Baseboard is that molding (or moulding) running along the bottom of your walls. It comes in a variety of materials. The most common in residential applications are MDF and solid wood. MDF, or medium density fiberboard (wood fibers bound together with resin), is more economical and great for painting. Solid wood has that natural, warm look and can be stained to match a wood floor or to coordinate with your furnishings. Be careful with pine though; it is the cheapest wood because it tends to stain unevenly. Another material, sometimes used in bathrooms, is tile, which could be made of ceramic, porcelain, or stone.
Baseboard usually doesn’t get a lot of attention. And when, if you do notice it, you’re probably thinking it’s there just for decoration or to protect the wall from the vacuum cleaner. Yes? Well, it’s useful for all those things, but it also covers the joint between the bottom of the wall and the flooring material. And while there are other construction techniques to do this (often involving more labor and therefore more money), installing baseboard is the standard method.