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white trim that we hate

Melinda Steed
7 months ago

We live in Montana, this home is a builder spec home with finishes we don't like, in particular, the white trim and doors all through the house. Looking for a mountain home look, can't afford to put natural wood in its place. We're thinking of painting trim and doors the wall color. Thoughts? Thank you.

Comments (39)

  • housegal200
    7 months ago

    Not enough information here. What are your furnishings like? Rugs? Art Work? You can achieve a rustic look and feeling k with all tall those elements.


    Palo Alto Green Home Tour 2009 · More Info

    What are the finishes like in the kitchen? And is the kitchen open to living room? Do you have a stone fireplace? Do you have mountain or woodland views? All of those things should be considered so they work togerther. Need much more information.



  • Tara
    7 months ago

    Don't paint the trim and doors the same as the wall. Paint it a dark brown to coordinate with the wall. For example:


    Dining Room · More Info


  • Melinda Steed
    Original Author
    7 months ago

    I appreciate all your questions! I just can't get my photos to appear here. House is open concept, we have a large picture window with view of the forest, a Jotul propane stove, and La-Z-Boy Edie Duo couch and chairs in tan leather. Kitchen has cherry cabinets and granite-looking Formica. So much I would change if I had the budget. I'd like to keep things on the lighter rather than darker side, due to the long dark winters here.

  • kandrewspa
    7 months ago

    I'm not feeling what you're proposing, but I think you can convey a mountain style in other ways. As housegal200 says, more information would be helpful. The foyer is a small sliver of what the house looks like. Can you post a picture of the exterior and the family room and/or kitchen so we can get a better feel for what you're working with? That way you could get suggestions for things to do other than painting all the trim, which would be a big job.

  • PRO
    Patricia Colwell Consulting
    7 months ago
    last modified: 7 months ago

    Post the extra pics in a comment wait until eacjh pic is no longer grayed and please DO NOT start another post. IMO painting the trim dark brown will just look like you tried to make it look like wood As for mountain decor that is all over the map so some pics here of what your inspiration is would be helpful.I went to your idea books and the same can be said for them , all over the map style wise. I like the one where the trimaround the window is a gray is that a color youwant to work with?

  • Melinda Steed
    Original Author
    7 months ago

    Here, FINALLY!

  • Fori
    7 months ago

    I think it would be better to paint the wall the white trim color! I admit my first instinct was to paint the trim and doors black because it would look so good...until winter came around.


    Looks like a great house. Take your time because the white is actually quite nice!

  • chispa
    7 months ago

    I like the white trim!

  • Kendrah
    7 months ago

    I'm often a fan of painting doors and trim the same color as the walls, but it is not doing it for me here with this particular color. I think the problem is your wall color as much as it is your trim color. Would you be open to finding a new color to paint all the walls, doors, and trim?

  • housegal200
    7 months ago
    last modified: 7 months ago

    @Kendrah: I agree that wall color, not trim, should be changed--maybe go in mountain meet Scandinavian direction in all white.




    https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/mountain-house-kitchen-remodel-reveal

  • housegal200
    7 months ago

    Thanks for the additional photos. What is the wall color in the kitchen and by the wood burning stove? Lighter walls would make the white trim a non-problem. Match the wall color to the stone wall behind the wood burning stove. The stone is very warm looking as is the mantel. The white trim is probably bothersome to you because there's too much contrast with whatever color you used in foyer. The entire space should be the same warm white, matched to that stone.

    Off topic: Not sure your living room area is the best layout for a cozy feeling and bringing in the outdoors. You've actually blocked your view with the sofa. Two alternatives: Float the sofa to face the view. Or float the sofa to face TV if that's a priority. Then bring in your armchair to create a grouping on the rug.

    Add a coffee table for a cozier feeling.

    Have a wood wall system made for books, TV, art. That TV just hanging there makes room feel unfinished. Shelves can be made from rustic wood to match floors/kitchen cabinets. Strive to get finishes of new furnishings, shelves, etc. to harmonize with the wood you do have--floors and cabinets, and the trim situation will not look like a problem.

    This room works very well in layout, function, light with wood touches via useful shelving, wood coffee table.


  • ginatay124
    7 months ago

    What a dream to live in the mountains in Montana :) I’m with you 100% on not liking the white trim in a mountain home. In addition to all the other great ideas above, I also think it would work just fine to paint trim the wall color but in a semi-gloss finish. Or perhaps 1-2 shades darker than wall color. Could you post an inspiration photo in which you like the trim?

  • Melinda Steed
    Original Author
    7 months ago

    Thanks everyone for all the great advice! We have decided to explore painting everything a creamy white, including baseboards and trim....I appreciate the pictures and ideas, they are what I was going for..Scandinavian meets mountain sounds perfect! We bought this home in the middle of the pandemic, moving closer to our daughter. Chose it on line in the frenzy of people moving to their dream place. What a journey this has been! The home has good and bad points, and I am all about "improvise, adapt and overcome" as they say in the Marine Corps. We are retired, and this is our forever home! 🌹

  • PRO
    Diana Bier Interiors, LLC
    7 months ago

    I've come to dislike the contrasting white trim--everyone seems to do it by default without thinking. I very much like your idea to paint the trim and doors the same color as the walls, even if you decide to change that color. It's a more cohesive, less jarring look.


