palimp, yes, I know you don't. I wasn't targeting you on that one. more of a generalized comment as to why I post so many pics. I just really dislike this 90's oak trim, so anytime anyone says, 'don't paint it', I have to show why it should be painted!

I didn't read any of the comments directed at you, maybe i missed it! it's all good

It really depends on your style and how you will decorate it. Some looks will be pretty aweful with the oak trim and others you can really make it work.

@Beth H.

"sorry, but if 1994 was your thing, then leave it just like this:"

I am revisiting this statement, because there is a literal Russian Doll of conversations nested inside this sentiment, the gist of several of them being at which point a past era of design becomes Vulnerable simply as a function of its age, irrespective of its relative merits or demerits as style or design vocabulary. Is this something that is terrible simply because it is 3 decades old, or was it not that great to begin with? I am not going to answer specifically, because it's irrelevant. But that thought raises the question, are any of the alternatives that are being posted that much better than what's already there, or are they just an attempt to disguise it as something "different"? In general terms it could be either or. But my thought is that without actual architectural changes, 1994 it is, and 1994 it will stay, and a paint job is just your mom trying to dress like your daughter and it's not fooling anyone. If you look at some of the "great ideas" of our parents and grandparents generation and how they eviscerated Victorian and Craftsman houses we can see (or should see) that sometimes leaving things be is preferable to making them "better". But you know, the whole thing about those who don't learn from history being doomed to repeat it...

This general discussion is usually more relevant to large commercial and public works projects where, by the time they are finished, the brief under which they were designed is outmoded, and it sometimes takes yet another generation to see if any of the promises or the original project are somehow kept. But since so many people are on the rat's wheel of "It's dated so it's terrible; my house doesn't look perpetually in fashion so it's terrible, " ad nauseum, it's actually germane on some level. But it's also a conversation that bores most people, even though it's about something which seems to concern them.

palimpset, you are digging way too deep here. There is nothing wrong w/1994, that era, or any other decade. My comment was just that, "if you like 1994, (or really, the 90's design-look) then keep it". Stop reading into it and going off on a psychological tangent. I never said 1994 was bad. Is it dated? Only if you compare it to what you see now. So is 1960. But some people like the retro look. So If they showed me a picture of a 1960 pink bathroom w/blue/pink vinyl tile flooring, I'd say the same thing, " it's dated looking. but if you like 1960, keep it".

"Dated" can be taken many ways. Good, Bad or otherwise.

House style is very similar to fashion. If I said, "I think flare bellbottoms, platform shoes and a tube top is dated", would that be bad? Could I still wear it? Would people hate it? It's all relative. Same with how you choose to decorate your home interior.

The point is, OP asked for an opinion, and I gave mine. You can disagree w/it and that's fine. It's an opinion. And if OP loved the oak trim, circa 1994, she wouldn't be on here asking what the concensus is to paint it!

Painted all the oak in my house   the reason I don't like my oak is  it looks orange and the white looks more modern and clean

@Beth H. :……Beth….you’re my hero.

"House style is very similar to fashion"

Well, see, I could not disagree more.

Fashion is practically ephemeral, architecture is meant to be durable. People don't mortgage fashion, people don't choose their fashion in a longish process that make take several years to complete.

Some people wear certain kinds of fashion exactly one time before discarding it. Fashion changes by the season, fashion can change drastically within just a couple years. Fashion is something that is something that can be put on and taken off at will.

Many people will never build more than one house if they build one at all, if anything people will end up buying a house that is decades old

And it's the idea that it IS fashion and should always be the latest thing that is seen online that leads to so much dissatisfaction.

My comments in here are not really about you, or 1994, or oak woodwork or anything so simplistic,--and there are people who make entire careers of design psychology and critique-- but but if you don't get it, you don' t get it, just pay attention to the flavor of the moment.

