That sounds like a lot of oak, maybe you could start with painting the doors and ceilings with a fresh coat of white to see if that will brighten it up enough for you, then go from there

Bm decorators white

I am NOT a DIY lady, so I may be way off on this suggestion. I am going to guess (correct me, please) that staining may be easier than painting.

"Effective ways to whitewash wood are by using
commercial wood stain in shades of white..."

I don't know how you would get the look you are after with a honey stained oak for trim..furniture, yes.

mmmmmmm Paint it. You won't regret it. Also, no law says a trim detail must contrast. Unless it is lovely in scale, consider NOT highlighting at all, and paint in wall color....just a bit more sheen for longevity. You are allowed to make a not too fabulous feature just disappear into the background, and highlight something else, a great view, beautiful floors, lovely light, pretty whatever, or , or, or

I'm a licensed interior designer with many years experience and they're all great ideas listed below. Painting or staining it be the best. Start with a test room you don't use as often and try a darker espresso stain that could compliment something in the rooms (s) such as furnishings or other millwork. Or paint it to match the wall Color and it will all disappear and be part of the wall themselves. If you paint a bright white they'll just stand out. Sanding is costly and messy so maybe try darker paint meant for trims/mouldings or wall paint to match first. Ask a professional at a painting store for detailed recommendations on how to once you decide. Just start small in one room and test it out. They have floor paints too if you need to do stairs then railings. I've seen it done before and it looks good. Good luck!

One of the reasons the golden oak from the 90s looks so golden is that the polyurethane finish has yellowed over time. I am not aware of any finish that can be applied over the older finish that will show woodgrain or lighten the wood. I think the oil in above post needs to be applied before finishing - however it never hurts to ask at your local reputable paint store for ideas.

I did strip and refinish my cabinets this year and they are a tad lighter than before and less yellow. However, refinishing is a long process and a lot of work even if it is not difficult. It only looks bad when people get impatient and cut corners.

I do have painted trim with my wood cabinets and doors. My doors are nice 6 panel wood ones and I did not want to paint them, plus I really like the warmth of wood. The combination of wood and white trim is pretty and gives flexibility because you can use either wood or white. For example my fireplace mantel is wood, but a large built in bookcase is white. Three baths have stained cabinets, but one has a white painted one. Beadboard wainscot in some rooms is white. Painting trim is a chore, but if you do not have to do cabinets and doors, it is manageable. I took my time and spread it out over almost a year while kids were napping.

Here are some pics showing wood and white trim. These are not Scandinavian:

This one below is more of a cottage look - and I think it is English, but it has a cottage Scandinavian look, and has wood doors with white trim:

I've been in my house for a few years. I've attached some photos (pardon the mess) to give you an idea. As for the size of the trim, it's not very large. I also am worried about the sheer work involved to paint all of this. It's also one of those situations where once it's painted, I can never go back to just wood.... Makes me nervous. I recently saw a local open house that painted their trim and it looked terrible. That may have been more due to how they painted it than the white trim itself, but it looked pretty shoddy.

I know my general decor, main floor carpet, and some of the wall colors are not really "modern," but before I make big changes, I'm trying to figure out if I should let my love for modern go and stick to the general style of the house or be bold and get it to what I like.

@onthefence: I know exactly what you mean regarding wood with neutrals. It makes me think it should be possible, I just can't find any examples of it.

The small amount of trim in the oak seems so out of place in your pictures...just paint it!! Believe me you will never want to go back to that oak....the painted trim will make a much bigger impact then leaving the oak. If it matched your floors maybe???? But it makes your home look unfinished....and your home is super cute. Time to put the icing on the cake!

I completely understand the thought of painting it - and not being able to go back. It's what has held me back from painting few things here myself!

I'm a "try it in stages" kind of person - and I have to see what it's going to look like. Could you go get a large-ish piece of white mdf trim, double-stick tape it in palce and see what it does for you? I'd make the test wall be your photo wall so you could get a sense of the white trim and oak staircase in one visual.

After looking at your pics, it seems the biggest issue is the base trim. I wouldn't want to paint all of that either! The rooms almost feel like if that trim was gone, the other oak would be OK.

Painting is really the only option for an easy change...it does appear to be necessary as it really doesn't match any of the wood in your pictures...matching the floors would maybe be the only way to retain the wood finish and that job would be huge ..with no guarantee of a match..if you are handy ...tackle it in small steps..matching the wall paint color would be easiest and most unifying..using a good quality paint and the proper preparation products....or having it professionally done...should avoid the slip shod job you fear..

