Congratulations on your new home! The flooring is beautiful! Are you interested in maintaining the architectural history of the home? Are you considering painting the wood white as a way of brightening the interior or because you prefer white?

I think the wood trim is gorgeous, but if you like white, you could always do some of the trim around the windows white and leave the wood on the staircase. I'm posting photos to show how that would look. The other option would be to paint the walls a fresh, neutral color and see if you enjoy the wood after living with it awhile. Where wood is concerned -- it's much easier to paint than it is to undo paint.

Overall, a lovely neutral wall color would brighten things up! Here's photos of white trim with wood, as well as a color choice for the walls. The color is Benjamin Moore Abalone.

Christi, on behalf of Thos. Baker

Thanks Christi!
I wasn't sure what the protocol was with white trim & if I paint some(like window trim as you mentioned, should I paint all). I partially just wanted white to create a small that is a bit brighter & seems more open but I realize that it is easier to paint later than go back on my decision.

Thanks for the input!

Your welcome drewjag. One would think the protocol would be cut and dried -- either all white or all wood. Mixing the two is a little tricky and requires a trained eye. I think painting the walls is a great first step. Be sure to choose a light color that contrasts with white, so if you decide to do white trim down the road, the walls are already a perfect color for that.

Also, I can understand why you'd like to paint the trim white, but with an older home, beautiful, original wood is highly-valued and sometimes coveted. So, a good plan is to paint the walls a light, fresh color, move in, see how you feel, take time to study the wood and approach the decision with consideration for your needs, as well as the value and the aesthetics of the home. Not always an easy decision!

Christi, on behalf of Thos. Baker

Thanks again Christi! I like that plan attack, with the living room & dining area being connected & open to each other would you paint the two rooms different colors? Also, any specific colors you would recommend?

Hello again drewjag! Without knowing the color of your furnishings, it's difficult to suggest the right color for your rooms. For example, if your sofa and throw pillows are gray and blue, you would choose a different shade of white than if your sofa and pillows were beige and yellow. Photos or a description of your color scheme would be helpful in order to give you specific color recommendations.

Knowing your color scheme will also help determine if you should paint the living and dining rooms the same color. For example, if your dining room furniture has upholstered fabric that is a different color scheme than your living room furniture, you can use the same color, but you may need a slight variation in the shade.

So, let us know your color scheme and we'll do some fun color choices!

Christi, on behalf of Thos. Baker