Old House Inspiration: Unpainted Wood Trim

From the glossy pages of magazines to the irresistible, infinite scrolling of Pinterest, one thing is clear: white trim reigns supreme in the decorating world. And for good reason. It can look as clean and crisp as it can cottage chic. It boasts versatility with different furnishings. It makes colors and hardwood floor really pop. (Above image: Houzz)

But in the lovely old house we'll soon be moving into, we'll be surrounded by unpainted wood trim – most of it original to the house. (Bits that aren't original are actually salvaged from houses of similar age/period.) And I couldn't be more thrilled about it. In fact, my heart breaks a little when I think about how someone painted the original trim in my Victorian apartment.

Spot Property

Old trim and woodwork just has a certain warmth to it. An aged elegance and timeless charm. I won't be painting my walls bright coral or chartreuse green. While those bold hues might have worked well framed in white trim, I really want the trim itself to steal the spotlight rather than the walls. So I'm thinking: drizzly gray-tinged whites, rainy day sky blues, balanced greiges, dusty sea-foam greens, and some vintage-friendly whites and creams a la Rehab Addict Nicole Curtis.

Each day, I'll be sharing one sneak peek of our house on Instagram. And in the not-so-distant future, I'll be sharing more photos here on the blog. 

In the meantime, I've been scavenging Pinterest for paint color ideas that complement the natural beauty of unpainted wood trim. 

Martha Stewart

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I also love Decor Adventures blogger Jessica's post about Why I'll Never Paint Our Wood Trim. She pretty much sums up my feelings about beautiful old woodwork perfectly.