Does your house have wood interior trim? Lucky you! For a while, wood trim was considered dated, but it is making a comeback. In this post, we will share some gorgeous gray paint colors that go with dark wood trim!
There is so much to love about wood trim: its unique, earthy, natural feel can’t be replicated by painted white trim. It sets your home apart and gives you some incredible design opportunities. If your home is in need of a change, don’t paint your wood trim. Update your home by painting the walls and accentuating the wood trim–you’re sure to love the results.
Go Gray
While whites, creams, and various colors can look great with dark wood trim, grays and greiges are some of the best colors to accent the wood. The grays can be anything from very light to almost black–light and airy to sleek and dramatic. Grays neutralize the red and yellow undertones in the wood without negating its warmth and beauty.
The first step to choosing a gray is analyzing your wood. You want to discover what undertones it has. Try not to look at the texture or grain in the wood and instead see if you can tell what its dominant colors are.
- If your wood is orange-red, you will want to stay away from yellow-based colors and lean toward cooler ones
- For wood that is a dark cherry red, use warm grays and consider darker colors. Light colors would give you almost too much contrast.
- If your wood is a true brown, like walnut, you can use any gray you want with great success!
- For a dark espresso-colored wood, aim for light, warm grays with hints of violet undertones.
In general, you want to stay away from orange, yellow, and red undertones in your grays. These can compete with the wood tones.
Light or Dark Walls?
If you use light gray walls with wood trim, you will have a high-contrast space. The lighter the paint color, the more contrast your space will have. This can lend itself to a modern, bright look. Be aware that it can also make your home look and feel smaller, especially if you have a lot of trim (if you have numerous doors and windows surrounded with wood casings, for example). The amount of trim can break up the space and make it feel choppy. This doesn’t mean light paint is a bad choice for a home with dark wood trim! It can be a stunning choice.
A dark color scheme can look cozy or dramatic. Make sure you use a lot of different types of light in a room with dark gray walls: overhead lighting and multiple lamps to give it an intentional feel. A dark gray living room with wood trim makes a statement and may just end up being your favorite room in the house.
Whatever gray you choose, whether light or dark, make sure you use a satin or semi-gloss paint finish. This will give your walls just a tiny bit of shine, which will contrast with the wood and not compete with it. (For help with the room-painting process, check out this blog post!)
Amazing Gray Paint Colors for Rooms with Wood Trim
Ready for some specific paint colors to go with your wood trim? These colors will look especially good with dark wood trim, but will make any interior wood trim look updated and stunning.
Light and Medium Grays
- Sherwin Williams Balanced Beige: Although technically not a gray, this beige leans hard toward gray and will look good in a darker room that needs some warmth.
- Benjamin Moore Stone Hearth: Another beige that leans toward gray.
- Sherwin Williams Colonnade Gray: This warm gray is a type of greige. It looks great with medium wood colors, and with white trim as well, making it a good choice for a home that has both wood and white trim. It leans cooler in north-facing rooms and warmer in south-facing rooms.
- Benjamin Moore Classic Gray: A light and warm gray that reflects light.
- Sherwin Williams Dorian Gray: This color looks especially great with dark wood. It’s lighter than Sherwin Williams Graystone and is a warm gray.
- Sherwin Williams Popular Gray: A gray with some subtle violet undertones, this color looks good with dark wood trim.
- Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray: Straddling the line between a warm and a cool gray, this paint color is great with any wood tone. It’s a one-size-fits-all paint that works every time.
- Sherwin Williams Ice Cube: This light gray has cool blue undertones, which will lighten up a dark room.
- Sherwin Williams Passive: Slightly darker than Ice Cube, this gray still leans cool, with blue undertones. It’s good if you want a cool color that is a little darker.
- Sherwin Williams Repose Gray: This gray is slightly warm but still a neutral. It blends hints of gray, brown, beige, and a little blue and purple.
- Benjamin Moore Misted Green: This is a lovely gray with a soft green tint.
- Behr Seagull Gray: For a fresh and airy greige that is not stark, try this soft color.
- Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray: This is a very popular color. It is a little closer to beige than some grays with its warm undertones.
Dark Grays
- Benjamin Moore Graystone: This is among the darker gray paint colors that look so good with wood. It has a slight green undertone but still leans warm and toward greige.
- Sherwin Williams Dovetail: A darker gray (dark-medium) that leans very slightly purple. It looks especially good with cherry wood.
- Glidden Black Forest: This is a very dark gray that is almost black. It adds warmth and drama.
- Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal: A dark gray with a green tint to it that goes with just about anything.
Grays with Some Color to Them
- Sherwin Williams Comfort Gray: This is a blend of gray, green, and blue. It looks at home in both bright, well-lit rooms and darker ones.
- Sherwin Williams Sea Salt: Another blend of gray, green, and blue, this one is lighter than Comfort Gray. It looks great with wood trim and white accents.
- Sherwin Williams Conservative Gray: This soft gray adds some green to your space.
Other Ways to Update Rooms That Have Dark Wood Trim
If you have a lot of dark wood trim, or if you have dark cabinets, you can make your space look more modern and on-trend by updating the hardware. Brass is gorgeous against dark wood and, depending on the style, looks classy and chic.
You can update your lighting as well. Matte black fixtures with frosted or white glass shades will give you a modern look that contrasts with the wood.
For a kitchen with lots of dark wood, make sure your backsplash lightens up the space. A white backsplash with some shine to it, like classic subway tiles, luxurious marble tiles, or gorgeous Zellige tiles, will look great. It will give you a modern flair and make the wood look intentional and warm.
If you have wood doors but not wood trim, consider painting the casing around the doors a bright white, especially if your walls are gray. The three tones–gray walls, white casing, and warm wood doors–really add depth to your space. This design works just as well in a cozy farmhouse-style home as it does in a sleek, contemporary place.
Summary
If you have dark wood trim, painting your walls gray is an excellent choice. Depending on the shade you choose, you can make your home feel bright and clean or moody and cozy. In this post, we shared some beautiful gray paint colors that go with dark wood trim! Make sure the undertones of the wood and the undertones of the gray you choose work well together. Wood trim is a fantastic feature to have in your home! If you aren’t sure which finish to choose, I recommend reading my post, Matte or Flat Paint: A Guide to Help You Decide!
