May 3, 2010

painting trim

Most of the time, 
trim is painted white,
 but at times,
a room can really benefit from the 
continuity that is achieved when the 
trim is painted the 
same color as the walls.
this picture was taken at the 2002
southern accents showcase house 
in highlands, north carolina
(my husband took me one year as a birthday present...
does this guy know me or what?) 
notice how the wall, 
trim, 
 mirror surround 
and cabinet 
are all painted the same color?  
it creates a soft and soothing effect.
In this picture, also of the Southern Accents Showcase Home,
 the trim is painted brown. 
normally, i think people would cringe at the thought of
painting trim brown, but by doing this, 
the wallpaper is really showcased.
we did the same thing in the basement of house #5. 
we wanted a more clean and modern 
looking space, 
and achieved it by painting 
all of the trim the same 
color as the walls.
can you imagine what this space would look like
if the base, crown, and casings were all white?
another picture of the southern accents showcase house...
notice the subtle and sophisticated texture 
that is achieved on the fireplace wall?
i  love the way this looks.
also notice that the rest of the trim in the
room is painted the same color as the walls.
we created a similar treatment in the 
dining room of our last home.
 when i spotted this painted bead board at Barnsley Gardens 
(just outside of Atlanta---another birthday get-away!), 
i knew i wanted to copy it...
and I did.  This is the kitchen of our last home.

 oh, and if you liked the photos of the  southern accents
showcase house, i am going to be posting the rest of my pictures tomorrow!

9 comments:

  1. Such a great idea! I love your painted bead board and the color. What is the name?

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  2. I have been wanting to do painted trim in our powder bath...but it doesn't yet have the trim I hope to paint. Someday. Janell

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  3. 1 funky woman,
    thanks for the comment!
    the color on the bead board is benjamin moore's decatur buff, and the color on the walls is powell buff.
    :)
    autumn

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  4. i've toyed with the idea of doing something different than the standard white trim that we always see. i've recently seen houses with black trim and doors, which looks nice as well. good post idea!

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  5. Love it! We are wanting to create a "library" feel to our office and love the board and batten (that is probably the total wrong name for it, but I sound like I know what I am doing!) look in your dining room. That is fantastic!

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  6. I love your blog and everything you have done! I'm about to go through a kitchen remodel. We have a dark kitchen thanks to many shady trees, but I'm thinking about painting our cabinets some shade of white and staining our island dark. We have new venetian gold granite countertops installed by the previous owner. The tile sales guy tells me that he thinks it will draw too much attention to the island if we go dark, so now I'm rethinking things. The tile guy is actually pretty credible. Do you have any initial opinion? Help! (:

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  7. stephanie,
    thanks for the sweet comments! how exciting to be in the middle of a remodel. good for you that the granite was already there...
    and, as far as advice on painting the island--i have a few rules when it come to remodeling:
    when it comes to COLOR,
    never listen to the tile guy.
    or the trim carpenters.
    of the plumber.
    every person is going to have their own opinion on colors---but if you want GOOD advice, you need to go to a designer/decorator/friend or family member with great taste
    :)
    that being said, i would FOR SURE paint your island!
    it will bring some contrast into the kitchen, and give you a place to have fun with some color.
    best of luck!

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  8. Thank you so much! Do you ever do e-consultations? We'd be interested in hiring you in the future!

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  9. yes, i DO offer -consultations!
    e-mail me at mydesigndump@gmail.com,
    for a little more info, including some basic rates.
    :)
    autumn

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