12 Spaces That Prove You Should Paint Walls and Trim the Same Color
Christina Kim Interior Design / Photo by Lisa Pétrole
A relative of color drenching, where you paint the walls, ceiling, and trim the same color, matching your trim to your walls is an unconventional yet timeless design choice. It's gained more traction in recent years, but designers have been using the technique for decades.
We've rounded up our favorite ideas that show off the beauty of painting your walls and trim the same color and also some important info to consider before trying it out yourself.
Pros and Cons of Matching Wall and Trim Paint
Before painting your walls and trim the same color, consider your personal style and the room. If you're going for a dramatic look and want to make the room seem more expansive than it actually is, it may be a good option.
However, painting your trim a bold hue isn't always the best choice for every room. For example, if you have new windows with aluminum or white vinyl sashes, you'll need to take extra steps to prep the window sashes for paint. You can leave them their original color, but it may clash with window trim that isn't white.
Additionally, keep in mind that trim is traditionally a higher sheen than walls. The same color can read differently depending on the sheen, so you may notice a subtle difference.
Show Off Collections
@j.bienvenu.interiors / Instagram
Matching walls and trim on built-in shelving and cabinetry make the perfect backdrop to show off your curiosities. This design by J. Bienvenu Interiors lets the antique books, taxidermy birds, and sculptural figures steal the limelight.
Play With Contrast
Christina Kim Interior Design / Photo by Lisa Pétrole
Contrasting colors create depth in a room. While matching walls and trim can lack contrast, you can work with contrast in other ways. For example, you can make one wall an accent wall.
Match the Ceiling
@aliciasummersinteriors / Instagram
If you're already matching the trim and the walls, why not paint the ceiling the same as well? The practice, known as color drenching, can visually elongate the room, so it's a great option for rooms with shorter ceilings.
Wallpaper the Ceiling
@teriantilston_interiordesign / Instagram
Rooms with matching walls and trim are great candidates for wallpapered ceilings. It will allow your ceiling to be the main focal point in the room because there will be fewer competing colors throughout.
Paint the Door the Same Color
If your walls and trim match, you're obviously already pretty committed to that color. To fully embrace the matchy-matchy look, you can also paint the doors in the room the same.
Embrace a High Sheen
We've already established that matching your trim and walls adds drama to the room. But if you really want to up the ante and turn some heads, go with a high gloss sheen for both features.
Leave Your Door Natural
@hardcastletowers / Instagram
One way to add a little something special to a room with matching walls and trim is to leave your door natural. If your door is already painted, you can either use paint stripper or paint it in a completely different color instead.
Don't Leave Out Any Trim
@mychicnest / Instagram
Even though we typically call crown molding and baseboards by their own names, they are both technically types of trim. If you're already painting your door and window trim to match your walls, don't leave out these two features.
Match Your Built-Ins
@renovationhusbands / Instagram
Built-in bookshelves also look great painted the same shade as your walls and trim. This room by the Renovation Husbands features Colonial Verdigris by Benjamin Moore in semi-gloss on the trim and bookshelves, matte on the walls, and ultra-flat on the ceiling.
Paint Adjacent Rooms Too
Design by @demiliodesign / Photo by @margaret.wright / Instagram
If you're painting your primary bedroom all one color, consider incorporating that hue into the bathroom as well. It will make the two rooms feel cohesive and like a continuation of one another.
Add Some Wood Elements
@jeanstofferdesign / Instagram
Historic homes with natural wood trim are hard to come by. If your trim has already been painted over, it's a great candidate for a matching moment. But if you want to add back in some warmth via wood, do so via antique or vintage wood furniture, like a china cabinet.
Opt for Beadboard
Using beadboard as a wall treatment will give this surface a similar texture to the trim and other woodwork in your house. Painting all the woodwork the same color, bead board included, will give your room a harmonious feeling.
Read the original article on The Spruce.
