But baseboards also serve a very necessary function in protecting plaster walls from getting kicked or scuffed by shoes boots and vacuum attachments.
Crown molding and baseboards match. I prefer the trim at floor and ceiling to match. Painting the crown molding to match the other molding in the room creates a cohesive environment. When it comes to baseboards you re going to have to do what the old timers did. However to achieve a quality look it is best to use a similar visual weight for both of these home décor elements.
If upgrading molding in a modest house resist the temptation to tart up the house by installing complicated molding with intricate detail. Simple trim should be paired with simple baseboard fancy trim with fancy baseboard. We would recommend 5 1 4 base with 3 1 4 casing for a nice look with 9 and 8 ceilings. Crown molding is typically in proportion to the baseboard molding.
If i was going to leave one a wood finish it would be the baseboards assuming they matched a wood floor and because wood shows scruffs less obviously than a creamy white paint. Different color baseboard and crown molding. These are all off the shelf items that with a little tweaking can be made to match their historic predecessors almost perfectly. Most baseboard today is 1 2 as opposed to 3 4 thick from about 1910s 1940s and 1 thick pre 1910.
If the other trim in the room is stained stain the crown molding to match. Simple and ornate decorative baseboards to match crown moldings and chair rails and enhance the entire room. And yes i would keep my baseboard the same throughout the house. Just as crown molding hides the area where walls meet the ceiling baseboards hide the joint where walls meet the floor which might otherwise be unsightly.
Baseboards are installed partly for aesthetic reasons. I would only use 7 crown in a very large area like a two story family room or foyer. When selecting molding make sure the molding and baseboard match in style. For example if you have deep baseboards then deep crown moldings will look better with them than thinner ones.