I'm from the midwest so I know what you're talking about. Even when people build, it's only the expensive houses that have the wood trim. I'm used to it so I look at my new white painted moldings knowing we had to go with a lesser builder.

Around Chicago you'd have to be with a custom builder to get the wood.

Most people on GW Dec don't like wood to match anyway. Do you have a pic to show?

I'd give it a bit more time to get used to it being different. I don't see a problem.

It doesn't in our home, but I don't know that there is a hard and fast rule. Then again, I've never been known to follow rules very well:).

If anyone would know the rule, someone on this forum will know! I can't wait to see if I've totally ignored "the rules". I guess I am just used to mixing woods?

Thanks Parma. Here are a couple of examples. Next to the fp is a pantry piece I used to have in a formal dining room (which I no longer have in this house - different rant). Anyway, I couldn't bear to part with it, so I decided to use it like a barrister bookcase in the living room. Please keep in mind, I haven't repainted or anything yet either. That's one more thing on a long list of "to dos".

Bay window view:

Anyone think the woodtone combos look odd? or can I soften the differences with wall paint, curtains, etc?

Thanks!

Honestly - it looks perfectly fine. You wouldn't want it to match, IMO. (Lovely home, by the way!)

Thanks for the other two posters as well. You posted while I was trying to upload pics! I want to lose the burgandy walls to make things less dark. Right now I feel I'm drowning in a sea of brown. I'm afraid that once I lose the burgandy, the dark brown and mahogony stains will pop out even more against the trim and wood blinds.

I'm really trying to make an effort in decorating for the first time, and realizing I really suck at this...LOL

I think that the really dark walls are making the light stain color pop.

I don't know what the "rules" are, I think you can basically make them up yourself ;)

I would prefer the stain to be a darker color, but that's just my opinion.
Looks like you have a very nice new home!

To me they don't look odd. I like stained wood trim, so I guess I might not be the person to chime in.

Is it that the woods are not "matching" your furniture, or just that they aren't painted that you are bothered by?

I'm with auntjen, I think it is more interesting to mix woods. If I were to change anything, I might want to change out the mantel, only because I would want a different style mantel. If I were to move into a home that had painted woodwork, I probably would be feeling about the paint the way you are feeling about the stained wood. Just personal preference, I guess.

BTW, your barrister's chest is a great piece. What paint color are you considering for the room pictured?

I think when you repaint, all will be well.

Our furniture has always been darker wood and out last house had lighter oak on all the trim and moldings.

While I'm usually a gold person, I would suggest a green for your room. Maple and green just seem made for each other, IMO. It will also look better with your carpet. If you ever decide on hardwood for the room, be sure and look at something like tigerwood. It would marry the two tones perfectly.

Your bookcase is gorgeous!

I like your darker pieces along side of the wood trim. Though we have painted trim throughout the house, we do have natural oak floors and actually prefer the contrast of wood tones to the floors: otherwise it all blends together in a sea of orange wood. I agree with work_in_progress, though about the changing the mantle. It doesn't really blend very well with the brick.

Thanks guys. I haven't committed to a color. The other wall (not shown in the pics) is beige. Funny you should mention green though. My adjoining dining area and kitchen, is two shades of green. One a mossy deep color, the other lighter. Green is my favorite color, but I'm not sure I want it in every room (my master bedroom is green too).

I do feel better about the stains. Not that there was much I could do about it, since I can't afford to get all new furniture and can't even imagine how much work would be involved in painting or restaining all that trim!

If furniture and trim had to match, there wouldn't be one room in our house that a decorator would find acceptable!! We've lived in St. Paul, MN and now outside Chicago and one of the things we've always required is unpainted woodwork...and we're old home people. We have cherry and oak, We have mahogany and oak. We have 3 colors of wood in our kitchen.

Because your wood is, to me, a richer color, I would not go with light or pastel type colors, though. I'd suggest middle of the road type colors.

I don't mind the furniture not matching, but I'd paint that trim in a heartbeat, no matter how long it took. I live in LA, and I've had houses with great dark stained trim (Spanish style and Craftsman) and painted trim in a 1880s foursquare. I don't like light stained trim, anywhere.

Is this post still active, i need some advice.

nevermind just realized this post was from like another decade

You might get some responses. None of the above helps you? If not go ahead and start a new thread....

Paint that trim! No, furniture and trim not only don't need to "match", they shouldn't!

It looks like you have a lot of woodwork. Your furniture pieces work okay in spite of the maple woodwork. I would keep the woodwork it is quite an undertaking to refinish. Besides, it is timeless. The wall color I would change perhaps a teal or silver green, something a little brighter and livelier.

I hope not! My house -- log -- is stained light natural and I have all this dark cherry wood furniture I am so not spending to replace. It will be fine.

I'm from MA. 1925 house with gumwood wainscoting and very long mantel in the living room which I just did over. I have very dark wood furniture - chairs, sofa, baby grand piano. But I picked up the gold tones in all the wood in my upholstery choices - gold and deep coral. BM Powell Buff above the wainscotting. Love my room - feels calming and relaxing. I agree with what other posters have said about changing up the wall color. Good luck and have fun!

Try this site. You can upload your pictures and experiment with different room paint colors. I did something on a similar site when I was choosing a color for the outside of my house. It helped a lot.

https://www.sherwin-williams.com/visualizer/#/active/scenes