Instant Update: Paint Your Moldings

Need a quick room facelift? Try painting your trim.

If you are like many Americans, there's a good chance your house has either white walls or white moldings. In fact, I bet many of you have beige walls with white trim! Have you ever considered painting your baseboards and moldings something other than a predictable shade of white?

Your molding and trim can easily become the accent of color a room desperately needs or it can add architectural interest to a space. Colored trim may seem like a scary commitment, so let's look at some inspirational rooms with painted molding to warm up to the idea:

The Look: Streamlined and crisp, this bedroom (above) is designed for the type of person who loves a perfect white shirt or a well-tailored suit. The moldings and door surrounds in the room are painted glossy black, which also matches the detail of the bed's headboard. The bedding's linear pattern echos the outlined feeling of the dark trim against white walls.

The Colors: Try Benjamin Moore Universal Black and Chantily Lace.

Tips To Try It: With darker hues, be sure to get a tinted primer or you will be applying at least four coats of paint. High gloss finish will add to the effect.

The Look: The detailed baseboards and high ceilings and windows of this home offer great architectural interest, and the homeowner took advantage of these details by painting the moldings and window nook the same blue as in the focal wall's wallpaper. Since red and blue are on opposite sides of the color wheel, the pop of red from the couch adds an extra punch to the space. The blue and white are again repeated in the other furniture, rug and floor to balance the strength of the red.

The Color: Try Behr Royal Peacock 540B-7.

Tips To Try It: Feeling intimidated about mixing and matching colors? Use a color wheel to get just the right hues.

The Look: This home has some unique architectural details, including a built-in bench and the beautiful arched windows. If your home has rare details that you'd like to emphasize, try accenting them with paint. With a burst of color, they'll soon become the focal point of the room. Here two different complementary colors (orange-red and turquoise) each stands out on its own without fighting for the spotlight.

The Colors: Try Sherwin-Williams Blue Mosque 6789 and Chanticleer 2912.

Tips To Try It: Invest in some decent painter's tape and paper to protect your windows when you're painting. Paint two small sections closest to one another to see how well the colors work together before painting the entire area.

Want even more color? How about painting your interior doors?