I wish I could reply to each person individually on here but I just want you each to know that this is all extremely helpful and I am grateful for your advice!

"What good is preserving a home’s features if those features don’t actually make you happy?"

Because your happiness isn't everything. Because you should feel a sense of stewardship to the historic community. If you can't feel any sense of responsibility to another time, please, go buy a lot in the country and build that geodesic dome you've always dreamed of.

If someone purchases a home based on fulfilling criteria to fit their needs you can not dictate how they will make their choices for that home with their money. You can express your opinion - as you have, but in the end, the home needs to reflect the people that live there not some sense of dogmatic duty. Nothing in those images suggests high-end craftsman work. If the next buyers want to strip paint...so be it.

Hey, since everyone seems so passionate about this, perhaps Alexa should buy the home then take out an ad that says.."I plan to desecrate this monument with paint if I don't get an offer for more than I paid for it".

Oh gosh, do what u want! Painted or not, the Craftsman details will show through. I can tell you though, that it is one hell of a lot of work to paint! I'd probably redo the floor with no stain (it's probably grade A white oak) and paint the walls white or off white. Call it good. In my craftsman which was already painted, i painted the downstairs trim white and stripped the upstairs. Perfect combo, and it looked beautiful.

I agree with lucido. From the pics it is a very nice house that has some dark trim. It is not a fancy craftsman with ceiling details and the like. The arches don't even have casings! In fact the arches could have been added later. It was common to do that in the 30s-50s to modernize the space. If it is original, it just sho s that it's a vernacular building style, not a craftsman gem. What does your exterior look like anyway?

You know, its not like she is chalk painting over original stickley furniture.

But first things first, take off the wood shutter things! And also trim and big bushes or trees around the windows as that helps let in more light too.

I've hesitated to comment on this one because there are two such clear schools of thought - preserve the heritage or do what's right for you and your family. And I'm probably a bit more of a preservationist but I can see the other point of view. But frankly, I think you're all missing an essential point.

So I'm going to throw a different perspective out there, and make of it what you will. I'm 68, and I still don't have any fixed view on what is my style. I've lived in a few countries, a lot of different houses, with a lot of different furniture types, and I have enjoyed every minute of the experience. I'm not ready to decide something isn't my style until I've tried it. I'm nowhere close to deciding that something can't work for me because it's something I'm not familiar with or comfortable with. Why do people seem to think it's important to pick a style and stick with it? What happened to a bit of adventure in life, and trying new and different things (or old and different things in this case)? Life should be about exploring the uncomfortable and the new, not just going with what you know and are comfortable with.

OP: you have every right to choose how you will deal with your house. But, if you turn it into every house you've ever lived in, where's the adventure in that? Before you paint all that trim, have a think about trying something different, stretching your boundaries a bit. See what you can do with the beautiful opportunity you have to do something a bit outside your comfort zone.

Quite frankly it's such a pain to paint trim (you need smelly primer and good hand eye coordination) that painting the walls and getting light rugs and the like is the easiest path

One of the problems with painting trim in old houses is that few homeowners do a good job of painting it. Some old houses had a mixture of stained and wood trim. For example, my home has stained wood in the public spaces and white in the bathrooms, kitchens and bedrooms. All that trim was painted originally and has a beautiful, hard enamel finish, not a soft latex finish.

I really object to the multiple coats, brushstrokes, uneven coating, peeling and other such issues which are very common in painted trim. An excellent paint job done by an experienced painter doesn't devalue a house but a homeowner special job may well cost twice...once in doing the work and then again when devaluing the market value

Painting the walls a lighter, brighter neutral will go a long way to updating the space - light creamy walls with dark trim is gorgeous! Use a warm grey or cool cream to relate to your charcoal sofa - and use light rugs and accessories to continue the lightening process.

Here are a couple of eclectic inspiration rooms with grey sofas that would work beautifully in your home - without painting the trim.

industryexpert_livingroom

seatsofhonor-livingroom

easy-elegance-living-room

As for the dining room - and incorporating blue - you can definitely add a wallpaper that brings in blues - or paint the walls - (a much easier fix to preserve the home)

This is a great example of everything mentioned in this thread: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/a-young-family-a-100-year-old-home-and-some-welcoming-vibes-229473

Any decisions made?

