Choosing wall colors for Wood Trim
11/29/2008 04:08 PM by Gretchen Schauffler
Wood is a precious resource! These days we are mixing and matching wood grains, wood stains, and wood surfaces to further personalize our environments. The use of ‘Green’ wood building materials bring new twists to traditional trim, cabinets, and flooring. If you are lucky enough to have lots of wonderful wood surfaces in your home, here are a few things to consider when you choose paint colors for your walls. Wood colors are warm and complex by nature. They contain various tones of yellow, red, orange, green, and purples within the grain. We cut, stain, and polish wood to bring out a rich dimension at both ends of the light and dark spectrum. To compliment wood choose paint colors from a warm palette or a cool palette. Choose a course. If you choose a warm green, then go for warm reds, warm yellows, warm blues, etc…if you choose a cool red, go with cool greens, cool yellows, cool neutrals—you get the picture! Use our Trend-Proof Palette and color process to decide the look you want.
Why is it important to choose a temperature course? Because in a room full of wood, wood is the lead in the play and paint colors are the supporting cast. This way you are controlling the ambiance. Shifting from cool to warm paint colors on walls competes with the wood. Determine the warm or cool paint colors that make the wood look richer and determine the level of contrast you want. Contrast also has an important role in color relationships. When you are choosing paint colors, the level of contrast between colors is just as important as the color itself. Devine Color has colors that create contrast without conflict so you can adjust the depth of colors to your taste without fear of making the “wrong” statement. After you go through our color process, write down the paint colors that are lighter than the lightest wood in the room, and paint colors that are darker than the darkest wood in the room. Stay away from colors that are “the same” depth.
If you are looking to paint warm wall colors next to wood trim surfaces, it is very important to choose a warm wall color that truly creates the desired effect you are looking for—warmth. If the wall color is too similar to the wood color, the wood can disappear. If the wall color has an unexpected undertone that clashes with the wood, the space can feel tense.
The yellow walls above have a green undertone giving the color its mustard look. (Please forgive me if you can’t see the green. Computer screens distort color and therefore it is hard to adjust the pictures to reflect the “actual” color.) Because of color similarities, you can see that the wood trim blends into the wall.
A lighter yellow than the wood with red undertones creates contrast the trim and harmony with the rest of the wood surfaces. For this look try Devine Maple, devine Straw, devinegreen: Chicken or Poppy. Devine has warm neutrals in our paint palettes that deliver the same effect. Take a look at Devine Peanut, Devine Custard, Devine Filbert, Devine Macadamia, devinegreen: Persian, Impala, Siamese.
Deeper warm colors compliment and sharpen wood surfaces with high contrast. Take a look at reds and oranges such as Devine Blush, Devine Dust, Ginger, Spice, devinegreen: Sarsaparilla, Orangutan, or Lobster.
You can contrast wood by painting the walls with cooler colors. These would typically be considered blues, purples, and greens. Even our cool colors and cool neutrals have an innate warmth to them that compliment wood. For this look try Devine Pecan, Devine Bison, Devine Cocoa, Devine Mocha, Devine Hazelnut, Devine Roast, Devine Green Tea, Devine Bavarian, devinegreen: Persian or Jasmine.
When you paint walls in-between wood trim, consider the amount of wall you are actually painting and do the math. If you haven’t already, read CAN LIGHT COLORS LIGHTEN A DARK ROOM . This article talks about our Devine Math on walls to help you decide how light or dark (the depth) a Devine color can be on your wall.
This dining room has little wall space between windows. Painting a richer color on the wall “mats” the view and features the wood. Try devinegreen: Sarsaparilla, Clover, Toucan, Jay, Devine Cabernet, Devine Bordeaux, Devine Georgette, Devine Spice, Devine Denim, Devine Shantung.
There are also other featured walls that can afford color drama when surrounded by open spaces and rich wood color. Once you decide on the paint colors you want and the color temperature you want to do, then the sky is the limit! The possibilities are endless and personal.
