Trend Alert: Punch Up Your Home With Painted Doors And Trim

Written by Jaymi Naciri Posted On Sunday, 12 August 2018 07:44

Your kitchen: White. Your walls: White. Your doors and trim: Hmm. Maybe it's time for something a little different. We think nothing about painting our exterior door a standout color, but what about the interior doors? And then there's the trim, which often gets no love at all.

"Whether simple or ornate, interior trim is a finishing touch that often doesn't get much thought, frequently being left the color it's always been without consideration of the multitude of beautiful alternatives," said Houzz.

Maybe it's time to change that. A little attention to your interior doors and trim can freshen up your home, help individual spaces stand out, and create interest where there wasn't much.

Bold colors

Royal blue may not be on your mind when it comes to your home's interior, but look how it creates both drama and warmth on this Swedish home's pocket door and surrounding trim.

A bright pop of color in this home almost acts like art. "Since the door is a fairly small area, you can get away with a much bolder color than you could on a wall," said Apartment Therapy. "The fluorescent yellow door in this interior from Hernandez Greene adds cheerful color without overwhelming the space."

Neutrals

You can stay in the neutral zone and still get a punch from painted doors and trim. "Neutral" can mean anything from beige or cream, to olive green, to gray.

"When trim is dressed in a midtone neutral shade, it immediately gives it a certain sophisticated, stately appeal," said Houzz. "The trim becomes a feature, for sure, but in an understated way. Choose neutral if: You love a transitional look (one that balances traditional and modern elements); You want an authentic heritage feel in an older home; or you want to highlight doors or windows for an architectural look without touching fresh white walls."

Black

Black definitely brings the drama while creating contrast. But because it's a timeless color, you can trust you won't have to redo it when other bold color choices start to feel dated.

"A trend that has grown in popularity of late is selecting dark colors for trim -- even black," said Sherwin-Williams. Dark trim gives a room more depth than white or light trim does, and very effectively frames views when used on window casings. In addition, dark trim contrasts nicely with some of today's trendiest room colors: soft aquas, powder blues, greens -- from lime to celadon -- and the gamut of grays."

Black beautifully frames windows and doors - a good reason to use it if you have windows and doors to show off, and perhaps a call to action if you don't.

Gray

"Over the last couple of years, veering off the traditional all white track and painting interior doors a non-white color has really surged," said The Creativity Exchange. "If you're not quite ready to do a bold color or a dark black, a nice (and safe) compromise is gray."

A light gray can bring in a subtle look that creates dimension, while darker gray shades help to highlight architectural details.

Tone on tone

We tend to think of doors and trim as offering a contrast to the wall color, but painting everything the same color creates a unique look—and serves an important function. "Painting interior doors and trim in white or a contrasting color from the walls will make them stand out. However, painting them the same color as the walls will help them to blend in and almost disappear," said The Casa Collective. "This is a trick decorators and designers use in small rooms, narrow halls with lots of doors, and rooms with low ceilings. A small room will visually seem more spacious because the white trim or doors aren't there to stop your eye as you look around the room. As you look down a hallway with several doors, all the doors won't jump out at you if they blend in with the walls. And if you have a room with low ceilings, painting baseboards and crown molding will make the room seem taller."

Creating contrast

We may be somewhat conditioned to think that all the doors and trim need to be the same color, whether that's white, black, or something in between. But using an accent color, like Kylie M. Interiors' yellowy-green door contrasted with the deep gray wall shows how you can use color to in new and exciting ways.

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