Guest Bedroom Walls — Trim or No Trim?
I’ve been plugging away on the guest bedroom, and I finally got the accent wall painted yesterday in that gorgeous dark blue that I had color matched to the headboard fabric. I was ready to do the hand-drawn design, so I got out my overhead projector, turned it on, and it lasted for about five minutes before the light bulb burned out. Ugh!!
And of course, no local store carries the particular light bulb I needed (a tiny thing called an EYB 360w bulb), so I had to order online, and they won’t be here until tomorrow.
In the meantime, I’m having a hard time deciding exactly what I want to do. The mural design itself has been settled. I’m doing the line drawing floral design that I showed in the last post.
But what I’m not sure about is if I want to do the “wallpaper” on the entire wall, or do a framed accent area on the wall, which is what I had originally planned.
So here’s how the wall looks after I got it painted yesterday. The wall doesn’t have any trim on it because if I do decide to do the entire wall, I need my fat gold marker to be able to get to the edges without bumping into trim. But here’s how it looks…
The rest of the room (including the closets) will be Benjamin Moore Classic Gray, which is what I have on the stripes in the hallway, the background color on the stenciled design in the music room, and the walls in the living room and breakfast room. It’s a very light warm gray with just enough color to give contrast to the white trim. You can see the color here in the hallway. And while the hallway doesn’t look quite like this anymore, the new layout will still have these stripes on the wall when it’s finished.
So that darker stripe color in the hallway is what will be used on the closets and three walls in the guest bedroom.
Now what I’m trying to decide is if I want to stick with my original plan for the bedroom walls, which included picture frame molding. Since this room has two opposing walls that are completely solid — no doors, no windows — I think having trim on them that kind of mirrors each other would be very pretty. Since I want the headboard wall to be an accent wall with “wallpaper,” the two walls wouldn’t be trimmed the exact same way, but they would coordinate with each other.
The headboard wall would just have one large rectangle of “wallpaper” surrounded by the Classic Gray wall color that is continued on all of the other walls. It would look something like this, but with trim around it. And of course, you have to imagine the flower design on the blue.
It’s pretty much the same idea that I did on the entryway wall with the grasscloth a few iterations back. In fact, this shows what a dark blue (teal in this case) with trim against a wall of Classic Gray would look like…
But if I do this on the bedroom wall, I’ll take the “wallpaper” closer to the edges, and then I’ll mirror that trim design (kind of) on the opposite wall. Except on that wall, rather than doing one large rectangle, I’ll do three rectangles like this…
It would all be painted the same color, so there wouldn’t be any jarring contrasts or anything like that. Just some simple trim to add some dimensional interest to the walls.
What I really love about this panel idea on the headboard wall…
…is that it has the Classic Gray areas around all four sides that relate to the other three walls in the room. That really appeals to me. But when I did that idea in the entryway, a couple of people said it just looked like I had run out of wallpaper and didn’t have enough to do the whole wall. I don’t want it to look like an afterthought or like it’s a mistake or unplanned.
So what say you? The whole headboard wall with “wallpaper” from top to bottom, and side to side? Or a panel of wallpaper with trim around the edges, and the Classic Gray around that, with the trim mirrored on the opposite wall?
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
Love that shade of blue and happy to hear you are back at it. Here is a link to the best pet hair remover on the planet. I have two dogs that she’d like crazy and this has been a lifesaver. Good luck! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0748DGDVT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Ok, so this was supposed to go on your last post. Not sure what I did.
The whole wall
Entire wall. Keep it simple.
I agree, mural on the whole wall. Panels seem to lock in furniture placement.
I agree. I think it will look stunning by the way, and breaking it up with panelling and another colour will just be a distraction.
Whole wall.
Whole wall
I like the idea of the trim and gray outside of the blue accent. I’ve never been a big fan of one wall in a jarringly different color painted corner to corner, floor to ceiling.
I agree with you. I’ve never seen a highly contrasting accent wall that I loved. And I love walls with moulding as well.
Another in agreement.
I’m in this camp also. I had a bedroom once done in panels and it was the most beautiful, serene but interesting treatment to break up the boring look of a plain wall. Likewise, bringing the gray into the bed wall outside the panel area will be a much more cohesive treatment than a full wall of your “wallpaper.”
I would do the entire wall
The floral design is stunning and I personally think the furniture will break up the wall visually, and in my opinion it may be too broken up visually if there are rectangles, the headboard, flaking nightstands with decor and maybe beautiful colourful bedlinen?
Just my two cents 🙂 from having lurked on your blog for a long time (first time commenting!) whatever you do will be stunning!
flanking nightstands not flaking!
No trim I think. The wall will have great impact with the gold. I think trim would diminish that impact. Love your colors! Making the grey cohesive can be done with throw pillows or the bedcover.
I’m for the whole wall as wallpaper, if that’s what you’ve settled on. No trim out, just the design. I don’t think you need to add trim anywhere else, you have it on the doors of the closets, and IMO I think that’s enough. Just add wall art on the opposing wall. You will no doubt have furnishings adding to the look, so why add all that extra stuff? Less is more, and you will also have a bed covering to add pattern/texture.
Whole wall. I love that color.
