Choosing trim color

[spotty_dog]

OMG this might actually happen. Between one thing and another, today DH became open to the idea of painting our interior, for the FIRST time. He has a call in to a painter buddy to get an estimate. We might actually get something besides builder beige flat paint on every surface. You might actually get to NOTICE our nice crown molding and trim.

So, I am frantically trying to pin down some paint color ideas and I was wondering if it's generally acceptable to just do the same trim color throughout the whole house. I remember in Young House Love that they used the same untinted semi-gloss all the way through their home for consistency and I am really drawn to that simple approach. But I also think I read some criticisms that this was an unsophisticated look? What do you think? I'm sticking with mostly neutrals I think on the walls, and I like the way white pops against a subtle shade. I think they'd be mostly warm neutrals though, so maybe I could find a warmer white?

Eee! Excited!

[SoonerTexan]

We have more of a beige and I hate it but am not willing to paint it. I've seen BM Decorators White recommended a lot and I've used it myaeld


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[oceanchild]

Our trim is all the same color. I think it looks nice. And it definitely makes the crown molding in the living room stand out.

[OrionGrad]

Yes, I'm in favor of the same trim color throughout the house. I think it makes everything look more cohesive, even when the wall colors change from room to room.

[MsSassyBaskets]

Agree - I like all one color, although we have beige upstairs and wood downstairs, and I wouldn't paint the wood at this point. I hate the beige though. Definitely go with a brighter white, even if it's not pure white.

[spotty_dog]

Sweet, thanks guys. Back to frantic decision making -- I figure I should at least have a feel for color families before the guy comes by to give an estimate tomorrow morning!

Speaking of which, when my interior designer SIL helped us sketch out plans for the living room when we moved in, she gave us a basic palette of colors to work with. One of them was this: http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/p...lor/peaudesoie

I think I'm going to use it for all the common areas, entryway and hallway and places where spaces run together. Maybe for the living room too. I want something a little more dramatic for the dining room I think, and something warm in the kitchen, and maybe something blue in the laundry room, yellow in the playroom? I don't want my house to end up looking like a rainbow puked in it, but I'm so excited! Color!

[MrsC]

I love a white trim, really brightens up a room. I'm all for different colors in each room and our house is very open plan. As long as they don't clash, it looks great. I like that color for the hallway etc. Ours is very similar, just a shade lighter. It's operation remove builder beige here too.

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[spotty_dog]

I love a white trim, really brightens up a room. I'm all for different colors in each room and our house is very open plan. As long as they don't clash, it looks great. I like that color for the hallway etc. Ours is very similar, just a shade lighter. It's operation remove builder beige here too.

Right?! I am SO done with it, and the scuffs that don't wipe off because it's flat...I am sure that DH is going to have a kitten if we get an estimate for the whole house, but if we can do just the trim, the two-story entryway, and the areas that connect to the entryway, I can totally do the rest on a longer-term basis. Whee!

[MrsC]

Yes! The previous owners here repainted many of the rooms in flat paint. Yuck. The was a flat dark eggplant color in the kitchen
We're doing the rooms ourselves, one every couple of months but likewise, will have to get the trim and entryway done professionally. I better get on it before DH decides he wants to do it himself. There was talk of 20ft scaffold.

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[spotty_dog]

LOL, [MENTION=1139]MrsC[/MENTION], my husband threatens that too. "Hm, the roof hasn't been treated for moss yet? Don't worry, I'll just find a two-story ladder somewhere and go up there..."

Well, the painter was here today. He's going to break the estimate down into chunks so that we can pick and choose how much we want to do, which I thought was really nice of him. But I think we might end up doing everything we talked about today, which is basically painting the entryway and then doing just the trim in just the main living areas of the house (including the stairwell). Hubby's even kind of excited to be able to get rid of all the old paint that we've been keeping in the basement, and start fresh! I think it also helps that the painter is a buddy -- supporting someone he likes is different from just spending the money on frivolous stuff to spend it, you know?

I told the painter that plain/untinted white was probably fine, and he said that's great because it's less time spent in the paint store matching colors.

[spotty_dog]

This is tough! I am finding that my kitchen cabinets are an off-white and I worry it will look dingy against a pure white trim. So I'm considering SW Alabaster which is a bit of a creamy undertone, and then I have to worry about how it combines with the wall color. :\

And wall color! Instead of color-matching the BM shade that my SIL gave us I went to the store and found a similar SW called Simplify Beige. It has a pink undertone and the last thing I want is puce walls. I think China Doll is more neutral but is lighter. I think I want to call in the painter's "free color consultation" but DH just wants a decision made. >.< Although we are only painting the entryway right now, I want something I can use in a lot of spaces through the house...hrm hrm.

[poky]

This is tough! I am finding that my kitchen cabinets are an off-white and I worry it will look dingy against a pure white trim. So I'm considering SW Alabaster which is a bit of a creamy undertone, and then I have to worry about how it combines with the wall color. :\

And wall color! Instead of color-matching the BM shade that my SIL gave us I went to the store and found a similar SW called Simplify Beige. It has a pink undertone and the last thing I want is puce walls. I think China Doll is more neutral but is lighter. I think I want to call in the painter's "free color consultation" but DH just wants a decision made. >.< Although we are only painting the entryway right now, I want something I can use in a lot of spaces through the house...hrm hrm.

If the white trim looks bad with the off-white cabinets, can you just re-paint the cabinets? I think I'd rather do that than re-think everything else, especially if you think the pure white trim will look good everywhere else. We painted kitchen cabinets ourselves, years ago, and it was a bit of a pain, but not that difficult (we couldn't stand the 70s dark-wood cabinets any more).

[SoonerTexan]

I think it is worth it to get some samples and see actual color on the wall on your lighting


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[spotty_dog]

If the white trim looks bad with the off-white cabinets, can you just re-paint the cabinets? I think I'd rather do that than re-think everything else, especially if you think the pure white trim will look good everywhere else. We painted kitchen cabinets ourselves, years ago, and it was a bit of a pain, but not that difficult (we couldn't stand the 70s dark-wood cabinets any more).

I totally figured that out after a bit. >.< The cabinet paint is getting pretty dinged up, it's due to be refreshed. I can totally match cabinets to trim instead of trim to cabinets.

I think it is worth it to get some samples and see actual color on the wall on your lighting

Yeah, I really should. I do kind of want to narrow it to two or so shades. The color consultant at the painting company suggested another neutral beige that seems to have less pink (Kestrel White). I will sleep on it.

[MrsC]

Our cabinets are off white and the trim is white. Not even noticeable.

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