We moved into our home in early 2012. It was a brand new build. Our trim throughout the home was a very creamy white. We have thick baseboards, crown molding, and lots of window trim throughout, so basically you can really see the trim. Several years into living here, I decided I wanted to paint the walls white to give our home a fresh feel. I was unsure about how white walls would work with the creamy tone of the trim, but decided to go for it. I’m so happy I did! Here is how to pair cream trim with warm white walls in case you are in the same boat!
Creamy White Trim Color
The trim color in our home (doors, kitchen cabinets, baseboards, crown molding, window molding, and closet interior) is Sherwin Williams Neutral Ground. This color is original to the build. I knew that it would cost a lot of money to pay someone to repaint all the trim. Doing it myself would have taken forever! So instead of fighting the cream trim, I decided to embrace it!
Deciding on a Warm White Paint Color
I knew I had to work with the color of the existing trim. The best way to see how paint will look in a space is to paint a piece of cardstock in the paint color options you are looking at and hold them up to the trim. You will want to do this in every room and at different times of the day. The lighting will change and so will the tone of the paint color.
With our particular trim color, two colors stood out to me. They they are very similar colors. We ended up with one color in our primary bedroom and bathroom and the rest of the house is in the other color. There is no reason for this other than they were done at two different times and I changed my mind after the bedroom was done! I would use them interchangeably and love them both!
Favorite Warm White Paint Colors
The paint color in our primary bedroom is Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee. It’s a bright enough white that it contrasts against the trim, but it’s still very warm.
The rest of the home is painted Benjamin Moore Simply White. It’s a very similar tone to Swiss Coffee with no undertones of pink or yellow. It pairs well with Neutral Ground.
You can see the box wall trim project in this post.
Why I Love Cream Trim and Warm White Walls
After having the combination of cream and white in our home, I have grown to absolutely love it! It feels warm and chic and gives me euro vibes. The cream trim now looks intentional, as if we wanted this look all along! There are so many images of interiors where the trim in a home is being painted different from the wall color and different from plain white.
We have several cream and white items in our home as well. We have cream furniture. I wear cream + white together in my wardrobe. Our bed frame is creamy and our comforter is white. The contrast works really well together!
Cream and white feel modern to me in the same way that stark white everything also odes. They will never go out of style. I’m all about adding classic elements in our home.
We are in the process of updating our kitchen as we speak. The kitchen cabinets are being repainted and they will also be Simply White! I want the kitchen to feel a little bit brighter while also keeping a warm feel to it. It’s a popular shade of white paint for a reason!
I hope this post helps you realize that creamy trim doesn’t need “fixed”! Cream trim and warm white walls are a classic combination that will never go out of style. xo
MICHELLE says
Thank you for this post! I too, am in the same boat and had the same idea but wondered if I was crazy to consider it. Seeing your beautiful space has made me ready to make the move! Now to find the perfect match for my trim color of Its A Cream by Rhodda. Already have both of your choices taped next to my trim (as well as 5 others lol), so maybe I am in the right track. What a relief!