Face it. Door and trim colors are often and afterthought. When I ask my clients if they are going to repaint their doors and trim, the most common answer is, “Sure. Just make them white.”  Which white? Bright white? Ivory white? Swiss Coffee white?

Contrary to what most painters will tell you, there is no such color. Pick up a fan deck. There are lots of whites. I went to myperfectcolor.com and typed “white” into the search box. I got over 100 results!

What makes them different? Each white has a tad bit of color in it. I moved into a house that had Navajo White walls. Let me tell you, in that home, the walls were PINK. I don’t care what the name on the paint chip said. So depending on the light in the room, the white will subtly change to its undertone colors.

I know. I know. You’re feeling more overwhelmed than ever. It’s hard enough picking the room color, let alone bothering with trim and door colors!

How to Choose White Trim and Door Colors

If you want to go with white, pair up lots of different samples with your wall colors, and see how they look together. As you experiment, you’ll see that some whites look gorgeous with your wall color, while others actually don’t look good at all.

Don’t limit yourself to white. Consider ivory and cream, too. They can be much warmer and just the color to enhance your wall color choices.

Consider Neutral Tans for Trim and Door Color

Do you have neutral wall color? Look at the color strip, whether it be a single strip from the paint store or on the fan deck.

So let’s say Basket Beige SW6143 is the room color. Go to the top color on the strip, the lightest one, Moderate White SW6140.

This color has the same qualities as the room color you’ve chosen. This will be a great white to go with the wall color because they’re in the same family.

But we can do better. Go one down from Moderate White…to Softer Tan SW6141.

See how much richer that is? You’ll still have light trim and doors, but it feels so much better together.

So if two colors away on the strip is good, colors next to each other must be even better, right? That would be Macadamia SW6142.

Not good. And here’s why. Colors next to each other on the paint color samples are not much different from each other. So what happens? There’s not enough contrast. In some rooms, they even look like the exact same color.

If you have a lot of different wall colors throughout your home, choose a tan color for the doors and trim. Have you ever heard the design guideline, neutral furniture, colored walls and colored furniture/neutral walls? The same principle holds true for wall color and trim/doors, too. The neutral color will unify your home, creating consistency from room to room.

Using a neutral instead of white will also bring down the high contrast that you would get between white doors and walls of color. It’s much more calming.

Dark Colors for Doors and Trim

Take it one step further and go dark. It’s not as risky as you think.

For a number of clients, I have chosen dark brown for the doors and trim. It’s gorgeous and rich. And on the practical side, it doesn’t show scuffs and dirt in the same way that lighter colors do.

Here is Basket Beige paired with Sable SW6083. Gorgeous.

As a rule, I like deep browns as opposed to black. Unless you have a really modern decor, it’s pretty harsh.

Browns are not different than whites or tans as far as undertones go. Some have lots of red in them. Others have gray. Still others have black. Again, play around with them to see which look best with the wall color. The results will be stunning.

Trim Color for One Room Versus the Whole House

If you’re painting the whole house, then you want to choose the same trim and door color throughout the home. A color that will work with every room’s wall color.

If you’re only doing one room, I wouldn’t choose trim and door colors that are drastically different from the rest of the house. It’s too jarring. So whatever you do, don’t choose espresso doors and trim for one room while the rest of the house has white doors in trim. It’s all about subtlety and flow between the rooms.

Don’t let your trim and door color be an afterthought. The right door and trim color thoughtfully paired with your wall color, will make your home absolutely beautiful.

If you need professional advice in choosing the perfect wall and trim colors for you, call me for a Color Consultation at 702.202.7543. Online or in person, I’ll help you pick colors to make your home look its very best.

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