Dado Rail height ?

[pj38]

Hi All

Is there a correct height of dado rail ? I’m putting one in my hallway it’s an 1860 house . It didn’t have one but some of my neighbours have ‘ versions ‘ added more recently still very well done . But just wanted an idea on height from the floor not from skirting .

Thanks

 

[mardinor]

Two suggestions: one practical and one aesthetic.

Practically, dado rails were 'chair rails', designed to stop the top of wooden seats from rubbing against the wall where they typically jut out (the chairs, not the walls!). So measure the top of your dining room chairs and make that the centreline.

Aesthetically, I've used the Golden Ratio (phi; 1.618) to position dados to 'look right'. Lots on google, such as:
https://laurelberninteriors.com/2019/08/04/best-proportions-for-interior-trim-why-youre-confused/
Roughly, that means put it a third up the wall.

alternatively, go with what looks right by eye (likely to match the golden ratio!). I recommend using masking tape to visually check.

I'm not at home so can't measure our examples but hopefully these help.

 

[CliffordPope]

It also depends on whether you have a picture rail, or some some sort of border, decorated say in ceiling colour above the border.

If the dado rail is to continue up the stairs then you need to relate it to any handrails - it looks odd if one side has a banister or rail and the other a dado rail at a different height. There's also a tricky but important decision to make about how to treat bends round landings.
I'm not sure whether the height on a stair should be the same as that on the level - I think I concluded that looked odd, and the sloping rail looked best a few inches higher.