Decorating Guides
8 Reasons to Blur the Trim Lines
See what happens when you let your wall color cover doors and moldings too
Painting your moldings and doors the same color as your walls can have an unexpectedly dramatic effect. Check out the key reasons why this look can bring style and interest to a home.
1. It can offer a contemporary twist. Victorian homes that respect their period details but don’t wallow in the past are endlessly popular on Houzz. And this paint technique works perfectly with that approach, as seen in this bold and colorful living room.
Interestingly, one-color walls and woodwork actually have traditional roots; it’s just that white woodwork has since become the norm. What gives the historic one-color idea contemporary fizz is the clean finish it brings to a room — fewer lines breaking up a space make for a more streamlined look.
Here, there is still plenty of white woodwork. Merging those luscious blue walls (the color is Peacock by Flamant) with the baseboards draws attention to the elegant ceiling while visually stretching the height of the room — just picture the shortening effect if this space had white at the top and the bottom.
Read more about this colorful Victorian home
Interestingly, one-color walls and woodwork actually have traditional roots; it’s just that white woodwork has since become the norm. What gives the historic one-color idea contemporary fizz is the clean finish it brings to a room — fewer lines breaking up a space make for a more streamlined look.
Here, there is still plenty of white woodwork. Merging those luscious blue walls (the color is Peacock by Flamant) with the baseboards draws attention to the elegant ceiling while visually stretching the height of the room — just picture the shortening effect if this space had white at the top and the bottom.
Read more about this colorful Victorian home
2. It can go all out. This small farmhouse kitchen has lots of traditional elements: apron-front sink, sturdy table, recessed-panel cabinetry. But the all-green paintwork gives it an unusual edge.
This kitchen goes way beyond just blending the walls and baseboards, with everything from the door frames to the cabinets painted the same shade.
By not highlighting particular features or lines in white or another color, the room becomes almost seamless and womb-like — giving it a really intimate feel.
This kitchen goes way beyond just blending the walls and baseboards, with everything from the door frames to the cabinets painted the same shade.
By not highlighting particular features or lines in white or another color, the room becomes almost seamless and womb-like — giving it a really intimate feel.
3. It can be sleek and Scandinavian. Bringing your walls right down to your floor by painting them to blend with your baseboards really softens the effect, whatever color you choose. But this combination of putty pink, pale wood and chalky white — a gentle take on contemporary Scandinavian style — illustrates the idea perfectly.
You’ll need to pick a different finish for your woodwork, which requires a more durable paint type than flat wall paint. For a fairly matte effect, try eggshell; to add an element of contrast, consider satin or gloss.
You’ll need to pick a different finish for your woodwork, which requires a more durable paint type than flat wall paint. For a fairly matte effect, try eggshell; to add an element of contrast, consider satin or gloss.
4. It can let details shine. The default approach to decorating — white ceilings, window frames and baseboards, whatever color your walls — gives a room a crisp and classic frame. It would work perfectly with these salvaged antique basins. Instead, by avoiding the more obvious approach, the design of this room focuses attention on the basins since they aren’t competing with a band of white paint.
If you’ve invested in a large vintage piece, consider tailoring your paintwork to show it off.
11 Smashing Black Bathrooms
If you’ve invested in a large vintage piece, consider tailoring your paintwork to show it off.
11 Smashing Black Bathrooms
5. It can mix and match. In this generously sized entryway, most of the woodwork sticks with convention.
But choosing to paint the built-in cabinet doors to blend with the wall means they melt into it. The hallway feels more spacious because the back wall, being almost uniformly dark, appears to recede. It’s a smart trick if you want a room to seem bigger.
But choosing to paint the built-in cabinet doors to blend with the wall means they melt into it. The hallway feels more spacious because the back wall, being almost uniformly dark, appears to recede. It’s a smart trick if you want a room to seem bigger.
6. It can still provide contrast.
If you don’t feel that full-on matching walls and woodwork will create the look you’re after, but you still want to soften the edges where the wood and wall surface meet, try this technique: Use two shades from opposite ends of the same paint strip. By choosing two tonally connected hues, you create definition but not total separation, giving your backdrop a calmer, less formal style.
When creating this effect, go for neutrals, whether it’s off-whites, pastels or earth tones, rather than stronger colors.
If you don’t feel that full-on matching walls and woodwork will create the look you’re after, but you still want to soften the edges where the wood and wall surface meet, try this technique: Use two shades from opposite ends of the same paint strip. By choosing two tonally connected hues, you create definition but not total separation, giving your backdrop a calmer, less formal style.
When creating this effect, go for neutrals, whether it’s off-whites, pastels or earth tones, rather than stronger colors.
7. It can extend to other surfaces. Consider the surfaces next to your matching walls and woodwork too. In this country manor house in England’s Cotswolds region, the brown tones in the paint (Fine Mahogany by Neptune) echo the colors in the flagstones, baskets, logs and rugged front door, building a relaxed feel in this elegant but unfussy hallway.
So before you take out your brush, look at the surfaces next to and surrounding the woodwork you’re planning to paint. Take a sample, if possible, to a DIY shop that offers color matching and then go a few shades lighter or darker.
So before you take out your brush, look at the surfaces next to and surrounding the woodwork you’re planning to paint. Take a sample, if possible, to a DIY shop that offers color matching and then go a few shades lighter or darker.
8. It can be cozy. It may seem counterintuitive to go for dark colors in a room with little natural light, but pale colors won’t boost light where there isn’t any, so going the other direction and emphasizing coziness is often a good solution. Blending painted surfaces rather than picking out highlights will emphasize this effect, as seen here in this basement den.
Don’t forget radiators. If you’re going down this decorating route, be aware that they risk inadvertently becoming features unless you also paint them to match.
Tell us: Have you painted your woodwork something besides white — or would you like to? Let us know in the Comments below.
More
Interior Trim: 8 Must-Know Elements
7 Ways to Paint Your Trim, From Classic to Fearless
Don’t forget radiators. If you’re going down this decorating route, be aware that they risk inadvertently becoming features unless you also paint them to match.
Tell us: Have you painted your woodwork something besides white — or would you like to? Let us know in the Comments below.
More
Interior Trim: 8 Must-Know Elements
7 Ways to Paint Your Trim, From Classic to Fearless
Comments (44)
See 41 more comments
Sponsored
Greater Loudoun County's Expert General Contracting Professionals
Diana Bier Interiors, LLC