Think fast: you’re painting the walls of your bedroom a much darker color. Can you leave the trim bright white?
Probably not. It pains me to say this, but sometimes, if you have a deep, rich color on the walls, glaring white trim can make the room look, well, tacky. And disjointed.
Not the look we’re going for.
Do you remember this bedroom?
We were considering dark blue walls (originally I thought lacquer, but in the end I recommended against it) and John Robshaw bedding:
The walls would be Benjamin Moore’s 1679 Bedford Blue.
But what color to paint the trim?
I was confident I wanted to do the ceiling a deeper off-white. Benjamin Moore’s OC-9 Ballet White was perfect.
And if there were no other considerations, I would have said, “Easy peasy! Let’s paint the trim the same creamy white as the ceiling, but in a semi-gloss finish.”
BUT. But, but, but. There are pure whites to contend with. The bedding background is white, and more important, the blinds on the windows are white. Playing for the off-white team we have the headboard and the rug pattern.
Conundrum.
So we’re doing this in stages. First, paint the ceiling Ballet White. Leave the trim bright white. Second, assess.
What do you think?
After seeing the room thus far, I recommend that we paint the crown moulding, door trim, and baseboards the creamier white…
…but leave the window trim the bright white, since it’s associated with the bright white blinds. The windows can be their own thing.
I think it will work. Please stay tuned.
P.S. Please don’t be alarmed: I know the trim color isn’t the only outstanding item for this bedroom. We have 3 gorgeous leather ottomans (ottomen?) at the foot of the bed now, a media component stand is en route, we’re waiting for a lampshade, that little brown chair may not remain…lots more to do!
Annie Elliott – aka bossy color – is an interior decorator and design blogger in Washington, D.C. She has been quoted in publications from The Washington Post to Real Simple and is considered an expert on color, residential space planning, and telling people what to do in the nicest way possible.