  • Maureen
    7 months ago
    last modified: 7 months ago

    Based on pictures, looks like you have 3 paint colors: grey wall/kitchen walls/color in hall/living room and I can’t see any other trim color working any better.

    If it were me, I’d consider the big picture and paint all the rooms the same soft/warm cream (trim won’t feel stark). If too much to consider, spread out over time and it will also better complement your flooring.


    A mountain feel can always be achieved by accessory choices. I also like the dark color on door‘s interior.




  • Debbie Downer
    7 months ago
    last modified: 7 months ago

    Totally agree Diana - time to retire the old "white trim is classic" meme. It's no more "classic" than say the dark shellacked woodwork of 1800s/early 1900s or the various colors used in 1700s colonial Just depends what look you are going for. Im with OP, I strongly dislike skinny white cheap trim accentuated/contrasting with wall. OP yeah you could make it same color as walls, or if you want a consistent trim/door color throughout the house you could consider finding a different color besides white that is less high contrast - google images for painted woodwork. Youll see a lot of different quite beautiful options - lots more possibilies than just plain old white. You would want to plan a good whole house pallette to ensure all colors fit well together. In one house I painted all baseboards same color as walls but kept windows/window trim and doors/door trim all same mid tone greige throughout the apartment with light walls - looked great. Just minimizing baseboards helped space look less broken up.

  • ShadyWillowFarm
    7 months ago

    So the house is traditional with farmhouse accents. I would lean into the Scandinavian look as mentioned above. Also, you need to address lighting to make the house lighter in the dark winter months. When you take pictures of a room, please turn on all the lights in the room, which allows colors to be seen better.

  • mxk3 z5b_MI
    7 months ago

    I almost always paint the trim the same color as the walls, if they're not wood -- I prefer that look. Most trim isn't worth emphasizing, and that is exactly what white does trim does (unless the walls are white). It also visually cuts the walls and makes them looks shorter. I know white is the default but I just don't get it. And no, the look of colored walls with white trim doesn't fit a mountain home at all IMO. A soft, creamy white for both walls and trim would look lovely, though -- I think that is a good idea you decided on!


    BTW: I really like your floors. On that note, consider Benjamin Moore "Moonlight White" as your color. It is a beautiful creamy white with an ever so slight hint (and I mean hint) of green and because of that it pairs beautifully with wood.

  • Michael Brock
    7 months ago

    the first question i would ask is how long do you olan or hope to live there? if its a few years then try to achieve the look with furnishings or fixtures without changes to trim or doors since white is vanilla and easy to sell. Second question is how handy are you and what time and tools do you have access to. third is can you live with a house in transition. if you have some tools, time and don’t need to have the satisfacction of a quick full makeover do ot door by door and room by room my wife and upgraded our first house this way. we didnt have a big budget but we had a vision and a plan and were willing to make slow eventual updates as time and resources allowed.

  • CJC
    7 months ago

    I wanted to throw out another option. i think you initially included the hall picture because its a good example of how overpowering the woodwork is. what jumps out is the contrast between wall and woodwork color. the contrast isnt balanced.. You have received some great ideas. i think that painting the woodwork a dark brown might be overwhelming in the darker winter months.The idea of painting the inside of the door a color might be nice. Consider that. What I would suggest is to choose a softer white for the woodwork and a slightly darker creamier white for the walls. you can also tint your ceilings to match the woodwork ( maybe at 25 percent?). this will give you a softer background pallate, allowing you to add fabrics that give you the feel you want. i would make a good effort at choosing whites that work with the flooring and any stonework. definitely make up large color boards for both wall paint and woodwork. prop them up against a wall and look at them at night, early in the morning, on a rainy day etc. the colors will appear differently. Once you soften the colors, add interesting art work, and lots of warm textures in your rugs, pillows, throw blankets. you can use tge ssme trim color throughout the house, stay in the same color pallate with walls.

  • mrykbee
    7 months ago

    Would you consider adding some wallpaper and thick textural rugs? Or wool rugs that aren’t shiny? You can certainly warm everything up with new paint. Creams and beiges might look nice. Lean warm rather than cool. I’m not sure about leaning scandanavian. Consider leaning “New England” a tad.

  • deegw
    7 months ago
    last modified: 7 months ago

    Your wall color and trim are definitely transitional style and your furniture and rug are as well.

    I agree with the advice to paint the walls lighter so there isn't so much contrast with the trim. Montana has looooog winters, I'd personally rather have a light interior rather than dark.

    I also agree that a different furniture arrangement that makes the window and the view the focal point would feel more "mountain". A different rug and a great coffee table could really change the feel of the living area as well.



