of us may even consider them to be outdated, but this period feature has an enduring quality that can help transform any home. It is quite remarkable how much of a positive effect they can have on a blank wall by adding tons of character and making a luxurious statement.

Here is some further insight into the role that dado rails could play in your home…

What are dado rails?

Historically, the dado rail served a specific purpose within traditional homes to protect the areas that saw many people travelling through and to prevent furniture from touching the wall. They came to prominence during the Georgian era, where it was common to lean chairs to the walls. Despite many changes to typical tastes in interior design, they have remained a stalwart.

Nowadays, they are primarily used for looks and can be very aesthetically pleasing when used correctly. When used in the right setting, the timeless trend can be positively eye-catching and help a living room, bedroom, or bathroom retain a classic charm with an elegant finish.

Blank walls especially can really benefit from a dado rail as they help introduce more colour and break up what can otherwise be quite a dull view.

However, do remember that they are commonly used within taller and larger rooms, as otherwise, it can contribute to the wall space looking a little cluttered. So, keep that in mind if you plan on investing in dado rails yourself. The human eye naturally scans vertically before horizontally, so the height of a room will impact the perception of its size. 

Anything which interrupts the flow of form or colour, will temporarily halt its smooth progression of the eye line, so the dado rail will naturally make a ceiling appear lower.

How do you install dado rails correctly?

First of all, you’re going to want to understand what a suitable height would be for the rail to sit. The lower third of the wall is the most common area where dado rails are installed, and they tend to sit around 90cm from the floor. 

Once you’ve confirmed the spot in which the rail will sit, the next job will be to mark where you want the dado rail to sit by carefully using a tape measure and pencil. To make sure it is level, we recommend holding a spirit level up to the mark and ensuring the bubble is centred to double-check your markings are straight.

You can now use these markings as a precise template for the moulding strips and subsequent angled cuts you will need to make. The dado rail will then be simple to slide into place to help create the ultimate vintage look. There will be no messy or inconvenient adhesive application either, as all you’ll have to do is remove the protective blue film on the reverse of the strip and apply it to the correct place.

In the unlikely event you happen to have any small gaps in the joins, it is recommended to use decorators caulk to fill these to maintain a professional finish. Overall, applying dado rails to the wall is an easy technique that you should be able to do all by yourself. You won’t need a lot of tools and will not require assistance from a professional handyman.

How to make the most out of a dado rail

If you’re still searching for further inspiration on how to introduce a dado rail into a room within your home, it is well worth considering if you would like to paint the rail too.

Wooden dado rails are extremely multi-functional, of very high quality, and can be easily painted or finished to match specific colour pallets within a room. Popular types of wood used include pine, tulipwood, and oak, which are all naturally a breeze to paint.

For those concerned about the room looking too small when a dado rail is added, simply paint the dado in the same paint as the wall, so it effortlessly melts into the background. You can also try painting the bottom half of the wall underneath the rail with darker shades to the top to help anchor the room.

On top of all that, it’s common practice to add panelling below the dado rail to build upon the vintage look. This can be achieved using dado moulding strips to create your own panelling or by pairing your dado rail with dado panels.

Find a suitable dado rail for you

Dado rails can add the perfect amount of character to any room and blend retro clique with contemporary designs and colours. 2021 has seen them come back into the spotlight, so there is perhaps no better time to join the trend and enhance the feel of your home.

Take a look at the rooms around your house and see where you could effectively incorporate them to match the room’s style and atmosphere. When you’ve decided where they will best fit, keep in mind that Cover Your Wall offer fast, free delivery on all orders over £100 so you can have them installed right away.

If you have any further questions about our range of dado rails, don’t hesitate to get in touch by giving us a call on 0800 009 6474 or pop us an email – one of our friendly team members will be in touch as soon as possible.