How to Mix Wood and White Trim, Beautifully!
Yes, you can mix wood and white trim in the same house (or, even, in the same room)! Mixing painted and stained trim is completely doable, as long as you keep these tips in mind.
Our modern cottage home has original solid wood trim, crown molding, panel molding, chair rails, and ceiling beams... but... it's only like that in a few of the main rooms. The remaining spaces are filled with the same 3" stained baseboards that fills most homes built in the 1980s.
So, what do you do when some of your home's trim is high quality and the rest is builder grade? Does it all have to be upgraded ($$$)? Or, do you have to paint it all white (bye-bye beautifully stained original wood)?
Is it all or nothing?
The answer is a resounding "no".
Not only can you mix wood and white trim, you can also mix stained trim with painted trim of any color. Mixing trim is not as easy as "all or nothing", but the results are well worth the extra effort (and, it might save you some money, too!).
How to Combine Stained and Painted Trim
1. Decide which Trim will be Stained
First, determine which trim, moldings, and casings will remain in a stained finish (i.e. will not be painted). To make this decision, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do I like this feature of my home in a stained finish?
- Is this trim made with quality wood?
- Does this trim make a statement in my home?
- Is this trim in good condition?
- Does this stained trim work with the "mood" I'd like to create in this room?
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2. Decide which Trim will be Painted
Next, determine which trim, moldings, and casings will be painted. To make this decision, ask yourself the following questions:
- Which wood-stained features do I dislike?
- Is this trim made with inexpensive wood?
- Does this trim distract from other appealing features of my home?
- Is this trim in poor condition?
3. Determine the Start and Endpoints
The trickiest part of mixing stained and painted trim is the start and endpoints. What do I mean by start and endpoints? Well, for example, this question:
"If I paint the baseboards white, should I also paint the stained door casing which opens to the next room?"
This isn't always easy to solve. In fact, in several rooms, I have painted trim up to a certain point and then stopped to mull it over for a while. I'm a visual person, and seeing it in real life helps me make the final decision.
My general rule regarding where to start and to end is this: keep each type of trim consistent within a room (with the exception of window and door casing trim). For example:
- all baseboard in a room is the same color,
- all crown in a room the same color,
- etc.
4. Decide whether each Window Casing will be Painted or Stained
So, do the window casings have to match the crown molding... or the baseboards... or the other windows in the room? Nope!
Rather, for window casing trim, choose stained or painted based on the following criteria:
- if you want windows to feel bigger, choose a low contrast trim color (see image #1, below)
- if you want to highlight windows, choose a high contrast trim color (see image #2, below)
5. Decide whether each Door Casing will be Painted or Stained
Like window casings, door casing trim can also vary within a room.
For door casing trim, choose stained or painted based on the look you want AND the impact on the adjoining room, for example:
- if there is a door, you can finish it in one color to the stop in the door frame and another color past that point (see image #1, below)
- if a cased opening does not contain a door (i.e. a pass-through), paint it all or stain it all based on which is most visually appealing (see images #2 and #3, below)
6. Decide whether Doors will be Painted or Stained
If you have a door between rooms, you'll have to decide whether the door will be stained or painted to match the trim. Just like all trim doesn't have to match, doors don't always have to match the trim, either.
In general, you have 4 choices:
- painted door with painted trim
- stained door with painted trim
- stained door with stained trim
- stained door on one side, painted door on the other side
Typically, I don't recommend the last option. In this post about How to Mix Wood Stained Doors with White Trim, I explain how to decide between the other 3 options.
Examples of Mixing Wood and Painted Trim
Dining Room with Wood and White Trim
For the first example, let's take a look at our homeschool room (also a dining room). I wanted the room to feel light and bright... after all light is imperative in a space for schoolwork.
When we moved in, the crown molding, window trim, chair rail, and baseboards were all stained wood. All that wood trim - combined with blue-gray walls - wasn't adding up to the light and bright space I envisioned.
But, I hated to paint over that gorgeous, thick, stained wood crown molding. How could I lighten up the room without hiding a feature that I loved?
You might also like: How to Brighten a Dark Room
So, I decided to try mixing wood and white trim in the same room (prior to this, I'd only mixed it in the same house). We painted the walls in SW Alabaster and the trim in SW Pure White (to match the adjoining budget-friendly kitchen renovation).