Ps if you want to see a before and after regarding painting trim, here is mine

I completely hear you on this issue. However, I think you can achieve your look without painting the trim. The dark wood blinds are killing the happy factor more than anything. Light wall colors, repaint ceilings bright white (this makes a huge difference), white window shades, light furnishings = modern happiness.

truey, that looks great! those doors are amazing w/those knobs. glad you kept those. Is this a craftsman?

1850 Victorian. Actually that's a much later period replacement knob. Theoriginals are like this

ps people say white trim shows marks and age, but so does wood!

Truey, we still have at least a month until we move in but I so appreciate everybody's input. I think if I had to make a decision right now, I would try to live with the dark trim like someone suggested. Add modern white curtains, get the ceiling painted a fresh white, and paint the walls either a cream or light gray. I'm leaning towards the light gray. I am looking at wall decor ideas and light fixtures that will help to brighten up the space. I could change my mind but that's where I'm at right now! Btw if I ever do paint the trim, we would definitely hire a professional. ;) thank you everyone for your input and suggestions! Keep them coming!

No gray!!!! No grey! No griege!!! It does not work well with the color of wood you have. Think nature, think soft whites, greens, even cool blues. Do not fall into the trends of today, you have a heritage home, do it justice. Off white, PLEEZE !

I'm in the white walls camp with this one....leave the wood but only white walls. Greys and even soft colors will just darken the over all feel. Consider linen slip covers over any dark furniture you have...white linen drapes. It will be 100 times brighter and fresh. Good luck!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Mission/Craftsman.

My thought for the window decor, if you want to pay homage to the period, fall in love with some Morris/Morris -esque fabrics and have wondrous Roman shades made or drapery. Softening the over all look.

I finally got to go back into the house yesterday and I think what's killing the the most is how red the wood is. Would it be a terrible idea to have all the wood stained a dark walnut color? Is that even possible/way more work than painting?

I should add that after taking a closer look i noticed that a lot of the wood is not in great condition anyway. There's lots of scratches, stains and paint splattered on it.

I'd take that dark red over my lighter orange Victorian.

We did paint in one room. Our wood (after 160 years) was also scratched and dented. I didn't do any wood filler or anything and so painted it's much more visible as light casts shadows in the scratches. So if you do paint, it's worth sanding and or filling those areas.

I bought this dark tung oil to try on some other areas but haven't used it yet.

You might want to try to try it out. https://www.realmilkpaint.com/

https://www.realmilkpaint.com/shop/oils/dark-half/ 

Or maybe try general finishes dark walnut gel stain.

Are there any old old doors in storage where you can try different things out? Or maybe in a bathroom that in the end you could paint the trim if needed?

Also is all your furniture in? The floors are very red too but once you put down rugs and furniture it will be lessened.

You could try decorating one room with lighter colors or gray/blue colors and see if that makes a difference. If it doesn't then go ahead with changing the trim.

btw ikea has these cream velvet curtains that are reasonable priced that look great with wood trim and it kind of gives the effect of white trim around the windows.

Unless my eyes deceive me it looks as if the floor is 3/4" parquet. That will be awesome refinished and the darker shades would look fantastic on this old ironwood oak BUT the best way to decide is to have them show you several colors on your stripped floor!

Remember there is nothing wrong with mixing paint and wood for trim...

In the end you want to just be consistent in the viewable or public areas of the home. Many times a lower grade wood or less intricate trim was used on the upper floors. You do not have to be consistent throughout the home and the upper floors could be all painted if you wish. To repair the nicks and dents is not hard and depends on how you ultimately plan to refinish the work. With staining, I have found wood putty and a mixture of sawdust and wood glue works great and takes the stain well for minor or moderate damage. With painting, a polymer plaster will work great to smooth the surface prior to sanding, wood primer then two top coats applied with a small sponge roller.

In any case you are in for dust.....and more dust with staining - and a reasonable amount of dust with painting. The best thing I can tell you is call the guys in that have been doing floors for the past 35+ years. Get estimates at least 3. Question them thoroughly on the number of coats the products they will use and the method of application not to mention the down time for walking till cured.

Once you have your furniture in place it will be downplayed. Look at this example

Ooh I really like the wall color in that one truey. So the furniture I have is all dark. And my dining table and cabinet actually match the floors and trim - not ideal. I won't be able to get all new furniture right away but in time! The white lamps and white coffee table are a good idea to brighten things up!

Can you put a rug under the dining table? If you are worried about food spilling then get an outdoor rug. Many are on sale right now. A light one will break up the monochromatic look.

Does the cabinet have glass doors? You could paint it cream inside.