My fav blue! The trim on the gray walls looks perfect. Perhaps make the border around the blue the same outside dimensions? Or make less of a gray border around the blue on the accent wall and see how that looks to you. Whatever you do, it will be fabulous!
Whole wall is my vote. It’s such a beautiful color and design it should be the eye catcher! No need for trim I think the accent wall will speak for itself. It might be to chopped up if you trim it out by the time you add the headboard and nightstands. Just my 2 cents.
I think entire wall floor to ceiling and side to side and save the trim for the other wall. I think with trim, the accent wall would look too chopped up with furniture placed in front of it. I also think it looks more like artwork and less like an accent wall when framed in trim. Depends on exactly which look you are hoping to achieve! I’m sure no matter what you do, it will be amazing!
I vote for the whole wall.
I like the panel idea. Like that it is repeated from the living room.
Whole wall. The wall will look more dramatic and less chopped up. It will also give you more options if you ever need to change the furniture arrangement.
Whole wall for the above reasons, furniture, headboard etc.
Entire wall..
I’m in the whole wall camp. But to comment on another feature…as pretty as that planned grey wall with the panel moulding will be…laying in bed and staring at that empty square is going to drive you nuts. I know…conversation for another day! Whole wall!
I vote for the trim.
Whole wall with of course white crown molding and baseboards.
I vote for whole wall
The whole wall. Too busy the other way with all the furniture.
Whole wall!
The whole wall and skip the panels on the opposing wall. Artwork and furniture will be enough, plus I think the panels would be too much with the closet door shape and trim being similar.
Whole wall blue with design, no trim because you have headboard to add into mix. I think trimming that wall out would be a distraction. Opposite grey wall keep your idea of trim , it will mirror the closet trim and give a cohesive look to gray areas without being busy.
Kristy, have you seen Jessica Welling Interiors handpainted bathroom? It is so you and I think may fit in with your hand drawn ideas.
Check It out.
https://jessicawellinginteriors.com/how-to-paint-a-mural-an-inexpensive-wallpaper-alternative/
I vote for whole wall.
I’d do the whole wall in teal but mirror the trim on both walls so that there is architectural continuity. I’d only do the “wallpaper” design inside the trim (the 3 boxes) on the teal wall. Then all other walls can be the gray.
I think the whole wall would look better as well.
Whole wall; love the blue!
If you do trim, would you line up the top/bottom to match the rolling doors? Is it the same trim from the doors so it may tie that in even more? You could paint a border to frame it. (the greek keys)
I would say no trim personally. Especially if you wan it more fun and casual, let the accent wallpaper sing!
Mirrored (both walls) Trim will definitely make it more formal, and tone down the accent wall.
So if you want formal “Fancy” room go for trim. More casual, comfy bold, no trim. This indecision feels a little like the walls in the living room. Either way it’ll be great.
Whole wall is my vote.
The whole wall. Did you ever think of putting the mural on the other wall? I love seeing the bed on the most visible(hot) wall. You’d see the mural better and the headboard, because the door is on the right hand side of the room, right?
Whole wall.
Sweetie, We do not live there and see your rooms on the daily. You need to do the room how you like. Everybody can have an opinion on YOUR HOUSE, but at the end of the day, it is YOUR HOUSE. YOU live there and see what you do daily, we only visit through pictures.
You need to do what makes your heart happy!!! Whatever you decide will be just fine. We can make those decisions at our own house where we can be paralyzed by others opinions (it does stifle the creative spirit you know). Love your work!!!!
I would do the whole wall. I’m wondering (and you may have addressed the previously) if you considered the actual black and white wallpaper? I love it! It’s neutral, contemporary and I think it would be lovely in this room. A teal headboard against it would have that WOW factor. In any case it will look great!
Definitely wallpaper the entire wall.
Wallpaper the whole wall. It will help make the room look bigger. Make your decision to trim it after you install the moulding on the other wall so you can see whether there might be too much trim in the room.
I vote for the whole wall and no trim (aside from crown and base), but I see where you would like some tie in with the gray. I think I’m hung up on the richness of the blue/gold combo against plain gray walls all around. I would tie in the gold with some art framed in gold on the gray walls and other gold accents and skip the trim on the gray walls. The blue/gold wall with trimmed out gray walls seems to compete style-wise to me. You could also frame out the blue wall with the gray, but continue the gold pattern on the entire wall. Not sure how the gold would look on the gray, and it still doesn’t solve your problem of going all the way to the edge, but a thought.
My dear Kristi.. whole wall, whole wall, whole wall please !!! :o)
I’m neutral on whether you do a panel or the whole wall, but just wanted to chime in that I think it’s ridiculous some people said it looked like you ran out of wall paper. I mean, you had trim all the way around it, it was centered on the wall in a nice proportional way — it didn’t look anything but intentional and more interesting than papering the whole wall. Go for what you want either way, I’m sure it will be stunning!
I would maybe look at some headboard walls. Since the headboard is there it will already be breaking up your design. If you do the picture framing, that will be another break in the pattern. Have you thought about maybe doing two framed panels on either side of the headboard? Kind of like this but with the bed in between instead of the door? https://laurelberninteriors.com/2019/05/01/affordable-chinoiserie-wallpaper-panels-murals-sources/