It turned out exactly as I'd hoped! The beautiful crown molding is highlighted because all of the smaller 3" trim blends in with the walls.
Bedroom with Stained and Painted Trim
For the next example, let's take a look at our master bedroom. We wanted this room to feel cozy, warm, and a bit rustic. It's a big room that can handle a deep, dark, paint color and heavy trim.
Plus, the wood beams are the statement piece in this room and I definitely wouldn't want them to fade away with white paint.
However, I wasn't interested in updating the inexpensive baseboards with similar trim to match the ceiling. It would be expensive and difficult to match the stains.
Instead, we chose to replace the 3" baseboards with paintable 1" x 6" boards. I painted the boards with SW Rookwood Dark Green (at 50%) - to match the dark green bedroom walls - which keeps the base trim from competing visually with the ceiling beams and trim.
Plus, I love how the dark green trim contrasts with the grasscloth-covered wall, while also complementing the green curtains (here are 9 more examples of rooms with painted green trim).
Tips & Tricks for Painting Stained Trim
- Use a high-quality semigloss paint, preferably with primer built-in. I like Sherwin William's Emerald Urethane Trim Paint for both trim and cabinetry.
- If your home is older (pre-1978), there is a possibility that there could be lead in the stain, varnish, or original paint. You can buy a lead test kit to confirm the existence of lead. Then, use a lead encapsulating paint as a primer/barrier before painting the trim.
Mix Wood and Painted Trim
Now it's your turn! Embrace the stained trim in your home by making creative choices with trim color.
Have questions? Feel stuck? Leave a comment, below. I'd love to help you figure out how to beautifully combine stained and painted trim in your home!
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I like the clean visual that white baseboards bring to a house, but at our house the door casings are all stained. After read this article, I would intend to install white baseboards, but there is a large brick wall at our living room. So, I do not know if it would match with all the elements: white baseboard, stained door casings, one brick wall, wood floor, white painted walls. Should I keep stained baseboard in this room? Could I mix a stained baseboard (for brick wall) and white baseboard for the other walls? Thanks!
That is a great question, Martin! I think a white baseboard would look just fine with the brick (take a look at this room with a brick wall, white baseboard, dark window/door casings, and wood floors). So, I think I would keep all of the baseboard white and leave the stained door casings. Hope that helps!
I am remodeling a kitchen living room and dining area. My current trim is an inexpensive stained “ranch style” (plain and flat). I want to replace baseboards and trim around windows and doors with new white molding. Can I leave doors and casings the stained cop wood or do I need to replace or paint. Also how should I paint so that it sticks and doesn’t chip. Thank you.
Hi Terri! Yes, you can leave the doors stained. In our home, sometimes I have painted the wood doors white, and sometimes I have left them stained. My attitude is always this: if I'm on the fence, leave it stained and live with it for awhile - I can always come back and paint it later. As for painting it so it doesn't chip, I think the most important thing is the paint selection. Buy high quality paint - even if it is pricey. I have used both Valspar Door and Trim Paint and Sherwin Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel. The SW Emerald is much more expensive, but beats Valspar by a mile. I have had no issues with SW Emerald chipping. On the other hand, the Valspar paint is very prone to chips in high traffic areas.
Have beautiful birch paneled walls, crown, chair, wall moldings (like picture frames) and baseboard in living room. Beige carpet. Tan sofa and chairs. Way too brown! Would white window frames, white door frame and white accent pieces be enough to lighten the room?
White window frames, door frames, and accent pieces will make a huge difference (while also letting the beauty of the birch shine!). Here is a great example of wood paneled walls with white trim (https://www.gapinteriors.com/imagedetails.asp?imageno=63378). Here are some specific pieces I'd consider adding: (1) white/cream/light pillows and throw blankets to lighten the sofa and chairs (2) white curtains hung high and wide (3) maybe layer a white/cream rug onto the carpet (4) artwork with oversize large white mattes and (5) white coffee table/ottoman, side tables, etc. Hope that helps!
