I absolutely love it!!!

And what beautiful trees!!

And you are so right!!

65 years old is the new 55!

I find keeping up with my grandmum difficult.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Paint it, we did and I like it so much better.

Of course you should not paint the woodwork. Location and home history would have been appreciated in your original post, I think much of this discussion would have gone away. Enjoy your wonderful home. I was around in the 60's and had the same trim in my first home, but I painted the walls a color and it soothed the stark contrast. It's not about the trim, it is about the trim with white walls. My best to you, I know you will really love the home.

OK, we went up to the house and I looked at the trim again with a more critical eye. It is very narrow, the finish is very bad and the windows are very large. They need a wider trim. We have pretty much decided that if we did all of the painting ourselves we could purchase new trim for the money saved by not hiring someone to do it. The walls would be easier to paint with the trim off, the floors would be easier to refinish and the trim could be painted off the wall. All good things. So, as of today...wider white trim it is! We could probably donate all of the wood trim that we remove to Habitat.

NOT A CRIME BUT A SIN.......stay with the wood trim! I have a 50's home with wood trim as yours and thought of changing it, but didnt. I actually enjoyed the wood character.

with the right color/colors for the walls the wood will be nice and it could...could be later changed if you start feeling sinful

I love the modern doors and simple trim. I grew up in a house like that and have fond memories of that style of house. The problem shown in the picture is less about the trim but more about the grim carpet and the bright white walls. Paint the walls with a great midtone colour so the doors dont pop visually and remove the wall to wall carpet. I assume there would be a hardwood floor as is typical of that style, this would visually ground the wood doors and trim. If there is not hard wood spend the money and time on that.

Marilyn Wilkie,

Fantastic!!

When my parents died, I had to sell their home. It had the same trim. I had to have it painted. Not because I wanted to, but because some of my younger siblings had done a terrible job painting the house many year before and had messed up on the trim. I really rathered the old natural trim in that house.

But if you can have yours removed and donate it, I think that might be a good solution.

I just thought: the current plain molding is not near as good quality as what you have and the doors match the trim. Will you paint the doors, too? If you do the walls and ceiling yourself, you could hire a professional to refinish the trim.

I bet this house was painted white to sell it. With color on the walls, the natural trim will look a lot better.

So I am back to try to keep it.

Good luck!

Personally, I would paint the trim and replace and upgrade the interior doors with a fresh new style. In Texas it is rare to have stained trim; it is all painted. Good luck.

yes, yes, yes paint it! you wont regret it gal

Most of these windows are 54" x 58". Those are big windows. The trim throughout is only 2 1/4" wide. Very wimpy. The closer I looked at it, the more noticed nicks and scratches and years of dirt, especially on the wimpy baseboards. I believe that I can go to a wider casing trim (3 1/4") in mdf for 64 cents a foot, and low profile 4 1/4" base for 76 cents a foot. There is a discount trim place north of Elkart Indiana called Nickell. MDF is great for painting. I would keep the doors and see how they look after painting the walls and base. The house has not been painted for many years. You can see where pictures were hung on the walls. The living room and kitchen are a light mint green and one of the bedrooms is pale pink. Very dated colors.

Every room needs painting and of course the carpet needs to be torn up. The house has hardwood flooring except the kitchen. We will hire someone to refinish the floors. The bathroom needs a total rework. The window location interferes with the shower wall. I would like to replace the tub with a large walk in shower with an open area to the right so that the window would just be on an open wall. Maybe a built-in cabinet in the corner. I would like to see all of the bathroom walls in a white subway tile and a black and white ceramic floor. The toilet and the vanity should be replaced as well. I found a source for discount tile.

We will replace all of the kitchen cabinets and appliances ourselves. This will be our second diy iKea kitchen. We will either go with ceramic tiles on the kitchen floor or maybe a laminate tile. We should be able to redo the kitchen for under $8000. We also want to build a small banquette into the corner of the kitchen.

Lots of fun ahead. Thanks again for all of your input. I just believe that I want to go with white trim and I don't want to go to all of the work of prepping and painting the old narrow stuff . Painting it off the wall will be so much easier than doing it on hands and knees and then worrying about paint getting on the walls and floor and vice-a-versa. Also the sander won't be bumping into the trim when the floors are refinished.

