The right paint color will accent your wood trim.
If you are lucky enough to have an older house with extensive wood trim that has never been painted over, you probably want to keep it as natural wood, perhaps bringing out its grain and beauty with a light coat of wax. You can make the wood trim in your home more beautiful by painting the walls in colors that will complement it.
Whites and Creams
Shades of white and cream are useful when painting rooms with lots of natural wood, because the light, neutral colors won't clash with the grain or color of the wood. These colors are particularly effective with darker natural trim such as walnut or butternut, because the light colors will recede and help to accent the beauty of the wood. Light colored walls surrounded by wood trim in a room with south facing windows will create a naturally bright and cheery place, and the dark wood colors will help to anchor the effect to avoid it becoming too airy.
Dark Woods
Dark woods are most effectively contrasted by light colored walls. If you use darker colors of wall paint with dark wood trim, you run the risk of creating a heavy room environment; you may even end up with a scheme that clashes with itself. Josette Buisson, artistic director of Pittsburgh Paints, recommends making an effort to match the root color of the paint to the root color of the wood. If a light tan or cream paint features the same brown root color as a deep walnut natural wood trim, the two will harmonize, even though they look totally different to the eye.
Light Woods
Lighter woods such as maple and birch make beautiful trim, and are more versatile than dark woods when it comes to the colors that you can harmonize with them. You can easily create white or cream walls that will blend well with light colored natural wood trim, creating a light and summery feel. You can also experiment with darker walls, without risking the overbearing feeling that is more likely with darker wood trims. A deeper color of green or red well, lightened and accented by natural maple or birch trim, can create a dramatic effect that adds life to a room. If you are painting a kitchen or morning room that features wainscoting made of maple, birch or pine, a lighter paint over the light wainscoting will create an inviting and informal feeling that is perfect for eating and socializing.
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