Hi! I have stained moldings around the windows and doors south facing part of the house is a cherry wood and north facing side of the house a light oak wood stain. I want to paint the entire downstairs one color and wanted to do a gray....maybe a repose Gray. I want something light and airy....will this go with all my trim? I wanted to then add white crown molding. Would this work? My floors are title in creams and beige.
Repose gray (or any warm gray, just avoid cool grays) would look good with both cherry and maple. I think I'd try a couple samples of Repose Gray lightened 50% and 25% too, since what you are going for is light and airy. However, if you ware wanting to add white crown molding and have cream/beige floors, I'd also recommended trying a creamy/warm white. I've use SW Alabaster in my home, but there are other good options, too (BM Swiss Coffee, BM Marscapone). The reason I'd suggest these warm creamy whites (and something warmer on the crown molding, too) is that they'd create a lovely backdrop (floors, walls, crown) for some contrast (the wood trim, artwork, furniture, etc.). Hope that helps! Feel free to email me photos if you’d like!
Please help, I'm painting my kitchen cupboards white, but I have maple stained woodwork and doors and a terra cotta colored tile floor. What color should I paint walls, and should I paint woodwork or leave as is?
Hi Linda! Since the floors are warm in tone, I would probably paint the woodwork to match the cupboards. As for the doors, I'd paint the trim first, and then decide. If you don't have a lot of other furniture/art/warm colors in the room beside the floor, then the door may look just fine maple. However, if there are other wood tones, a hutch, colorful art, etc... the doors may look better white. Essentially, ask yourself what you want highlight. If the doors are gorgeous maple, then white trim will let them shine. If you have pretty colorful artwork for the room, maple doors may detract from letting the art shine. Hope that is helpful! Feel free to email me photos if you'd like!
Currently replaced my kitchen cabinets with Dark Cherry cabinets. Still have honey oak baseboard, window frames, and doors. I am going to paint walls cream color. Should I replace window frames with stained cherry color, white or gray? Should baseboard and door frames match the window frames? The cherry trim seems dated to me but it's hard to visualize white or gray baseboard and doors. Should doors be contrasting color? Thank you for your advice!!!
@Lynn, Hi, Lynn! Since cherry is warmer with red undertones, I'd probably select a white for the trim as opposed to gray. If you decide to go with gray, select a warm gray, or gray-beige, rather than a cool gray. Even with the white, I'd look at creamy warm whites. SW Alabaster is a good creamy white that I've personally used (try searching for warm whites on Google and you can find plenty more suggestions, if you don't like Alabaster). Since the window trim is oak, I would probably paint it OR try to gel stain it to look like the cherry cabinet stain. As a note, I'd only do the gel stain if I wanted to highlight the windows. So, ask yourself if you (1) want to give the windows "mascara" and highlight them with a dark cherry OR (2) do you want the windows to feel larger with the trim blending into the walls/surroundings. If the latter, paint the windows the same as the base trim. As for the oak doors, I'd save them for last. If they are solid oak doors, I'd do everything I could to keep them as-is. So, I'd paint all the trim and then live with just the doors being oak in the space for awhile - see how I like it. You can always paint them to match the trim later on, if you don't like it.
I feel stuck with what to do with my oak trim and panels.
Hi, Karen! I'd love to help. Feel free to email me photos, if you’d like!
We are doing a remodel in a bathroom, looking to possibly changing to white vanity and grayish marble, however all of our trim and doors are a golden oak.
I’m worried about how this will look.
Can we paint the trim white but leave the doors stained? There are two pocket doors and a regular door in this area.
Or leave all trim and doors stained .
Or nix the white and go with nutmeg cabinet and white marble? Ugh
I think a white vanity and grayish marble can definitely be combined with oak trim. Here are a couple examples of rooms with a dark wall color (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/300474606394911406/ & https://www.pinterest.com/pin/520799144418928332) and here is one with white walls (https://emilyaclark.com/2020/06/your-rapid-fire-decorating-questions-round-2.html/oak-trim#foobox-1/0/oak-trim.png the cabinets are dark, but they could definitely be white and look great, too). Do you have a specific wall color selected, yet? All that being said, if you are not crazy about the oak, then paint the trim white to match the cabinet! The doors will look fine not being painted. Tie in the oak color somewhere else in the room (such as oak wall shelves or picture frames) and it will feel cohesive and intentional.