So:
1. tear off all of the old trim, saving it as much as possible for donation.
2. Have the floors refinished.
3. Paint the new trim in the basement.
4. tape butcher paper to the new floors for protection.
5. Paint the walls.
6. install the new trim and touch up the nail holes.

I agree with Audrey..Paint it...I had that in my current home..painted & looks so clean & fresh..if you are going with a more rustic look then leave it maybe? It's a lot of work though.. luckily I hired mine done or it would still be stain..

Wider trim is more attractive, in general.

As I said in my comment a couple of comments up, we are going to replace it with wider mdf trim and paint that trim white. We will carefully remove this old trim and donate it to Habitat for Humanity if they want it. We have a lot of work to do on the house besides the trim. :)

Yes Aja, I agree. We have replaced almost all of our old clamshell style trim in our current house with fluted casings and bullseye corners. But we won't be able to afford to do that up there.

I rather like pink bathrooms--have lived with 3 of them now and they are fun and cheerful. Looks like paint though, not tile, and beige on the floor, so perhaps is an empty slate as is. If the fixtures are good quality, I would leave it, at least for awhile.

Since you have decided to redo the trim, I would definately go for as wide as you can afford for the baseboard. Be sure to be careful with the carpentry--scarf (cut at an angle) and stagger the joints and cope the inside corners and miter the outside corners. Also traditional window framing vs. the more modern mitered framing is practical and actually easier to install, especially if things have settled a bit and are not perfectly square. The most recent issue of "Old House Journal" has an article on the topic. This might be a nice opportunity to install some deep window sills as well, which I really like, and to beef up the insulation around the existing windows, which is typically the source of draftiness, not the window itself.

Make sure you hire someone with experience in finish carpentry or do a careful job yourself. I would consider drawing out the details to scale to pick the right size and combination, and doing a test area before committing for the whole house.

I recently redid a room in my Victorian with 1x8 baseboards and 3/4 inch quarter round on top and shoemolding, which came close to the simple orignal moldings. Unfortunately I allowed my tenants to do the work to pay for back rent, and I will have to redo it because they used butt joints and it looks horrible, despite my instructions. Still an improvement over the horrible plastice skinny molding it replaced though. Lesson learned-- do your research and always supervise if you want it to be done right.

BTW, prepainted trim will still need to be painted or touched up after installation, especially if it is built up of multiple pieces. Keep the primer and first coat thin for the best results.

High contrast breaks space and makes it look smaller. i would replace the trim with something wider and paint. The baseboards in particular stand out as being too small.
Where do you want your eyes to be drawn? As it is, all you see is what SHOULDN'T be the focus of your attention.
White walls are ok if they are a soft white. What I'm seeing is very sterile looking.
These are general guidelines and my opinion only.
Good luck.

Marilyn, I like the plan you have made for changes to your home.

Just for a trip down memory lane, here is a 1958 detail. House with the same narrow trim, same doors. The difference between that house and yours is that the walls were custom colors in flat paint, and the baseboards and moulding around the doors were painted to match in high gloss finish. Easier to wash the gloss finish with all the children folks had during the baby boomer years.

Congratulations on your new home, and best wishes to you and yours.

Eztia. Thank you for reading my previous comments before posting. I know it takes time to do that but it saves repeating what I already said. We are the buyers and we are replacing all of the trim with wider trim which we will paint and install correctly. :)

new thought from ME, are you considering the trim only?

my thought is one should consider the three items together, floor/wall/trim....it should be one composition

Yes, Gary Finley, we are considering all three. The floor is hardwood and will be beautiful refinished. I have previously lied light colored wood floors because they open up a space. But this house is already very open with large south facing windows and a large opening between the living room and kitchen. It has a more modern feel because of the open plan. So, darker floors may work well. We do have three small dogs and have laminate floors now because they do not scratch. But darker floor scratches could be covered easier than light maybe? More frequent nail trimming and a good finish on the floor would help as well. We love color and light. Our bedroom now is a pale sky blue with white below a chair rail. The living room is a fresh spring green called "lettuce alone", our utility is a beautiful shade of ocean turquoise and the bath is a french blue with white beadboard 2/3 up the walls. Our sunroom is also a modern green with more yellow in it. The kitchen backsplash is shades of blue, green and white glass tiles. We are not afraid of color! LOL

Below are more pictures of the house we are buying and remodeling.

