We need pictures for sure .

Is this a vintage house with really nice natural woodwork, or is it a more modern house?

You might be able to lighten and update without resorting to painting all the trim but it's hard to give advice with seeing the space.

From front door...

Looking toward front door

Hallway main floor..

View from Kitchen into great room

Is that pre-paint? The wall color doesn't look like edgecomb gray. Also, your house is gorgeous but I can understand wanting to lighten things up.

This is current but I have the Edgecomb Gray bought. Edgecomb is in the kitchen... Revere Pewter in Great room. I was going to paint lighter in entry and main hall... but virus stopped that project. I know the Edgecomb Gray will look much better on walls. . But trying to break up the brown. Husbands office is total woodwork paneling etc in the same color brown. I’m ok with office looking that way... but maybe painting back of front door black? Or do something with staircase handrail? I’m not so sure painting spindles white will look good. It’s just heavy. Need to break it up a bit

What about a new runner for the stairs?

The really bothersome part i think are the doors in the entire house are all this brown color. (Hallway pic) maybe painting the back of Front entry door black to start? (Front of door outside is black. ).

I’m not opposed to a new stair runner. When we bought house in 2010 we painted the main area Wilmington Tan... it isn’t Awful...but i want to go lighter and get away from the gold.

Perhaps when painter gets finished painting the walls the trim might look better. But I’m still not thrilled with the staircase /entry. Just seems when I look at it... if I start doing white anywhere on the stairs... it leads to white floor trim... which leads to.... and on. ..And on...

I see pics like this... and I think white would look really nice... but I still like some wood.

* Also when looking at the hallway ^... that photo of the "door" to the right is actually an elevator door...(Its faux painted...done before we moved here.) That is also the dilemma... if husband paints trim white... there is that door and I do NOT want to paint it white. so can the trim around the door be painted?

I would paint the floor and ceiling trim white, as well as the trim around the doors. You can leave the doors and staircase as natural wood for a bit of added character. I actually really love wooden doors surrounded by white trim.

The spindles on the stairs can go white, while leaving the handrail the wooden tone.

I agree with deegw. Keep the beautiful trim as is and paint the walls a contrasting white to showcase them.

The inspiration pics from deegw are beautiful. Wait until the walls are painted lighter and reassess.