Modern skirting board profiles: which one is right for your room?
The seven profiles in this range cover the main options for contemporary interiors. They're not interchangeable - each has a distinct character and suits a different type of room and design intent. Here's how they compare.
Bullnose is the most widely used modern profile in UK residential work. It has a flat face and a large, convex rounded top edge - more pronounced than a pencil round, with a softer, more generous curve. That curve throws a subtle shadow line at the top of the board and gives the profile just enough presence to read well in a room without drawing attention to itself. It suits new builds, modern extensions and contemporary renovations where you want something clearly contemporary but not stark. See our bullnose skirting boards.
Square edge is the most minimal option. A completely flat face with a 90-degree top arris - no curve, no chamfer, no profile at all. The right choice for strictly contemporary interiors: modernist architecture, loft conversions, rooms with exposed concrete or steel, high-spec new builds where the detailing is disciplined throughout. The top edge is typically caulked to give a sharp, clean line against the wall. See our square edge skirting boards.
Pencil round sits between square edge and bullnose - the same flat face but with a small, tight curve at the top edge rather than a full rounded profile. It's more forgiving on site than square edge: the small radius resists chipping and paint build-up at the arris, which matters in rooms that will see daily wear. A practical, clean profile that works across a wide range of contemporary interiors. See our pencil round skirting boards.
Chamfered boards have a flat face with a 45-degree cut running along the top edge. The chamfer throws a defined shadow line at the top of the board - more architectural in character than a rounded profile, less decorative than a period profile. It suits rooms where the joinery detailing is minimal but considered, and pairs well with chamfered or square door architrave. See our chamfered skirting boards.
Ovolo has a convex quarter-round profile on the top face - a single, clean arc that's larger and more pronounced than a pencil round but without the ornamentation of a period profile. It has a classical origin but reads as clean and contemporary in a modern room, and is one of the more versatile profiles in the range: at home in a new build or a lightly modernised traditional property. See our ovolo skirting boards.
Stepped boards use a series of flat horizontal steps across the face rather than a curve - a layered profile that creates strong horizontal shadow lines and gives the board a more architectural, three-dimensional quality. It's a bolder choice than the other profiles in this range and suits rooms where the joinery is a deliberate design feature rather than background detailing. See our stepped skirting boards.
Beaded skirting has a small bead detail - a tight convex moulding - running along the face of an otherwise flat board. It's a subtle detail that adds just enough texture to prevent the board from reading as completely plain, without introducing the historical associations of an ogee or torus profile. A good middle-ground option for rooms that want a hint of craft without a period character. See our beaded skirting boards.
Getting the height right
With modern profiles, height carries more of the visual weight than the profile itself - there's no decorative detail to compensate for a board that's too small for the room. As a general rule, go taller than feels instinctive. In a room with standard 2.4m ceilings, 145mm or 170mm reads correctly. A 95mm board in the same room can look undersized, particularly with a flat or square-edged profile. In rooms with higher ceilings, size up further - 220mm is not excessive in a room with 3m or above. For a full breakdown by ceiling height see our skirting board height guide.
Pairing with modern architrave
A modern skirting board should be specified alongside matching door and window architrave. Mixing a flat, minimal skirting with an ornate period architrave creates a visual inconsistency that's hard to resolve with paint. Our contemporary architrave range uses the same clean profiles as the skirting - square edge skirting pairs with square edge architrave, pencil round with pencil round, chamfered with chamfered - so the joinery reads as a consistent scheme throughout the room.
Modern skirting in period properties
A contemporary profile in a Victorian or Edwardian property can work well as a deliberate design contrast - particularly in rooms that have already been modernised or where the original period detailing has been removed. Where the original cornices, ceiling roses and door furniture are still in place, a period profile will almost always sit more naturally. Our Victorian skirting boards range covers the period profiles - ogee, torus and lambs tongue - for anyone working in that context.
Bullnose Skirting Boards | Square Edge Skirting Boards | Pencil Round Skirting Boards | Chamfered Skirting Boards | Ovolo Skirting Boards | Stepped Skirting Boards | Beaded Skirting Boards | Victorian Skirting Boards | Contemporary Architrave | Skirting Board Height Guide