Amy Krane Color
Many homes, especially in the country, have wood trim that is stained not painted. The trim can include moldings; baseboard or crown, window jambs and casings, overhead beams or millwork like the fireplace wall in the photo above. Wood trim in a wood stain color adds complexity to the overall palette as the room usually has hardwood floors as well. Here are tips to choose the best paint colors for rooms with wood trim.
What to consider when choosing paint colors
Rarely are the floors and trim the same color stain. This may make the task of choosing wall colors confusing. Instead of stressing out about how to choose paint colors to work with wood trim just imagine the wood as if it’s painted a solid color. Consider it a major visual force in the room. Forget about asking what goes with pine or oak. Just look at its color.
Is the wood trim a neutral, cool or warm color?
By this I mean ask yourself what tone is dominant in the wood stain? Like above, many wood stains ( and natural wood colors as well) are very warm and red based like the room above. Whether it’s cherry ( wood or stain), mahogany or red oak there is plenty of red apparent in the wood. Other woods ( and stains) like fir, pine, maple, hickory and white oak have predominantly honey tones – that being a combination of yellow and orange or pink.
Poesis
No matter what your wood tone is, warm or cool, you are going to have to choose which works better for the wall color.
Whether you choose the opposite tonality or not will make a huge difference in the look and feel of the room ( cool wall for warm wood or warm wall for cool wood).
Choosing its opposite will counter the wood’s tone and balance the room’s palette. Choosing the same will magnify its effect.
Utilizing a neutral wall color like a neutral white or an achromatic gray will create a calmer room.
Warm wood tones with a warm wall color ( red, orange or yellow) will create a very cozy, exciting atmosphere which might go too far for the taste of some. People may find this color combination overwhelming and yearn for a less intense color scheme. The room in the top photo with the fireplace has neutral white walls to balance the hot tones of the wood.
Amy Krane Color
Alternatively, in this room above we chose a cool blue green to counter the warmth of the honey colored wood. Notice the markedly different atmosphere compared with the tomato red room above.
Cam Slemp Modern Design
Neutral colored trim
Today, some modern homes and decor utilize black or gray stained trim or they bleach the wood very light. You’ve got tons of leeway in these situations.
Light wood trim
When the wood trim is light or neutral it contributes less to the overall palette of the room and allows more freedom to choose the paint color for the walls. You can choose warm or cool colors to coordinate with the wood tones.
Wood stained dark brown like walnut is also more neutral then red or honey wood and allows you more latitude when choosing wall colors.