  • dona315856
    7 months ago

    You might want to consider BM's Swiss Coffee for the walls and Seashell for the trim. It is such a lovely combination of creamy whites.


  • deegw
    7 months ago

    @terrib962 You have time to amend your unkind comment about the OP's forever home.

  • terrib962
    7 months ago

    @deegw I speak the truth - it was not meant to be unkind - trying to be helpful so they can have a house with better colors and style.

  • deegw
    7 months ago
    last modified: 7 months ago

    @terrib962 It's not a "truth", it's an opinion combined with an insult. Which would have been kinder to keep to yourself.

  • xkat2007
    7 months ago

    Paint the walls a vanilla-toned white. I suggest going to your local IKEA and getting white door tables. Add plants of different volumes + colors for more surface color/shade Get a tall standing lamp, to add a good tone.

  • Terri
    7 months ago

    I'd be inclined to do a slightly paler hue of the wall colour, for all trim including doors

  • Jennifer Hogan
    7 months ago

    The white on your trim is very bright white and the walls are pretty dark, creating too much contrast.


    Some contrast is nice.




    No contrast can work, but minimally I like at least some level of contrast created by using different sheens.


    Too much contrast can feel stark or jarring. Okay when you have a really modern aesthetic or want bright colors (lime green with magenta needs a bright white, anything less will feel dirty or dirty next to really clear, saturated colors).



    When I am finding colors for a space I always start with the colors that won't be changing (flooring, cabinets, countertops . . . )


    Then I look at the colors that the homeowners love.


    Then I look for the neutral color family that will work with what must stay and complement the colors they love.


    Then I select the best white to go with the colors that must stay, the colors they love and the neutral color family being used throughout the majority of the home.



  • Jennifer Hogan
    7 months ago

    Miller paint has a great blog space on their website that caters to design in the Pacific North West. You may find inspiration there.


    https://www.millerpaint.com/

  • PRO
    Diana Bier Interiors, LLC
    7 months ago

    "It is not the trim that is bad, as white is the only color to use..."

    WHAAA??? How can anyone take your opinion seriously?

  • Doria Rocco
    7 months ago

    Paint your trim dark brown. Every house doesn't have to have white trim!

  • K Laurence
    7 months ago
    last modified: 7 months ago

    @deegw … Is it just me, or have you noticed that the ruder the opinion is often the worst ( or incorrect ) advice ?

  • me
    7 months ago

    I just painted my Wyoming guy's house Navajo White from Sherwin Williams. I know it's not a trendy color, but it sure goes well with his western decor, which is full of dark and/or saturated colors. It makes a nice backdrop for his collections from a lifetime of western living. We kept the trim a creamy white, so there isn't a jarring contrast. I wish I had pictures to show.

  • dbarrabee
    7 months ago

    In my opinion, it’s all about creating the allusion that a room looks larger than its actual dimensions. Baseboards, trim, walls, doors and ceilings being the same color limits the eye from seeing defined shapes or edges. I just did this technique in my home and it really did make my place look much larger. There are tons of techniques that further the allusion found on Houzz, and also search the internet. I used Behr Whisper White, which is slightly warm. The lighter the color paint, the larger the room appears. I’ve also read that floors being darker doesn’t make rooms appear smaller, it’s darker wall colors that have that effect. I have medium walnut floors, and the rooms don’t look smaller due to the light color paint. To also make the walls look taller, I used short 2.5“ baseboards.

  • Anita Ramos
    7 months ago

    I am a big fan of yellow, but much of the world is not. If you go creamy white, think, maybe a bit of a yellow tone to it. Anything but white will be better for your house and also consider adding some art work in the hall -something that will delight year round. Family Pics in various sizes and frames??

  • Vici W.
    7 months ago

    The first 2 photos submitted by BeverlyFLADeziner are my fav for your house. I think color drenching is cool but a fad that will fade. White trim is fine & classic - the problem is yours is too stark. Soften the trim color into an ivory or pale griege as she suggested. And doors of gray with a hint of forest green look beautiful & evoke the forest. I notice responders here mention rustic but you did not. Perhaps you want more lodge than farmhouse. Do you have a favorite such place? What colors did they use? Maybe take inspiration from a Pendleton blanket.

  • emilytwalker
    7 months ago

    A dark trim like SW Urbane Bronze or BM Cracked Pepper would be deep and grounding, and I think beautiful for your mountain style. Samplize or similar paint samples can help you find the right tone for your space. Test them out, but I think a warmer toned near-black would be better than a true black or a cool tone. But don’t go all the way to brown - it would look too muddy with your wall color. Mountain style uses lots of natural tones, but also the black and white contrasts for structure and depth.

    I like BM Advance for trim paint, but whatever you choose, prep and paint carefully so you get a lasting, durable finish on those doors.

    I’m not a fan personally of the tan walls, but if you like them, they certainly work fine with a very dark trim. They bring a warmth to your entryway.