San Francisco Bay Area - What color of walls and trim with dark ebony wood floors?

by mattamy5

What color of walls and trim with dark ebony wood floors?

Painting everything in the home and like the look of painted doors (different than trim) but not sure I should go as dark as black. Struggling with a good trim color with Dark Ebony wood floors as well as wall color. Have 3 boys and a dog....but love the way lighter brighter colors look with dark floors (white on white?) Dare I paint it a form of white? The color of my kitchen cabinets will be similar to edgecomb gray and the quartz top natural limestone.

Any ideas? I painted upstairs trim pure white (ben Moore) and it was very dingy. I like creamy whites but don't want off-white this time around. Vanilla milkshake? The house is very traditional and has the 6 panel faux wood doors...i like more transitional styling. Also the door knobs are gold, and while i wanted to change them out right away, the budget has dwindled. What color lends itself to the polish of my new chrome light fixtures and looks good with the gold polished door knobs?

So any paint/design suggestions with ebony satin wood floors that will be finished this weekend?

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mmilos Go with grays on the walls and creamy white trim with the dark hardwood floor.
I'd keep the doors white to match your trim and lighten it up, especially with dark hardwood.

6 months ago · Like

Ramona What colors do you like? The house seems to have a lot of light. I think you can do colors with all that white trim and it would look wonderful. Grey is in, but will it look turn of the century in a couple of years?

6 months ago · Like

mattamy5 But what color of white trim? I see white dove quite a bit with dark wood floors....What is a creamy white, mmilos?

6 months ago · Like

Stanton Designs-online design services I also suggest a light gray if you want to keep it neutral. Gray is very popular now.

6 months ago · Like

kim23185 I think you should decide what feel you are after in your house, what kind of inspiration pics have you clipped? If you want white, BM Swiss Coffee goes with everything. I also think you should paint your stair rail black or stain it dark to match your floors. BM Simply white is a nice white that is very versatile for trim. Darryl Carter has colors for Benjamin Moore that are all muted, soft colors and seem to all work well together. I think a more muted color palette is easier to work with and is easier to live with long term.

6 months ago · Like

vjs12 I would keep the trim and doors all white but go for the gray side of white not the yellow side (too dingy looking). The floors are beautiful. The dark ebony hardwood looks like painted wood so save yourself some money and paint it ebony if you want it dark. It totally is a fad though. I think painting the walls a deeper color would make the trim and existing floor look beautiful. If you don't like the gold door handles, you can spray paint them with Rustoleum Paint to save money. I painted my bathroom knobs bronze and it looks great.

6 months ago · Like ·

lynn waller Check out AF-100 Pashmina for the walls and AF-20 mascarpone for trim

6 months ago · Like

sturner2001 Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter - the color rocks!

6 months ago · Like

mattamy5 Thanks for all the input! I did consider simply white and pashmina plus rever pewter. Pashmina was a little to dark and tan for my tastes. Trying to keep things light with the dark floors. I do like revere pewter. I actually considered painting the built ins in the revere pewter and also wanted to do the wainscot in a color too....I'm really into more contemporary lines and the trim throughout the house is traditional with routing and the works.

As far as inspiration goes....I reallly like pops of color when I see it but have always ended up with muted colors in my houses. Love sparkly fixtures...so I have purchased a lot of chrome fixtures, now I'm realizing I will be blending metals, eeK.

Thanks for your help! You guys rock!

6 months ago · Like

mattamy5 Oh and I had planned to paint the railing black....wonder know what black to paint it! I have an antique carved black oak table that will be in the dining room visible from the stairs. Blend with that, I'm guessing.

6 months ago · Like

spontrelli I actually just had my floors refinished to a bit darker than ebony this summer! they are beautiful. my house is some traditional (but not too traditional) and from the outside a bit Frenchy. every room in my house is a different color. you just have to decide what shade or tone you are looking for. i did all of my trim, including doors and windows bright white (high gloss). I have BM Pashmina in one room (with my accents being lime green) and i love it. I also put a stencil on the wall in this room, it's a gold/silvery stencil. this makes it look like wallpaper. i am not much into grey but this shade of grey is awesome. my son's room is BM-Camoflage with a fat stripe of a sky blue about 3/4 of the way up. I have a terracotta glaze in another room, and each room is a different color, but they all flow very nicely. I DO suggest bright white trim, i makes the beautiful floors pop! good luck!