In general I like wood and do not quickly jump on the "paint it" wagon, but you are correct, this is narrow trim and not something you should feel bad about painting. However, I would not paint it till you decide what to do with your floors. It is difficult to paint trim next to carpet. You will end up with a paint line on the trim that will need to be sanded down a bit if you switch to a hardwood.

In the room that has hardwood, the trim does not match and might be better if it was white. Not all your wood tones need to be the same. The floor and the barn door are harmonious, but the trim work - at least on my monitor, is a little off. You could simply start in that room and see how it goes. You do not have to have it match throughout. Many older homes have different color trims in different rooms.

To paint, mask off with painters tape. Clean the woodwork well with a non-greasy cleaner - don't use a polish. If it is very glossy use a deglosser - I did not use a deglosser and mine came out fine. Use 2 coats of Zinsser 123 primer followed by 2 coats of a latex acrylic enamel or other good topcoat recommended by your local reputable paint store. The primer takes a few days to cure so be gentle with freshly painted areas till it has time to cure - I mean don't go scratching at it to see if it is going to hold up till at least a week goes by.

" on he fence" I read the part about using gray oil but I don't understand. Do you?

One more comment on color for the trims..it seems you do have a lot of white elements in all the rooms ...and doors appear to be white..so white would be a good option in these areas..from the photos the one area where matching wall would be good is the wall near the couch..matching the walls has only one downfall and that is when you decide to change wall color baseboards will need to be painted again...

I like the idea of getting some pieces of white MDF and putting it over the trim to see if I like it better. It's a good way to "try it out" before painting everything. I will also note that even those these pics are mostly of the baseboard, I also have it under the windows (as seen in the bath photo), and around the doors (kitchen pic).

In the case of my bedroom, the wood flooring is similar color to the trim. In those cases it seems to bother me less. I've taken a few more photos for reference.

But stuff like this...not a fan.

Thanks again for all your insights!

I'm a fan of Scandinavian Modern and some of the elements that turn it Scandinavian is the use of BRIGHT GOLDEN WOOD..like beech or birch or light European White Oak. The other elements that are often present = bright white walls; PLENTY OF GLASS, chrome and strong jolts of colour (think Ikea playfulness).

So far, the oak trim is dating your space. Out of all the elements that are needed to get to Scandinavian modern, the oak trim is giving me the most problems. It is clunky and thin, and just "sitting there" getting in the way.

The next problem area = gray/beige hardwood and carpet. And then the white doors up against the golden oak and beige. So far, nothing is working together. Nothing is pulling this space towards your goal.

If painting the trim is a lot of work, then remove it an have new white trim installed and keep going. Decide on your flooring. Try to get this to work in the same direction. So far you have tone on tone on tone for wood, carpet and bathrooms tiles (all of it gray/beige). The decision is: to keep all the gray/beige (which moves away from Scandinavian Modern) or to replace.

Painting walls would also help get you where you want to go. And the stair railing would need to be updated as well.

In essence, I suggest you sit down and PLAN OUT the next 7 years of updates and remodels. Take the time (the next 2 weeks or so) to SEARCH OUT photos and inspiration. Get paint chips and wood colours and tile samples, etc and have them all sorted out on a 'story board'. Take photos of the story board and colour references and have them on your phone.

Now put the story board in the car so that if you find a "great find" you can reference it to your story board. If it works, buy it...if it doesn't then leave it on the shelf for someone else to find.

You have many updates to get through. Without a designer working with you or without a 7 year PLAN (story board) you will find your project gets more and more muddied every time you change something.

Try using drapes and curtains that fit your taste. Then work
on the lightings.

I would recommend seeing if it comes off the walls halfway easy. It is SOOO much easier to sand and paint and actually do a good job at it when you aren't bent over on your side hating your life trying to do it. It doesn't take much to get it off the wall and nail it back on in the same place after it's painted.

Golden oak trim and floors mixed with mid century modern design is wonderful..here are some inspiration images.....

This is a 2015 post...seems like there are much fewer current posts than normal..????

Painting oak white!!! Wow the designer who said that must be on something .why paint over expensive wood to make it look like MDF.

Only idiots paint real oak trim !!!! Buy cheap MDF if you want the modern look!!!

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