@Lora Green, I have a similar situation. I'm switching out maple bathroom cabinet for white with white top.was thinking repose gray for walls. (Should i go darker? Its not a big space) Problem...can I keep my oak doors and trim? We are putting in Luxury vinyl plank..any suggestions on color to blend with doors and trim? Could I use different trim on window? It is a relatively small bathroom circa 1975 typical split level that was so prevalent then. Omg...help!
@Kathy Skogen, Yes, you can definitely keep the oak trim with the white cabinet/white top! I think you could go for a nice oak, white, and grays (both dark and mid-tone grays) combination. Here are a couple of great examples of that color combo (though in these the oak is on the vanity and the trim is white, of course yours would be the opposite, but the color combo is the same): https://www.pinterest.com/pin/405535141454527852/ & https://www.pinterest.com/pin/32440059796392521/ For the floors, I'd select a LVP that plays up that color combo. My first instinct would be to look at the darker grays like the first image, and maybe go with Luxury Vinyl Tile - maybe something like this: https://coretecfloors.com/en-us/products/coretec-plus-enhanced-tile/vela-vv016-01854
Can you tell me where you found your dining room curtains?
Hi, Rachel! Yes, but unfortunately, they are vintage curtains that I found at a consignment store nearly a decade ago. The print on the curtains kind of reminds me of vintage bedsheets... maybe if you could track down a similar print, you could have custom curtains made with the fabric? Just a thought.
I would like to paint my kitchen cabinets which are currently stained oak. My countertops are travertine with the same stained wood trim. I cannot find any examples online of trim that has been painted to match the cabinets. Do you have any advice here? Seems like most people just replace their countertops but we are not wanting to spend a lot.
Sure! Here is an example of a kitchen with warm-gray cabinets and matching warm-gray trim: https://i0.wp.com/roomfortuesday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Contrast-Greige-Trim.jpg?w=750&ssl=1 Hope that helps!
We're building a simple ranch-style house, and I want to use stained, knotty wood for baseboards and door casings, then white trim around the windows. My husband isn't sure if that would look right. Do you have ideas or suggestions? The floor plan is very open and we have a lot of big windows.
I think that is a great idea! Especially if you have lots of windows - you want the focal point to be the view, not the window trim. White window trim will allow the view to be the highlight. Since window trim is not connected to base/door trim, it won't matter at all that they are different. Hope that helps!
I have ALOT of good quality natural woodwork but painting ALL of it would be expensive and my husband likes the natural color. We need to replace the original wood windows with vinyl but I think the white color will stick out and look cheap. Any suggestions? Do we paint only window trim white (to match vinyl) so that only doors, baseboards and door frames are wood?
Yes, that is what I would do (and is in fact what I have done in several rooms after we replaced our windows). I also like that the combo of the white trim and white vinyl seems to make the window feel visually larger. Whereas, white vinyl & wood trim seems to make the windows feel more choppy/small. The only room in which I did not paint the window frames is a room that has grasscloth wallpaper, which blends with the wood trim. So rather than blending trim with vinyl, the trim blends with the wall - if that makes sense? Hope that helps!
I need so much help! I would love your perspective on what to do in my house. I definitely need to show you pictures though. Thanks!
Sure! Feel free to send me some pics of your home to loragreen@craftivitydesigns.com and I'll try to help 🙂
We recently installed a new floor throughout our living area and downstairs bedrooms. For me it clashes with the "aged pine" trim which is everywhere throughout the house. I was thinking the best answer is to paint the baseboards the same as the walls which are a "white sage" color and leave the door trim in pine. We also have a couple of cedar "feature" walls that I wouldn't want to touch. I'm just not sure. I'm going to send some pics to your email. I'd love your opinion.
It sounds like painting the base trim in the white sage will work well! Feel free to send some pics - my email is loragreen@craftivitydesigns.com.
Hi Lora! Where did you get your dining room curtains? We have white walls and wood trim very similar to this! Thank you!
Hi, Jennifer! Unfortunately, they are vintage curtains that I found at a consignment store nearly a decade ago. The print on the curtains kind of reminds me of vintage bedsheets… maybe if you could track down a similar print, you could have custom curtains made with the fabric? Just a thought! Hope that helps 🙂