To paint or not to paint? The wood trim conundrum

FREE IMAGES

More than once I have been posed the question of how to make a home look fresh and modern when it is accented - or filled -with wood trim.  These days magazines are full of homes with doors, trims, moulding, banisters, and mantles all in white.  I won't lie, I love white, but I also love original details in a home.  If you just can't bear the thought of painting over the wood trim in your home - put down the paintbrush!  Choose other aspects of the home and decor wisely, and your home can still look modern and fresh, not dowdy.  

Gorgeous.  Notice the modern, crisp lines of the furniture and armchair?  The sleek drapery solution?  The chrome and glass brought in by the coffee table and the lamp?  All of these items counterbalance the dark, heavy feeling of the wood trim.  Fill this room with brocades and velvet drapes in burgundy and hunter greens and you have dowdy and dark.  Use the above picture as inspiration and you have something really charming and unique.

via BHG

Above is an example of using stark contrast to make a room feel modern.  If you have really dark trim, try using creams (cool creams)  and whites in your space and call attention to the trim.  I wouldn't recommend this if you have particularly small rooms, because it's contrast that has more effect on whether a room feels large or small, not whether you paint it dark or light...IMHO.  This all adds up for a really glamorous feel. The glass chandelier adds a modern flair.
Houzz

The above is probably my favorite example.  It's another illustration of mixing modern elements, like the sofa and artwork, and paying homage to the original bones of the home - the fireplace surround and the moulding. The navy and honey color of the wood looks super chic.
via Rue Magazine

Below are three other shots of the same home, a Bed Stuy brownstone.  I think it's gorgeous.

3 above via Ishka Designs

I would shave my head for those doors.  Wouldn't hesitate.

I highly recommend reading this post by Jessica of Decor Adventures  (Also the source of the two images above). She has done a great job making her home look fresh and modern while preserving the integrity of her 114 year old abode.

Another option - if you are a bit bolder, is to go for unconventional colors.  The bright rug and yellow-green chesterfield add enough funkiness to keep the space modern and not stuffy.

via Handmade Home (click the link for another good post on working with your dark trim)

A bright, white, beautiful kitchen

FREE IMAGES "Simple and white" was homeowner Julie Holloway's mantra for her kitchen renovation, and it's one I hope to have the means to adopt one day as well.  I adore white kitchens, they look so clean and bright!

Check out Julie's gorgeous Atlanta area kitchen (and some more of her gorgeous 70's home)

For some reason I have a lot of trouble finding bar stools I like, especially in a more open layout where they have to work well with the living room furnishings as well.  I think the brushed stainless steel ones look good.  What do you think?

One thing Julie manages that I don't think I could is open shelves instead of cabinets.  It would force me to get matching dish sets, which is good, but it means only I would ever be putting the dishes away, cause my sweetums wouldn't have the patience to stack everything perfectly.  He'd rather wash dishes by hand than unload the dishwasher!

I adore the dining area - everything about it - chandelier, table, mirror, shades....

Here are some shots of the rest of the house.

 At first I thought this was a home office, but now I realize that maybe that mirrored piece isn't a desk...Regardless, love the space.

Oh la la...white and dark wood - how I love thee!

Julie is co-owner (along with Anisa Darnell) of Milk and Honey Home, check it out, you'll love it.  All the images seen here belong to Milk and Honey Home, and some were featured in the Nov. 2011 issue of Better Homes and Gardens.


this post in partnership with Lakeland Furniture