There may be dips in the floor itself and that may be why the bottom of the baseboard does not touch the carpet in some places. Baseboard in rooms where carpet is scheduled is usually installed first and then the carpet is fit up to that...at least that is how it is usually done in my neck of the woods.

Amazing. The painter that painted the latex over oil without proper prep is obviously not a real painter so taking advice on how to remedy this from this guy is probably a bad idea. These days, it's not hard to paint over oil based paint with latex...all you need to do is sand it or clean it well before painting and use a decent product. It's guys like this that cause the general public to think that you can't paint over oil based paint with a latex. The purpose of PeelStop is to bridge areas that have peeled with areas that are still adhered. If your paint isn't stuck, it has to be removed. Putting any product over the top of paint that has failed isn't going to work.

Such a lovely, lovely room, the trim is wonderful; so well kept it looks brand new. Though I like the subtle texture, as others have suggested, I agree that a light wash would enhance the details of your wainscott. Don't know that I'd paint it copper or a similar metalic color, I think that in a room like that the wainscott was supposed to look like anaglypta paper, which was supposed to imitate fine plasterwork. In case anyone else is interested in a similar treatment for their walls, sheet metal wainscottis still being made by the F.W. Norman Corporation in Nevada, Missouri. They also produce ceiling panels, siding, roofing, cornices, moldings, and neat-o decorative ornaments in zinc and copper, all made right here in the U.S.A. (Disclaimer: I have no financial interest in them, other than the fact that I'd one day like to give them large amounts of *my* money - I have a substantial wish list complied from their catalogs - VBG) Here is a link that might be useful: W.F. Norman Corp

I presume the sticky stuff is stripper & finish. This is what I use. Also rinse off the stripper with acetone first. Here is a link that might be useful: Bacho Ergo Pocket Scraper