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I read your site just about every day with my morning coffee. It is so interesting. I am a Faux Painter and many of my customers ask me for color selection. Your information helped me to convence an 81 yr. to paint her ceiling. Although it was not your paint line or color having the ceiling painted a slightly lighter shade than the walls and carpet gave her a feeling of a cocoon and safety. She had not slept since her husband past in June. Once we completed the room she told me she slept all night for the first time. I read your article on painting ceilings. Having read many of your articles I have learned so much. I am going to go the nearest paint store that sale your paint to get your color swatches. I had a few swatches several years ago. I painted a home for a couples and the wife picked out the main paint color and her husband picked your color “teak” for the bookcases inset and he was so proud of his part and the bookcases set the room off. I do have a guestion. What about kitchen and baths with today’s new stainless steel appliances or metal period. How do you consider color when brush nickle or stainless steel is involved. I have a kitchen ceiling to paint or faux rather. The wood is oak yellow, black granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances, the walls are a painted over grasscloth wallpaper in a lifeless fleshy oh I don’t know color beige. I want to do the ceiling in a metallic plasters. Okay last glass of Riesling, I hope this questions makes sense. Thanks.
— Linda Jordan 12/02/2008 06:11 PM #
Linda:
You don’t know how happy I am to hear about the experience your client had. How wonderful to have a great night sleep while being nurtured and comforted by color. We always say… without icing, it’s not a cake and wall colors are the icing in your home! This is what we strive for with our color advice and products. Stainless to me is “light bling”. Consider it a light reflection, not a color. So paint away with any of our colors confidently that stainless will work itself right in. If you are doing a metal finish, make sure you incorporate the silver quality of stainless in your color composition! I look forward to writing more blogs that help you and others communicate and understand color. Cheers to you!
— gretchen Schauffler 12/03/2008 12:47 PM #
Thanks Gretchen! The photos are great and your advice is so interesting! It has me thinking about completely new possiblities..blues, for example. What are the names of the blue and green shades you used in the last of the fireplace wall pictures? It looks so vibrant! If we were to use those colors what do you suggest we use on the adjoining walls of the kitchen,dining area and office?
On a different note, my husband always sees the (invisible to me) undertones in colors and I usually tease him about “seeing things that aren’t there”.......he now feels vindicated thanks to your advice about undertones in colors… I’m sure I will never hear the end of it! I ordered some palettes so that we can get started on our research. Thank for your help and for your fine website.
Rochelle
— Rochelle Alpert-Sherman 12/10/2008 07:10 AM #
Hi Rochelle:
Computer screens distort color so I want to make sure I give you suggestions in combinations you can audition at home. For a vibrant look take a look at Devine Pistachio Lime for the green with Devine Blue Silk, devinegreen: Macaw or Jay. Another version is Devine Green Tea, or Olive with Devine Denim. Also try devinegreen: Cactus or Trillium with Devine Storm. Read How to use our Devine Palettes and use our Trend-proof Color Collection the way I suggest. The rest of the colors will speak to you out loud and show you exactly which ones are the “perfect” ones for all the walls in your home. Narrow it down and let me know. So happy you and your husband will be enjoying the color journey together!
— gretchen Schauffler 12/11/2008 08:43 AM #
Hi Gretchen,
Just came across the pictures of your beautiful home. We both love the colors. Envisioning them in our home made me feel so happy!! I ordered the palettes to test them out, but wondered if you think these colors would work with our woodtones. For example, the dark brown/black on some walls, with the gecko/lime green on others or in the alcoves on the fireplace wall.
Thanks again. Rochelle
— Rochelle Alpert-Sherman 12/13/2008 03:27 PM #
Rochelle:
Let me know once you get the palettes and go through our process the choices that you think look best and I will certainly give you my insights…looking forward to it! Sometimes what works in one home does not sing as well in another so look up my colors and see how they sing with your personal belongings.
— gretchen Schauffler 12/16/2008 11:08 AM #