What color do you paint a chair rail?

Staining or painting a chair rail to match the existing door and window moldings adds visual depth to a room and makes it appear larger, explains SFGate.com. Another option is to use a different color as an accent.

Chair rails divide a wall into visually pleasing proportions. The height of a chair rail depends upon the height of the ceiling. Dividing the height of the ceiling by three gives the best placement. Most chair rails are 2 to 3 inches wide.

Chair rails first became popular with the Shakers. They used pegs on a wall rail to hang chairs when they were cleaning.