I have the same scenario and I'm not sure what to do!

Rusty empire, you make excellent points. Thank you.

This looks like 400 year old straight grain Douglas fir and in a Craftsman style house. If so, it would be a sin to paint it. Rusty is correct in that the style you aspire to does not fit the style of the home. I think you could paint the walls a deep tan or mocha and get the feel you are looking for. Or look for another deep rich tone that works with this lovely trim style. (Or maybe I'm just thinking odd the thousands of dollars I paid to restore my old trim, and the people I know who would die for what you have ;)

A dark grasscloth wallpaper would look elegant with the dark molding, and may even tie the floors in, if keeping.

Don't paint your wood. Dark colors will enhance its look. I'm not sure that guests will appreciate the blackness of your inspiration photo. Perhaps, navy instead? You have lots of natural light in this room and a glitzy chandelier could be a nice surprise and glam up this room. that would mean removing your fan though. The floors are beautiful and would be highlighted by a cream shag rug which would be a comfort factor for guests. Another take on black theme, photo below. Formal valances in black with natural blinds for a nice contrast. Note the blush colored pillows, and brown throw.

Another option for central, ambient lighting.

I have dark wooden floors and trim including a picture rail and have painted a very dark inky blue that is slightly softer than straight black below the picture rail with a soft beige above it and it really makes the wood sing.

Please do not paint your trim. It is not necessary for the black to work. When you look for black paint make sure to put the color chips up next to each other. Some lean blue, some lean green. I hope you will choose a soft black. I think that is what is in your inspiration photograph.

Sorry I don’t agree if you want the look of the inspiration pic you will need white woodwork and IMO that space looks awesome for guest room and you can paint the wood in there and not have to paint anywhere else so go for it , it will be a very memorable guest room, I do agree about a soft black and of course in a matte finish.

A black room that has beautiful windows and can be sun drenched is going to "feel" less comfortable. It's incongruous.

please don't paint that trim! it is sooooo beautiful! :)

its one bedroom. not a library or grand foyer or dining room with original burlwood paneling. paint the trim if you want to paint the trim.

Don't paint the trim. Honestly, I'd look for a different house to match your style before painting the trim. That said, black, white and dark wood can work together. Here's an example:

You could also choose another color other than black. Examples:

Er, thanks for the visuals. They help me imagine the possibilities. I think I realized that the look I want to achieve is a feeling that can be achieved without the trim painted. This discussion board has really been helpful. Thanks again!

Phew!! :-)

This is kind of like the scenario of taking a gorgeous natural curly hair style photo to your stylist when you have stick-straight limp hair. It would take trying too hard. You need to respect the bones of your house.

I think your trim and floors- left as they are- would support your quest for a dark, edgy look... Not interfere. Once you paint trim, there's no going back. Potential buyers may be turned off by that too, if that is an issue down the road.

Mia is correct of course. Always consider resale. Potential buyers will likely cringe at black walls, unless your whole home is done thematically in this manner. Even so, it will turn off a majority of buyers. But don't interpret this as a "no" - done right black can look amazing. But the average home decorator is going to find this a challenge to pull off well.

I'm late to the party here, but...on the topic of resale:

Our first house was a 1912 Craftsman cottage with the original sweet gum window trims and floor moldings, which were a dark medium brown stain. I suspect they had been more orange when new, but over 80 years they had mellowed to a darker color. I loved the idea of dark walls, and so I painted the dining room a very dark slate blue (almost midnight blue) and left the moldings alone. I furnished the room with a dark blue oriental rug over the oak floor, a dark blue and white striped cornice over the window, a medium-brown finish dining table and chairs, and an antique marbletop dresser. The dining room looked mysterious and beautiful in candlelight. All the other rooms had light antique white walls. When we put it on the market, the house sold in eight days at close to the asking price. So I'm making two points: a) A dark color can look good with stained wood molding (depending upon the colors) and b) some buyers don't require the entire house to be "themed."

I would paint it! It would give the room a fresh new look. A guest room should look special and welcoming. The dark paint with the painted white trim would achieve that!