Here is a rendering of what the kitchen might look like after the remodel. The benches would not be there. We hope to build an l-shaped upholstered banquette instead. Not shown in this view is a tall 88" cabinet with the oven in it.

One more view - with beech butcher block counters

I love the black with the stainless steel and beech.

The L shaped upholstered banquette is a great idea.
Will the table be in the same colour beech as the counters?

Aja, I'm pretty sure we will go with green on the walls. My husband wants a black & white checkerboard tiled floor. I will have to figure out which butcher block goes with the little island cart - beech, birch or oak and go with that. The table should be round, may be white, and movable for ease of getting in and out. The back of the banquette facing the living room will probably be beadboard with moldings as will the base of the benches. They will have storage in them. All will be painted white. A coordinating fabric will be used on the cushions. The backsplash will probably be white also. I like the open walls

Great idea to use the base of the benches for storage,

Are you saying the floors and the walls won't be that lime green?

The floor definitely won't be green. The walls will be some shade(s) of green. I'm caught between the more natural greens of nature and the more trendy greens that are coming into popularity now. The rendering shows two different shades of green. Some walls darker and some lighter. All greens look good with white I think.

Delightful and practical!

The black & white checkerboard tiled floor will be so cool.

Be sure to check out Schumacher for the fabric.

Thanks for the feedback Aja. I have an ideabook full of banquettes on my profile that are great inspiration. I tried to post one of the pictures here but it didn't work out. Thanks for the Schumacher tip.

Awesome floor, but I have always love that look!



and your Saarinen Round Dining Table

Yes to both. I love that kitchen! Here is a crazy thought. We have dogs...small dogs and they like to lie on soft things. They WILL be up on the banquette seating. I thought of using outdoor fabric for the cushions. We have some for our chaises and the feel of the fabric is actually very nice. Wears like iron too. Here is one design I liked in a green motif. About $9/yd. Not bad. By the way, how did you podt that picture in your comment?

The dogs should of course be included!

You don't have to sell me on "outdoor" fabric!
The fabric you chose is great!

My grandmum taught me so sew at age 9. I can spend hours in a fabric store!
I worked one summer while in college at an upholstery shop and learned so much.

I designed and made my wedding gown with the help of of mom and grandmum.
It required hours of handwork.

That's fantastic Aja. My mother loved to sew and did it often. We used to have some really good fabric stores in our area, but one by one they closed. Now we have to drive a ways. Wedding gowns are the pinnacle of sewing in my estimation. A friend has made many of them and I'm in awe. I like to sew as well but don't do it as often as I should. I really enjoyed making pretty dresses for my niece when she was little. She was in that stage where all she would wear were dresses. I remember one with pale blue birds in flight and kind of silvery clouds. That was beautiful material. Her mom has kep the dresses all these years. :)

I too vote for the wood trim. There is soo much upkeep to a house and real wood trim keeps the upkeep down. Actually, the people that did my house did a combination and I prefer the part that is the natural wood. Most of us like nice houses but it is difficult to keep it looking like a design mag all the time anyway. We always have a remodel project going on after living here a few years.

Thanks for your vote Carolina! :)

I hope I never reach the point that the appearance of my home is more important to me than the people who live in it and the friends that visit.

Growing up, there was always one home where all of the kids hung out after school and on weekends.

I remember pizza and movies and a dozen kids cluttering the family room floor with pillows and blankets everywhere.

I remember pool parties and cook outs, and a kitchen in shambles as we waited for the next batch of cookies, yet somehow the home survived and to this day, I love to visit.

You don't see those homes in the magazines, but that is the kind of home I want to make.

"By the way, how did you podt that picture in your comment?"

Go to the Houzz page where the photo is displayed.

Copy and paste the URL into your comment box on the thread.

I would not paint any trim/door or wall until floors are done.. Floors alone can define the style of your home. Your house could easily go mid century modern with a couple faux door treatments by adding lucite panel in 3 sections down the middle off the door. If you place white paper behind the frosted acrylic it will have a translucent appearance. This is a great way to update your doors which will then be complimented by the wood trim. Small inexpensive things can make the most impact.