In any case, only making changes as seen in a number of the pictures you helpfully accumulate and post, which are Extensive changes, are going to make a substantive difference, just painting the woodwork is not going to do much. If changes are in order, they are going to have to be substantial enough to make the house look like something else, and if someone is willing to make that sort of commitment, fine.

As trends change what are your opinions on painting trim oak white? Should we keep the current trim around windows, doors, and baseboards or paint everything white?

And I don't see anything at all that says anything that the OP likes or dislikes the oak trim or is dissatisfied in it in any way. The statement contains no opinion from the OP at all and is almost rhetorical in that regard.

Fashion is practically ephemeral, architecture is meant to be durable.

Wow. when you go off on a tangent you pack your bags for months, don't you? First you hit me w/the "dated explanation, and when I do my best to clear that one up, you come in w/architecture that lasts forever and how so it's not like fashion.

We aren't talking about architecture of this house. We are talking about the oak trim. Is it an integral piece of architeture like the oak trim in a 1915 craftsman? No. No it's not. And if you don't get this, then you don't get it. 100 years from now are people going to ooh and ahh over builders basic, mass produced, plastic-y finished honey oak in all of these tract homes? I seriously doubt it. It's not from 200 year old oak trees, crafted by hand, nor does it add to the overall bone structure of these mass produced tract homes.

That's all I'm talking about. and yes, these interiors you see done from quanity driven builders, it's similar to fashion. We aren't talking Sarkissian or Eames, just basic builers. Every 10-15 years it drastically changes. No home builder worth their salt is going to use this type of honey oak trim or cabinets in their new builds, nor, do people want it. If they do use the oak, it's going to be something more natural looking. But that costs money. Mass produced tract homes are in and out for the cheapest cost possible. they aren't going to do handcrafted elements.

If the OP really liked her honey oak trim in her new house, then why would she care what people online think about painting it? She wouldn't. Hence my opinion, that she doesn't 100% care for it, and is giving thought to painting it.

Your comments may not be about the oak, but mine were. And that's all it was about. You probed further into my comment , I answered, and now we're here.

The OP asked for an opinion. Which part of her question is unclear to you?

As trends change what are your opinions on painting trim oak white? Should we keep the current trim around windows, doors, and baseboards or paint everything white?

She literally asks about trends and painting this oak. I think I answered her perfectly. You on the otherhand, are in another realm and getting a little too cerebral for what this OP actually wants or needs. I'm out

Well, now that you've clarified your opinion that the cheap plasticky ugly oak doesn't even qualify as architectural millwork in this architecture-less mass produced low quality tract home that people will still hate in 100 years if it's actually still standing, I hope the OP appreciates your advice.

I can't say what place these houses are going to have in the future or what people are going to think about them in the future, except that right now there are a lot of them, and I was thinking more about what would actually make them look better instead of just different, nothing more or less.

Your room layout needs some fine tuning of the layout.

Center the sofa on the double windows.

Center the other sofa on the fireplace

Get a square coffee table so both sofas can reach it or bunching tables

I would have a wood floor with a large area rug to add color to the room

Replace the ceiling fan with a chandelier

Select a large piece of art for over the FP

Yikes! Must be too close to the holidays 🤦‍♀️! Beth gave you plenty of good advice. If you like brown squares and lines being the main focus in your space then keep the trim; if not then paint! Simple enough?

I like @mvcanada’s suggestion. White paint on the trim won’t get you much. Enhancing it will. It will look very modern with deep colored trim and white walls. Oak trim and ivory walls do look quite 80’s.
And heed Beverly’s furniture placement advice as well.
Congratulations on your new home!

Selectively paint over some of the trim.

I would vote to stain it darker, rip out the bookcases, and put one flooring throughout.

I just ran across this and it reminded me a lot of your entry. I think this looks very nice, and would with either your current oak stain or staining darker:

I like Jinx's picture she just posted. The trim is a different color than the floor and like BeverlyFLADeziner said, you need to be selective on what trim you paint darker.

