why i love contrasting trim
One of the few things I was sure about when we bought our home was that I wanted to try contrasting trim for the first time. Our simple ranch house lacked personality and I knew that replacing the narrow trim with a taller one and paining it a different color than white would add a charming cozy cottage feel to our home.
Also you might consider this option if you have a house with beautiful millwork and keeping its original wood color is not an option. Painting the millwork a contrasting color is going to enhance its beauty and make it a show-stopper.
While this is not a new idea, it seems that in the last couple of years people started to consider this option more and more, so we could say it’s back in style, right?
WHAT DOES CONTRASTing TRIM MEAN?
Contrast trim means you paint the baseboard trim and door casings a darker color than your walls. Is that simple.
contrasting trim inspiration
There are multiple options, from more subtle ones to really bold! Here’s what I am talking about:
Above is a combination of Extra White (SW) walls and Gossamer Veil (SW) trim.
The paint colors you choose for a space have huge power to set the feel of a room. It might be the most powerful way to change how a home feels. In the above picture, the house feels fresh and full of light. They used a light neutral color for the trim and simple white walls.
Contrasting, in the below picture, the house feels more moody with the tone on tone paint choices. Using a lighter tone of the same paint on the walls is a very successful way to use color in a space without feeling too “colorful”.
TIPS FOR CHOOSING THE RIGHT COLORS FOR YOUR WALLS AND TRIM
Although I wanted contrasting trim for our home, I wasn’t ready to be too bold with my choice so I picked a neutral color. Looking back, I should have picked a darker color, but I’m happy I tried it and now I’m ready to go with bolder colors in the future.
The trim color I picked is called Gossamer Veil from Sherwin Williams in satin finish. And the walls are Whitetail by SW in satin as well.
If you want to follow the contrasting trim route, the easiest way is to go to the Sherwin-Williams.com website and upload a picture of your space or just use one of the sample photos they have on their site and play with wall and trim colors.
This tool is going to help you visualize the colors but it is still not a fail proof method. The colors can be influenced a lot by the floors in your space or even the amount of greenery reflected on the walls through the windows.
After narrowing down to a few colors, I recommend buying samples and trying them on different walls and make a decision after seeing them in multiple lights (morning light, full sun, evening light and artificial light).
Also, don’t judge a color after one coat. After one coat of paint, I never like the result and I doubt my decision, because usually a surface needs two coats of paint to really show it’s potential
WALL AND TRIM COLOR COMBINATIONS
Although I strongly recommend trying the samples before painting the entire house, I’ll share some starting point combinations ideas from neutral options to some bold ones.
1. ALABASTER WALLS (SHERWIN-WILLIAMS) + LAMP ROOM GRAY (FARROW & BALL)
2. WHITE DOVE WALLS ( BENJAMIN MOORE) + REVERE PEWTER TRIM (BENJAMIN MOORE)
3.HERON PLUME WALLS (SHERWIN-WILLIAMS) + MAGNETIC GREY (SHERWIN-WILLIAMS)
4. rainy afternoon (benjamin moore)+white
5. kendall charcoal (benjamin moore)
JUST TRY IT IN ONE ROOM!
I know not everyone is going to like contrast trim, and that is totally fine.
But if you would like to try it, but the task seems overwhelming, just try it in one closed area like a bedroom. Playing with colors is fun and might just make you fall in love with your home again!
If you would like to read my blog post about the trending mini lights click here.
Thanks for being here!
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