Please show us pictures of both trims in your space.

Omg, that is some of the most beautiful woodwork I’ve ever seen posted on this board. It’s gorgeous. The craftsmanship is breathtaking.

Lots of paint experts here, hopefully someone will know of a good wall color to go with your stunning wood. I have to say, though, I think the wall colors look great now.

I’d really like to see it in natural light during the day.

What an amazing house! Lucky you that no one ever destroyed that wood with paint! :)

Paint the walls, ceilings, and radiators -- NOT the woodwork. Have you tried different light bulbs? Replacing artwork with lighter colored, lighter feeling pieces? Lighter rugs and window shades/curtains?

Stunning woodwork. Please do NOT ruin that gorgeous woodwork by painting it.

I would add more lighting and play up the Victorian feel with paint to work with the woodwork and appropriate wallpaper. In Victorian times there was no super white. The whites were warmer in color.

Dark spaces need more lighting. If there isn't enough light,  light colors and mirrors will only highlight the overall gloom. If you go through a dark room with dark colors,  your mind tells you that changing the paint will fix the issue.

In an old house, adding lights can be difficult. Many electricians don't want to deal with extending wiring behind plaster walls. Attic and basement access help but it is still challenging. Wall sconces can be easier to install than ceiling lights. In old houses, wall sconces often didn't have wall switches because the fixtures had on/off switches. Adding a switch to a fixture is trivial or you can use a smart bulb and wireless switch.

IMO change all the bulbs in all the fixtures to LED 4000K and honestly I love white trim but in this case it would be an all or nothing choice and the better lighting I think will make the nothing a much better choice

I haven't seen a piece of stained trim that I wouldn't want to paint ... which is why I would never buy an old Victorian or Craftsman! Plenty of other houses for me to buy without ruining an old house that someone else would love as is.

I would paint the walls a lighter cream color and have some recessed lights installed to brighten up the rooms.

I tip my hat to you chispa,you are the type that deserves fine things. I hope you can afford to build or buy what you desire.

What a gorgeous house! i agree with the others not to paint the wood - but agree that the space feels heavy and dark. i think a ton could be accomplished with adding more lighting and freshening up the furniture (there is a lot of wood) and other surfaces.

There are a lot of amazing articles online where old homes have been freshened up for young families. No permanent changes to woodwork etc just fresh colors and fixtures (think window treatments, paint colors, rugs, lighting, art, furniture etc) - depending on how much i wanted to spend i might also consider enlisting a thoughtful designer to help, definiitely one who has experience with older homes and i would want to see examples of their work - hope you enjoy the process, it is a lovely home :)

eta: all those gorgeous windows become big black boxes at night, which adds to a sense of gloom i think - the right window treatments would help so much

Okay, thanks All. You've talked me off the painted woodwork cliff. Appreciate the great suggestions!

OM Gosh, usually I really dislike dark trim, but in your case, I love it! As someone else said, it is stunning! I would say a work of art! Sure hope you follow the advice of the pro's here who are suggesting alternatives to brighten up your very beautiful home.

Thank you chispa!

Okay, thanks All. You've talked me off the painted woodwork cliff. Appreciate the great suggestions!

Oh I'm so glad to hear.

In reality, if and when you go to sell, you truly would lose the majority of those who love old homes with the gorgeous woodwork.

I know I was looking for a craftsman home in my area for over 2 years. Yes there are plenty that were built here in the 20's. However each one I went in had been remuddled. Either by adding on without thought, or painting old growth woodwork, or changing gorgeous old floors to put down tile (we're in FL) or a number of other things. In every case I could tell from what era they had remuddled the house based on what was in it. If they had worked instead with the house, even with necessary updates, I wouldn't have been the wiser. Make sure the next owner of the house isn't the wiser. :)

I would also look online for old issues of Victorian Homes magazine. (Not sure they exist anymore). I would also look into Bradbury and Bradbury wallpapers as they specialize in patterns for Victorian homes.

https://bradbury.com/victorian.html