Keep in mind that RE-STAINING all of this oak trim is a HUGE undertaking. YOu need to fully remove any finish that was applied, sand down all the wood and THEN put on the stain color you want. This is why people with 1980's oak kitchens either paint, reface or replace. You do have A LOT of trim to deal with, so paint will be the easiest option to get the look posted by @Jilly. That entryway is striking.

thanks Red, I've already said that anyone who is advising OP to stain it darker, hasn't a clue of what it entails. It's more work than painting. Could they stain the bannister darker? yes, that is much more managable than staining the baseboards, crown and all that window/door trim. It's an insane amount of work. Honestly, getting all new wood trim and staining that, installing it, would actually be less work. not less cost, but for sure less work.

Jinx, I know you think you can just go over the wood trim w/a darker stain or tint, but that's not always the case. If there is any type of coating on there, it has to be removed. 25 years of dirt and grime will have to all be removed. it has to be sanded. and if it's not sanded or prepped just right, you'll get blotchiness. That's why it's always best to completely strip off the old finish down to raw wood and start from scratch. You ever stripped baseboards or window trim 15 feet up? yeah.

it's easier just to paint the stuff. Or buy new oak trim and stain it darker before it's installed

This looks good because it's surround by dark wood tones and bright white trim! this would not look like this w/the current honey oak.

We are talking two completely diff looks here. the current flooring matches the honey trim color.

are the floors solid oak? if so, they can be refinished. Is the door also a good quality wood ? that can be stripped and stained darker. All that trim? No. besides being a mess, it would take an eternity. Better just to paint all of that white, get a new light, a long runner, (and remove those square ladder things in the doorways)

“Jinx, I know you think you can just go over the wood trim w/a darker stain or tint, but that's not always the case.”

No, I actually don’t think that, nor said it. I posted an inspiration picture, as we do here, because it reminded me of the OP’s room. It’s up to them to decide what direction they’d like to go, and how they want to get there.

I did it this summer and it was totally life changing. I love it and am so glad i painted my trim white.

I agree with Beth et al. reiterating to whoever it is that is suggesting it that you can't just stain trim darker without a lot of work, and then there is the cost benefit analysis. It would be easier to remove and replace the millwork with new (and preferably more substantial) millwork than it would to re-stain this. And easier includes cheaper as part of that mix. I know people who gel stain and such but my own experiences with outcomes of this have not been positive. In a client's house it had been done for resale on the cabinets, and that was terrible, and in my own house it was done on the floors, and on the floor which has not been refinished yet, cleaning cloths still pick up a maroon color off the surface 8 years later. I would rather have lived with the old finish worn down to bare wood which had been the case.

I think if you are Just going to repaint, then repaint, but if you are thinking about anything more substantial I think it would be less expensive to replace the woodwork, especially if you were to do poplar which takes paint very well.

Well, I sure regret posting that picture! It reminded me of the OP’s entry, so I thought it might be inspiring.

I was not suggesting going over the existing stain with a darker stain and apologize for not being more clear (or expounding on it more).

OP, please disregard!

Would love to hear/see what you decide to do! It’s been an interesting topic. :)

Jinx it is a good inspiration picture, because it also shows the impact more substantial woodwork would have as well.

@Jinx The wood trim can be painted black to mimic the photo you posted! That’s what I was thinking when I saw it.

RedRyder, black would look striking! :)

John, wow, looks so fresh and bright! Thanks for updating. I’ll bet the floors are going to look amazing!

It looks so much better already!

Are you keeping the bookcases oak or have they not been painted yet?

Are the burgundy sofas yours?

There are so many colors you can go with. I’d probably go with a creamy white of some sort.
You should get some samples, as seeing spaces over screens aren’t so accurate. So I’m only guessing...
But here are some good ones to try :

SW SNOWBOUND
SW DOVER WHITE
SW ALABASTER
SW TOUQUE
SW WHITE FLOUR

[

BM CHANTILLY LACE
BM WHITE DOVE
BM SIMPLY WHITE

]

I can keep going lol.