And any side tables could be painted. White and light pillows and throws will make a difference

General finishes milk paint paint is easy to use.

i know I'm writing a lot on this themread but it's because I've been struggling with the same issue for 6 years and have learned a lot.

Painting trim white but leaving the door wood looks very awkward. Not a good option.

I would remove the blinds, add lighting and paint the walls and of course add appropriate furniture. Please add updated pictures when you can!

Don't stain the wood. That would be quite an undertaking. I really love your trim in your house. I have similar trim in our foyer and hall, we painted the walls "blue meets green" and it complements the trim well.

If you have to paint the trim, start in bedrooms and paint the back of doors white too. That at least is common of historical homes. Often the "private" rooms had painted trim and the public ones were stained.

Oops that photo did not show the paint colour at all...

You can always paint the trim in 6 months or a year but once it's done, changing your mind is extremely difficult. When everything gets in, you won't notice the majority of dings and scrapes on the woodwork.

The dark red finish is often a garnet shellac which can be restored without complete removal. It's still work but you don't have to get down to bare wood before you put on a new coat of shellac.

I know I'm late here, but it is very possible that the woodwork is very dark because it has a shellac finish which darkens over time. It is relatively easy to remove shellac with denatured alcohol. You can try rubbing an inconspicuous spot with alcohol on a rag. If the finish is softened and comes off it is shellac and you can keep going (fine steel wool will be your friend). You can then either use shellac again or an oil base varnish. Please stay away from polyurethane, it doesn't look right and will be very difficult to repair if it gets scratched.

Darn, Linda beat me to it!

We'll have to have a professional come check out if the floors can be refinished at this point. They are in rough shape and they are made of pine.

Oh then they will lighten considerably!

Have you moved in yet? Or talked to the floor guy?

Here is a redo of a yucky 1970's oak stair case. Yes it can be stained darker. And yes I painted the trim white. I also replaced the doors to solid mahogany. Whatever you do, get out the sander - some of the woodwork looks pretty beaten up. Talk with a furniture refinishing firm, who can tent and spray it. That's what they did to my stairs - but bannister was removed and stripped and then sprayed.

Also those blinds are horrible.

Any updates?

I live in a neighborhood of old houses. Many of us are thankful that the woodwork was painted before we bought so we didn't have to choose between the two options. Mine has been some variation of white from the beginning (about 80 years). My friend's was originally stained wood that was painted over. The material they used back in the day seeped into the wood and the newer white paint continually peels off. Sanding and priming doesn't help because the original treatment is deep into the wood. I don't know if this is applicable to your situation, but I thought I should share her experience in case you haven't done anything yet and the information is helpful. Best wishes.

Late the game - but there are craftspeople who know how to refresh craftsman style trim to tint and refresh in whatever ways you like.

I doubt those arches are original - they are too low. When time and money allows, it might make sense to see if there is lath and plaster up there or if someone lowered and arched the openings at a later date. All 1920s openings I see are the same height as the exterior windows and these are much lower. Raising the openings to the window height would help with light flow greatly.

Wanted to update you all! I will definitely NOT be painting the trim. I'm happy to say it has grown on me and now I absolutely love it.

We still need to replace those awful brown blinds though!

Alexa, what wall color is that? It does a great job of neutralizing to woods tones.

We wanted a home with as many original features as possible, my husband especially wanted unpainted trim. We found a great house but the trim has been painted white. I would have looobed your house the way it is! Leave it alone!

If the trim wood is in good shape it's nice to leave it and maybe do some natural refinishing. But sometimes it can be dark and if the wood has been painted before you get to it then it can be costly and time consuming to bring it back so it can be stained and finished. FYI painted trim is not against the mission/craftsman/arts and crafts style at all as Mackintosh used it extensively. Here is an example

The trim in my home is mostly 100 year old pine and has aged to a nice golden tone, but in the living room it had been painted a light almost pink so I stripped it and painted it white as I wanted to follow Mackintosh a bit and make the room feel a bit lighter. I then put some off white on the walls, some light shades, and mid-century and mission furniture. I would recommend some white or off white roller shades for your windows.

Alexa, what did you end up doing?? :):)

The dents in wood can be help by using steam. Wood gun stocks are easily repaired by using steam. I'm putting my 1924 home back to somewhat original look. We are the 3rd owners and love the look of wood. The understanding of using expensive hardwoods and then painting them makes no sense to me. You may as well use Pine plywood cause no one is going to know what's underneath the paint.