Whether you are building a new house, doing a renovation, or remodeling, a time will come in the process when you would want to paint the house and that includes the trims. You may begin to wonder if it’s OK to have darker trim lighter walls. In this article, you get all the first-hand information you need about darker trims including the pros and cons of painting trim darker than walls.
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Can I Paint My Trim Darker than My Walls?
Yes, you can paint your trim to be darker than your walls to create a contrasted look. Also, painting trims darker than walls can draw attention to your windows and door frame where the darker shades are used, adding more beauty to the whole room.
The idea of painting trim darker than walls is dependent on what you as a homeowner want. If for example, you are the type that doesn’t care about colors, then you have nothing to worry about. You can paint your trim whatever color you want as long as it conforms with the wall color.
However, the fact that you are on this website reading this article, means that you care about the colors you used for your home. Therefore, it is totally OK to use darker shades for trim.
If the trim paint is darker than the wall, there is this design and beauty it gives to the room coupled with the fact that it will bring people’s attention to where it is used.
So, if it’s OK with you, then go ahead. There is no law prohibiting you from doing so except you are in a community managed by HOA, you may want to verify before doing anything. If where the trim you wish to paint is inside, you can paint it any color you want.
The HOA has no right to tell you the color of paint to use inside your house. They may have the right to tell the color to use on your outdoor walls, but not your indoor walls. That is your right against the HOA and they cannot infringe it.
Should Trim Be Painted Darker or Lighter than Walls?
Trims can be painted darker or lighter than the walls. It all depends on you as a homeowner and the shade you want for the trims. If you wish to use lighter shades that are lighter than the walls, you can. It will make the walls feel like they are receding. If you want to use a darker shade that is darker than the walls, you can as well.
All that matters is giving your house the perfect paint color it deserves. Remember colors have a thing it does to human beings. That is the reason why you should be careful with the kind of colors you used for your walls and trims.
Some colors can bring positive vibes while some may bring a negative vibe. Some colors are soothing that you can easily sleep in such a room while some colors may not be pleasant to the elderly.
So, choose the wall and trim paint thoroughly. It would be wired for you to use black paint for your walls and white paint for your trims. Even if you want to use black color for your walls, you can miss it with a lighter shade.
It all depends on what you want for your house. Since you’re the one that will be living there. Make a decision. You need to have a color that you are comfortable with.
Does Dark Trim Make a Room Look Smaller?
Yes, dark trims can make a room look smaller. Painting the trims’ dark color will absorb light in the room thereby making the room feel smaller than it is. It will make the room appear as if they are small unlike when the trim is painted the same color as the walls.
For example, in my house, the trims were painted the exact color as the walls. I don’t have white paint on my walls. So it was easier for me to have the same color for the walls and the trims. That is what I want. You should go for what you want but be rest assured that dark trims will make the room feel smaller.
Moreover, come to think of it, the fact that a paint color makes your room feel smaller doesn’t mean it is actually small. It’s just a feeling you can easily ignore because it’s not in actuality.
In reality, your room is still big enough to contain all the things you wish to put inside and still have enough space. Do not mind the trim making you feel it is small. You can ignore the feelings and paint the trim dark colors if that is what you want.
Pros and Cons of Painting Trim Darker than Walls
The pros and cons you get when you paint your trim darker than the walls are:
Pros: It Will Make the Room Look Beautiful
Painting trim darker than walls is known for the job of making the room look more beautiful than when it has the same color as the walls. It will create an artistic feeling in the room and add more beauty to your room.
Cons: It May Fades Faster
When you paint dark color on your trim, there is a probability that it may fade quicker than the lighter color on the walls. This is because dark colors get hotter than lighter colors. This heat may affect the paint and if there is any caulking in the trims, it may affect the sealing element as well.
Pros: Darker trim lighter walls Will Attract Attention
Painting trims darker than walls is known to always attract attention in the house. Once you enter a room that its window and door trims are painted darker shades than the wall, you can’t help but notice. Even if you don’t want to look, it will draw your attention to look and when look and behold, you will see the beauty of the room.
Cons: It Will Make the Room Feel Smaller
This is the biggest downside of having your trims darker than the walls. It will definitely make your room feel smaller than it is and like I reiterated earlier, it is just a feeling. It is not in reality. The fact that you feel your room is small because of the trim color doesn’t mean it’s actually small. So, you can just ignore the feeling and paint the color you wish for your trims.
Also, if you use a dark color for your trim when your ceiling is low, it will make the ceiling look very low than usual. Unlike when you paint the trim and ceiling with the same color as the wall, it will hide the trims and make the wall appear taller, hence the ceiling won’t look low. That is the pros of painting ceiling and wall the same color.
What Color Should Trim Be If Wall is White?
The trim can have a dark color if the wall is white. Having a darker shade on the trim over white walls will create a focal point to the trim, draws attention to the room, and make the room look beautiful.
Should the Trim Match the Wall Color?
Yes, the trim should match the wall color. You can paint your trim and walls the same color to match. You can also paint the trim a slightly darker shade than the wall to match such as white and grey. White for the walls and grey for the trim.
Matching colors is not only painting the same colors on the walls and trims, but it can also be having different yet conforming colors. For example, if your wall is white, you can use dark grey color for your trims. When you search for a two-color combination for your rooms, you will notice that white and grey are commonly used by many.
Does Trims Need to Match Throughout the House Match?
Yes, you should paint all the trims throughout the house to match to create a unified effect in the room. Painting trims to match throughout the house will make the rooms look like they are in the same house unlike when different colors are used, which will make the room look like they are in another building.
However, if you wish, you can paint the main areas of the house the same color trim but in some areas that people don’t see or care about, you can paint it a different color.
For example, you can paint all the visible areas of your house such as the window trims, door trims of the bedroom, living room, and kitchen. But you can paint any color you wish on the bathroom trims. But it is better to have a uniform color in the whole trims in every area of the house.
Final Thoughts
As a homeowner, you are free to use any color you wish for your rooms. If you wish to use darker trim lighter walls, go ahead. There is no law prohibiting that. It will even create a focal point to the room and draws people’s attention to the trims whenever they enter your room than the lighter color. But be rest assured that painting trim darker than walls can make a room feel smaller.