What are you painting the trim in?

And maybe you’d want to do something else as opposed to the white family...

In the foyer I’d definitely do white, personally.
But the living space, I might do a blue. Or a sage...?

Examples of those colors can include:

SW STARDEW
SW UPWARD
SW DEBONAIR
SW NIEBLA AZUI
SW POOL HOUSE
SW SILVER MIST

Again, I can go on and on.... :)

We are going to paint the bookcases as well they just aren’t primed yet.
Sofas in the original picture are not ours. This is the couch we have that will go in the room!
As far as colors go we can’t decide if we want darker trim and lighter walls or light trim darker walls

There is a lot of discussion about painting the trim black. One thing that you may want to consider, since one of the issues with the oak trim is that some of it was asymmetrical, is to paint most of the trim either the same as the wall color or a slight shift from the wall color, and then paint the Sashes Only of the windows black or white. Not the jamb or casing just the sash itself. Another reason to do this is, since there was some discussion as to the trim being kind of small, highlighting it in either black or white in contrast to a different wallcolor will just have the same effect with the oak against white walls, just in reverse or an updated palette. It may not solve all the issues you want to solve.

Black sashes, trim color and wall color very similar shades (real colors. not white or grey)

Trim and wall color matched in each room. The sash only in the window to the left is white, but it could be painted black as well.

In this room the trim is white, different from the wall color, but only the sashes are black. Trim and ceiling are painted the same color, the ceiling is not "ceiling white".

I like SW 7028 INCREDIBLE WHITE. It has the warm found in your floor (if you are going with oak) and some gray that can go with your sofa and rug. I think it will go well with your fireplace too.

I like light trim with darker accents such door and mantle just like Jinx picture she posted.

Here is a room with wall and trim in the same color. This is trending again but it was done a lot from the 1940s-1970s and it was done a lot in the 18th and 19th c. too.

I lived in a house from the 1840s and it had a couple rooms where the walls and trim were painted the same color, and it was very close to the first paint that went on the walls and trim. It's not a flash in the pan trend, necessarily

I have done a rough photoshop with the SW 7028 color. I added the oak floor and the fire place. Note that the lighting in the entrance and the living room and the fireplace and the living room where you have your own furniture are all different so if SW 7028 is a potential, I recommend that you buy a sample and try it in your living room and entrance to see if you like it.

John Tiramino

What bulbs are you currently using? Are they all LED?

This will change the color in your room dramatically, please choose which bulbs you and your wife want before choosing a paint color.

Here is the actual room with everything painted one shade except for black sashes, within the limitations of the program

Black casings I think, start to be too intense:

And all black trim, just too intense

And even with a marked reduction in contrast, it's still too intense for my liking

Whereas an intense color could work with just the black sash maybe

Since you seem to like contemporary furniture you could kind of subvert the McMansion sorta style of the house and skew Hugh Newell Jacobsen. This is your front hallway mostly erased, and converted to BW. HNJ firm produces all white modernism integrating some traditional vocabulary like traditional fireplaces and Palladian type windows.

If it were my home, I’d use a neutral white so that the wall color could be change in the future without having to necessarily change the trim. Black, IMO, is a little harsh and will need a lot of dusting. White is more forgiving to those of us that don’t dust every day. :) best of luck!

Hey John,

Just curious to see what you picked.

Just a side comment the window lines are very out right now. Especially with a chandelier that has lines on it behind it.

Whatever you do, do not go with a farmhouse modern theme.

Discussions are so interesting. I am following this so that I get future updates.

Interested in what SW color was used for trim paint, if thats what was decided.

We are currently painting all of our honey oak stained trim and doors SW Pure White. We have done a lot of grain filling and sanding prep and put two coats of Zinsser Cover Stain Primer on the doors and window grilles. Tomorrow we will spray the Emerald enamel trim paint, satin sheen.

Thanks for the update! This is the same project I am starting and coincidentally the same paint I have chosen. Good luck 😊