Color Palette--What Color Should I Paint The Trim

by Beth McGowan
(Jamison, PA)

I am repainting my foyer, up the stairs and hallway. I'd like to paint it a khaki color but I don't want white trim (which is what most pictures show). My floors are a beige, slate blue color. What shade of beige could I use for the trim? Right now I have a light color (about 2 shades darker than white) and I don't like it. It shows all the dirt.

Answer:

You are very correct--trim is usually some shade of white, off-white, or cream. If the ONLY problem is dirt, then possibly the problem is the sheen and/or quality of paint you are using. A good quality paint should be easy to clean. Also, trim is generally painted in a semi-gloss paint, which also helps with ease in cleaning.

A great designer tip for keeping your trim pristine is to keep a bit of trim paint on hand. Just store it with your cleaning products, and once a month, as you're cleaning, pull out the paint and touch up the noticeable scuffs. If you take a few minutes to do this each month or so, your trim will always look perfect.

If you still feel like you want to go darker on the trim, my suggestion would be to use a color that is about three shades darker than the wall color. That way it will coordinate nicely with your walls, but will stand out, which is what you want if you have beautiful trim.

One other option is to paint your trim black. Black trim has a very classy look, and can often give a great clean, contemporary look.

Example of black crown moulding. Beautiful!
(photo via Hooked on Houses)

Keep in mind that painting trim a color other than white (or cream) can often be tricky. Because trim color is applied not only to baseboards and crown moulding, but also to window facings, door facings, and generally doors, it generally gives a more consistent look to use the same trim color throughout the house. This is why white is so popular for this application--it easily coordinates with other colors throughout the house.

That doesn't mean that you CAN'T use another color, it just means that you either have to choose a color that you're going to enjoy seeing throughout the entire house, or you have to find a very clear stopping point. The second option can be very challenging.

Hope that helps! Happy painting,