Those who want to achieve a varnished, wood-trim look chooser timber skirting boards and architraves. MDF doesn’t have the same look because it’s made out of wood fibre. It also doesn’t have natural grains and knots like wood does.
MDF cannot match the look of pine or oak. However, it redeems itself on other aspects such as absence of imperfections, ease of preparation, size versatility, and moisture control.