Hmmm...sorry for the typo. I thought that was what I did to post a picture and when I pasted it I did see a tiny picture and all of the url. But when I looked at the comment the picture was not there. Only a description of the room was there. I will try it again.
Picture of breakfast area I like.
Still didn't work. This is all that posts. Do I have to click on upload a picture also? I do use a MAC.

Traditional Kitchen design by Chicago Kitchen And Bath The Kitchen Studio of Glen Ellyn

hparks74, we are replacing all of the trim and painting it. As I said above, we will do the floors before any of the painting and will protect them. We will paint the trim off of the wall and attach and touch up the paint after.
"So:
1. tear off all of the old trim, saving it as much as possible for donation.
2. Have the floors refinished.
3. Paint the new trim in the basement.
4. tape butcher paper to the new floors for protection.
5. Paint the walls.
6. install the new trim and touch up the nail holes."

Tanks for the door treatment idea. I lived "mid-century" and really don't want to return there. I have no good feelings about the period design-wise though we had a pair of Eames recliners that we loved.

I'm sure what ever you do will look great. I just had our post war bungalow gutted wall to wall, ceiling to floor this week and making it modern. We are adding two baths and 700 sf of finished second floor. I didn't read all the post, sorry I missed the details of your plan. Please post your finished work as we all anticipate a beautiful reveal.

Thanks hparks74. That is a really ambitious project you have going. Nice that you have someone else do it. We end up doing just about everything ourselves. We did have a carpenter put in a skylight , do the drywall and remove a bearing wall for our new kitchen in 2010. We did the rest, including demolition down to the studs and ceiling joists, tearing out the old floor surfaces, electrical, plumbing, cabinet assembly, gas line, porcelain floor tile, ceramic tile backsplash, etc. It was a lot of work but beautiful when we finished. I'll keep this updated.

@Marilyn Wilkie how did you draw up that beautiful kitchen remodel idea? Is it a webside or an app? Love it!

Laura, if you go to the ikea site they have what is called a Kitchen Planner. You need to sign in and pick a password. Then you can design your kitchen online and see what it will look like. Only the ikea cabinets, appliances and products are able to be plugged in. Although you can specify "your own" for some appliances. You plug in the dimensions of your room on the planner after you pick the basic shape of the room. Then you add cabinets, etc. The planner will save your designs for one year and you can access them at the ikea store. As you add things it keeps a running list of products with the current prices. You can print that our as well as plan, elevation and renderings of your designs. If you don't use ikea cabinets, you can still use it for generic designing. Ikea does not have the variety of sizes that other cabinet manufacturers have. So you need to deal with that somewhat. It is a lot of fun to work with. Hope this helps. By the way ikea cabinets have soft close doors and drawers and have a 25 year warranty. Cabinet prices range from about $800 for a 10x10 kitchen all the way up to close to $3000 depending on the doors you choose.

Neat! I will give it a try thank you!

Keep it..

Is this wire still alive? We just bought a half 60s home, a half "updated" 20s cottage. About 5 years ago, the owner ripped some of the 60s molding from the newer part of the house and added large ornate white trim and moulding on the bottom half of the 60s home to match wityh their new updates in the 20s home. It didn't get done everywhere, just in some spots, like bathrooms. It was weird. (They also used floor tile on the walls from an 80s era, but just 5 years ago :) But I digress.
When remodeling we opted for new larger wood trimmed windows and matched the stain to original honey/cedar clamshell color in the 60s part of the home still left, we added and wrapped beams where we opened the rooms in the same stain, and then we replaced any of white ornate molding with clam shell and stained to match the original honey/cedar colored 60s molding left in most of the house and around the original windows. To say the least, it looks very warm against warm white walls. Open, and modern, and our hand crafted/modern furniture looks nice against it.
I'd say, if you can keep the molding, and it is too dark, do something to walls to make it contrast but blend..We love tying this house together across the ages :) I find clamshell can work with many styles as has simple lines.

That wood looks to be in good shape! I probably wouldn't paint it. I'd rip out the carpet, possibly update the door hardware, maybe replace the fan and invest in flooring. I like white walls with natural wood trim but a fresh coat in a more modern white or off-white tone might freshen the space up and bring out the beauty of the natural wood.

Molly Schumann, this post is eight (!) years old! When you type a response on a very old post (or any other) every person who commented here years ago gets an email unless they opt to switch off email notifications, which is what I'm doing.