6 months ago · Like

karenemmamartin I have seen black trim used well and can be effective. Also quite elegant.

6 months ago · Like ·

Maria Smith I have ebony floors, kept the trim and doors a mayonaise white and put warm color on the walls...it is cozy in winter and bright in summer ....

6 months ago · Like

clmrlik I agree with painting your gold handles. You can paint them to look like oil-rubbed bronze very easily! I have Cantera front doors finished in an oil-rubbed bronze and just had my painter refinish my lanterns at the garage the same way. He used a rust protector, then black spray paint (used for grills to help with fading) and then antiqued them with antique glaze. They look amazing and saved me thousands from having to replace!!!

6 months ago · Like

Reed General Construction Have always found the color 8210 Whispering Birch found in older fan decks to be pleasing in most color ranges

6 months ago · Like

clmrlik What color are the walls now? Once you darken your floors the existing color is going to pop more. I think it looks pretty as it is. You can have your doors faux'd to look like wood too. Use the extra money towards accessories that bring in color and can be changed as your taste changes. And I agree, darken your hand railings and base to compliment floors (keep post the color of trim).

6 months ago · Like

cpalazzo We are going with dark floors and have used SW Westhighland white on the trim and SW Loggia for the walls.

6 months ago · Like ·

ideahuntress Hi

The first thing that came to mind to me was a kind of mushroom colour like in the following pics , one includes dark wood floors too and do a warm while or mocha white for your trim. If you like splashes of colour but find yourself not using it in your paint colours you can always try them out in your soft furnishings which are cheap to replace.

It looks a gorgeous home , have fun decorating !

6 months ago · Like

Lauren Jacobsen Interior Design When I want a warm white but a color that won't look yellow,dirty or dingy, I use Benjamin Moore Acadia White. It is just right. For more tips about design, please follow my blog "Lauren's Style library" ; http://blog.laurenjacobsendesign.com/

6 months ago · Like

greenthumb2 hi mattamy5,

I would discuss the finish for ease of cleaning on the wall and door paint. The finish is going to really determine how your new paint colors will look together. Grey can be very pretty but don't use too much of it. I'd say no more than 40% coverage of grey for walls So, not all walls in grey. I vote for trim and doors in grey since boys and dog. :=) Less cleaning in between, esp the ridges on your decorative trims and door panels where dirt does accumulate.

Over the years, grey can be a downer. Without color pop it can be gloomy. I like your idea of creamy white walls with grey accents. Dark floor, shiny fixtures, painted knobs. Classy...

6 months ago · Like ·

greenthumb2 for color combos only: just a view of combination walls and trims.Modern Loft

with warmer tones:Greenlee Dining notice the sisal style rug changes the look.

North Bay II, Miami Beach, Florida

one more: with wainscoting in entry to show color combos.
Stair

Modern Loft

Greenlee Dining

North Bay II, Miami Beach, Florida

Stair

6 months ago · Like

victorianbungalowranch I would experiment with the door knobs. Take one set apart for the back of a closet or someplace out of the way and try patinating the brass--can soak in vinegar and other solutions, and then finish to make it look sort of like oil rubbed bronze. You can Google directions to try out. I saw it on Martha Stewart years ago and thought it was really cool.

On the other hand, I think chrome light fixtures and antique brass doorknobs are OK together. Don't mind mixed metals, and they are small and far enough apart that it isn't that big of a deal.

6 months ago · Like

Nancy Auman I always use Sherwin Williams Bright White. It makes any color you put on the walls pop. Keep all trim and doors the same color. I would use a brighter color for the walls. Depending on the colors that you like or if you want a warm neutral, I have used SW Latte. Very warm color.

6 months ago · Like

Prime Walls What a great space! tons of natural light, looks wonderful. I would certainly keep the trim and the doors white and go for grey on the walls. You can than tie in black as an accept if you'd like.
Wale Grey by Benjamin Moore is a great colour! Maybe even consider an accept wall with multiple tones to give your space the 'transitional' look you are trying to achieve. Here are some ideas!

http://www.primewalls.com/products_residential/viewsku/540
http://www.primewalls.com/products_residential/viewsku/626

paired with wale grey - benjamin moore
or

http://www.primewalls.com/products_residential/viewsku/124
paired with a darker grey such as charcoal slate by benjamin moore