5 Perfect Paint Colors for Contrasting Trim
If you’ve seen the renovation reveal of Suite #3 here at Content, you know we embraced the design technique of using a contrasting trim paint color; meaning our walls are a shade of white and our trim a shade of beige.
We originally shared all about the Contrasting Trim Paint design trend in this post.
If you’re planning on trying to incorporate this design technique in your own home, we’re sharing a little insight into the process.
First and foremost, you’ll need to decide on the wall color. Once you have a color selected, you can test the trim paint color with it. We recommend buying a sample and testing the wall and trim color in the actual space.
NOTE: We love Benjamin Moore paints, however this is not a sponsored post. All of our home improvement projects utilize Benjamin Moore paints and products because we continue to be impressed with their quality and durability.
For Suite #3, we used Benjamin Moore Simply White OC 117 on the walls. The color scheme above shows Simply White with our 5 Perfect Paint Colors for Contrasting Trim.
Benjamin Moore Simply White OC 117
We combed through a TON of paint colors before we decided on our favorite Benjamin Moore color for this application, but we wanted to share all of the options that we considered.
The paint world is filled with so many beautiful contracting trim paint options, so let’s narrow down the playing field.
Benjamin Moore Paint Fan Deck
If you’re just starting to consider paint colors, we’d suggest using a paint deck fan, like this one from Benjamin Moore, to focus your search.
However, if you do not have a local Benjamin Moore distributor, you can start your search at a local home improvement store:
Lowe’s carries Sherwin Williams or Vaslpar products
Home Depot carries Behr products.
If you’re committed to having white walls, here are 5 Perfect Paint Colors For Contrasting Trim, all from Benjamin Moore, which will instantly “up” your style and interior design game.
First Light 2102-70
Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year 2020 “First Light” is a perfect color to consider for contrasting trim.
As described, this light and airy pink works well with lots of different shades. I could just imagine this as trim, paired with a warm taupe or mauve, incorporated into a nursery, powder room or child’s bedroom.
Baby Fawn OC-15
Baby Fawn is the perfect neutral, but can also play well as a contrasting trim paint color because it’s subtle and refined.
If you want a bit more insight into our use of Baby Fawn OC-15, check out this post on Contrasting Paint trim and how we used it in our Guest Room 3 renovation.
Stonington Gray HC 170
Stonington Gray is a beautiful medium grey with a blue undertone. It is such a versatile gray and would make the perfect trim color for a chair rail in a dining room.
Kendall Charcoal HC 166
This luxurious and rich shade would be the perfect contrasting gray trim in an office or entry way complimenting a front door painted in the same shade.
Before you start painting, don’t forget about the switch plates and outlet covers.
Here’s a tip!
As tempting as it may be to paint your outlet and switch plates to match your new trim or wall color, this is a really bad idea and universally discouraged by licensed electricians and home inspectors.
Instead, replace the outlet with an appropriate upgrade or check out these color change kits for outlets, outlet covers and switch plates that come in nearly every corresponding receptacle and color in the rainbow.
Renu Color Change Kit
Available in 20 popular colors, Renu collection wall plates and faceplates can be snapped on or off to accentuate your interior design scheme.
The applications for Contrasting Trim are endless and add so much depth and architectural detail. What space are you excited to try the Contrasting Trim paint technique? Comment below!
Ready to start painting?
Painting is a very basic DIY skill that every homeowner should feel confident trying. With the right tools, you can set yourself up for painting success!
With any DIY project, learning the painting basics will help prepare you for unexpected hurdles and understanding what could happen will take the fear out of painting!
Question: What’s the worst that could happen if I tried to paint this room by myself?
Possible Answers: You don’t know where to start. You don’t know what color to pick. You spill some paint.
With a little preparation, the questions and fears that pertain to DIY painting can be mitigated. Below are a few of our favorite painting tools. to get you started.
