How to make the dark trim work?

11 years ago

Proud new owner of all this wood and wallpaper :). The trim in the rest of the house is painted white and I typically like crisp white trim and cool/modern colors. But I am torn about painting the original wood trim in the dinning room. It is high quality wood and in very good condition. How can I update/modernize this space and incorporate the dark trim? Would it work with the rest of the house? Thought on paint, design etc. welcome.

Featured Answer

libradesigneye

11 years ago

Since the seats, rug and wallpaper all match (Hot pink!) I'm assuming this is not yours. I think keeping the wood grain here is good and want to know more about your personal color scheme , color of the wood for your dining room table, what your general style preferences are before I endorse Maureen's darkening the wood tone approach - but what is great about her post is that it shows how wood grain isn't inherently old fashioned, just how it is used and paired and how many different wood tone shades there are.

This wood tone, for instance, looks like it would fit right into a house with a trestle oak farm table - with contemporary or traditional chairs.

I would suggest painting the ceiling - the white they have is not the right one. That can be a better focal point - maybe even a darker accent shade - so the beams are proud but not such high contrast against the ceiling since your ceilings are high.

Since the rest of the trim in the house is painted white, here is how I would tie things together - look at bm mohair - this is a creamy shade that would be gorgeous on the walls in here next to the wood. Then, use the lighter shade - french white - in a room with whiter trim - so that the creamy tones create a sort of shade palette of neutral tones that lead the eye - from the trim white, to the french white, to the mohair to the wood tone . .

http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/mohair

mohair for this rooms walls

http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/frenchwhite

for another public room with lots of white trim - maybe an entry hall or the living room or both - a room where you could use help making it feel bright and light . .

With that, if you want to be bold in just one space but not commit to color, a brown black would be stunning on this ceiling against the wood and make the room dramatic even though it was all neutrals and very simple. I like the undertones in bm silhouette http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/silhouette

next to the wood tone you have . . or take mohair to the ceiling as well -

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Comments (11)

Elle
11 years ago
If you'd like to keep the trim and keep the walls light, I think gray or cream would work. If you'd like more color on the walls, I think some medium, modern blues could look good. Based on the apparent size of the room, it looks like you could do a larger dining set and chandelier(s).
acm
11 years ago
I would paint it, but you can surely make it work if motivated to do so, as it will give this room some unique character...
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Maureen
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I don't think it matters that this room is different than the rest of your home. I would paint the room white or cream and stain the wood darker to the color below and decorate in a contemporary/rustic style - if you enlarge the picture below, you'll get a better feel of what it may sort of feel like.
Dining Rooms · More Info
Elia thanked Maureen
User
11 years ago
Is this your DINING room furniture and rug or the sellers?
User
11 years ago
I would not touch the woodwork, looks original and in good shape. Would you consider another wallpaper if you don't want that color? What type of furnishings will be in the room?
Olga Kramar
11 years ago
My previous house had this situation, some rooms the trim was painted and others it was the same warm tone as yours, popular in the 70s I think. I wouldn't paint wood in nice condition, it's so beautiful. Most new construction uses fake wood painted over because real wood like yours would cost a fortune. The key to decorating with this was remembering that it's a WARM toned wood and using wall color with warm undertones. That means a buttery creamy beige if you go light, not the grayish taupes popular in recent years. Most warm colors work well as long as they are not the same intensity as your wood. That's why the pink looks bad, it's about the same intensity as the woodwork. Not that I like or recommend peach, but as an example a pale warm pink or peach would show off the woodwork a lot better than the saturated dark pink you have now.
PRO
Panache Designs
11 years ago
If you are going for a vintage look in your Dining Room, the wood trim is great to keep and keep the walls light. If you are wanting a more updated look to the room, you should paint the trim to match the rest of the home.
Elia
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you all for your thoughts! The decor is from the prior owner, who was indeed a lover of all shades of pink (magenta carpet in the master bedroom anyone :) )

We are still trying to think through the furnishings and style of the DR, and the house in general for that matter. We have a transitional style i guess, but in this case we are also trying to respect the personality of this 1910 home. In the LR for example we are doing 2 WS Presidio sofas (flanking the fireplace) but then bringing the elegance down a notch with a jute rug.

If we were to paint the trim white i'd definitely go with a wallpaper in the DR, but Maureen has me almost convinced i can make the wood work.
Elia
Original Author
11 years ago
libradesigneye, thanks for your thoughtful comment. I had not even considered that i can play with the tone of the wood until you pointed this out. Darkening/cooling the tone of the wood might do the trick.

Okramar, i used to rent a house that had the "orange" wood trim everywhere. Of course only warm colors complemented it, so we painted in lots of green and golds. Man i hated it! I just don't like warm tones i think, that's probably why i don't like mid tone wood.
er612
11 years ago
Don't paint the woodwork. It's gorgeous. I would start by removing the wallpaper. I would look for a large piece of art to hang above your buffet.