Trend Watch: Add Impact With Dark Trim

When it comes to painting your home, the walls don't have to hog all of the attention. Painting a room's trim can easily make just as big of an impact, especially if you use a dark hue instead of the more prevalent pale shades.

You'll want to evaluate your current paint colors to decide if dark trim is right for you. It makes a crisp contrast when paired with a neutral wall, or can help balance certain bolder shades.

And when it comes to selecting a paint for your trim, feel free to experiment with a range of darker hues. Black will make the boldest statement, but we also like a deep charcoal, moss or chocolate to add unexpected depth to one of the room's smaller components. If you're in doubt, try a hue that's three shades darker than the wall color. You'll still get that immediate impact from using a darker shade instead of white or beige, but it won't be quite as dramatic as some of the aforementioned options.

If you want to try this trend but are a little unsure of the results, test a small piece of trim with your desired color. Or, better yet, paint the trim in one of your smaller rooms. That way you'll get the effect of the completed project but save yourself some labor if you end up reverting back to a paler shade.

What say you on the subject of dark trim? Do you like the contrast or would you prefer a more muted hue?

Photo courtesy of myflightsofwhimsy.blogspot.com