Trim and ceilings are usually decided last, often on the morning painting starts. They deserve more thought than that: they frame every wall and they show up in every photograph of the room.
White trim: the classic choice
White trim works with almost any wall colour, and it makes the architecture stand out. The catch is that there are hundreds of whites, and they are not interchangeable.
- Warm whites have a hint of yellow or cream. They sit comfortably beside warm wall colours, wood floors and older homes.
- Cool or clean whites have little or no yellow. They look crisp next to greys, blues and modern finishes.
- The wrong white makes the other colour look dirty. A very cool white beside a warm wall can make the wall look muddy, and a creamy white beside a cool grey can look yellowed.
Compare your trim white against the wall colour on the same sample board before deciding.
Matching trim to the wall
Painting the trim the same colour as the walls — in a different sheen — is a modern look that makes a room feel calmer and larger. It works especially well:
- in rooms with a lot of doors and casings, where contrast would feel busy
- with deeper wall colours, where bright white trim can look harsh
- in newer homes with simple, flat trim profiles
Contrasting trim
Darker trim — charcoal, deep green, navy — is a bold choice that suits rooms with good light and interesting mouldings. It shows every flaw in the preparation, so it needs careful sanding and a steady hand.
Ceilings
- Flat ceiling white is the safe default. The flat finish hides small imperfections and does not reflect glare.
- A tint of the wall colour — the same colour at a fraction of its strength — makes a ceiling feel less stark and helps a room feel cohesive.
- A darker ceiling makes a room feel cosier and can lower the perceived height, which suits large rooms more than small ones.
Sheen matters as much as colour
Trim and doors are touched, bumped and cleaned far more than walls, so they are usually finished in a harder, higher sheen — satin or semi-gloss. Walls tend to be matte, eggshell or satin, and ceilings are almost always flat. The difference in sheen is part of what makes trim read as trim, even when the colour matches the wall.
Doors
Interior doors usually follow the trim. Front doors are the exception — they are a good place for a stronger colour, as long as it works with the brick, siding and roof it sits against.
If you would like a second opinion on the whole scheme, that is what colour consultation is for.