The Best Trim Colors To Paint In Your Home

Once you’ve done the hard work of picking out the perfect paint color for your walls, you’re then faced with another difficult decision: how do you choose the best trim colors for your home?

Fortunately, you can let your wall color take the lead. Here are a few tips on how to choose the best trim colors to paint in your home.

Just a note: I love Benjamin Moore paints for their lovely colors and great quality, so all the colors mentioned in this post are from Benjamin Moore. This is not a sponsored post!

Choosing the best trim colors to compliment your walls

After having remodeled homes over the years, I’ve learned a thing or two when it comes to painting (especially concrete patios and kitchen cabinets).

Here are all of my tips for interior trims and baseboards!

Tips for choosing trim colors for white walls

As a general rule of thumb, if you have white walls and want white trim, stick to the same white shade for both. This will make your life so much easier!

If you’ll have white trim throughout your home, you’ll want to have the same shade for all rooms to keep a cohesive feel.

I’ve listed some of the best Benjamin Moore white trim colors below.

For a more dramatic take, you can choose a contrasting shade, like black, dark gray, or even a deep green tone. 

If a dramatic contrast is not your thing, but you’re looking for something a little more interesting than white on white, I’ve chosen some complementary colors that look lovely with white walls.

Tips for choosing trim colors for walls of various colors

Choosing a trim color for walls that are not white is a little trickier, but that makes it more fun! 

You may think that you need a warm trim color for warm wall colors and cool trim colors for cool wall colors, but that’s not necessarily the case.

Sometimes a cooler white trim can help balance a warmer wall color and vice versa. I’ve listed some of my favorite, fool-proof Benjamin Moore white shades below with some guidance on which wall colors they complement.

The best white trim colors

These are some of my favorite white colors to use for trims!

Warmer white trim colors

Simply White: Complements cool and neutral colors.

This clean, warm white pairs well with a range of neutral colors and it looks great in rooms with lots of warm wood tones. It’s soft enough to avoid a blinding reflection in well-lit rooms, but pure enough to avoid looking “dirty” as with some off-white shades.

Below, you can see that it works well with this lovely pale aqua color. Its warmth balances the coolness without being too yellow or too icy. 

White Dove: Complements neutral colors, warm and light grays, greens with yellow undertones.

This is another warm white that you can use without the worry of looking yellowish in certain lighting. 

This shade works well in historical homes with intricate architectural details by enhancing shadows instead of washing them out. 

While it leans towards the warmer side of the color spectrum, it can show slight grey, taupe or greige undertones which makes it a great pairing for gray walls.

Cooler white trim colors

Chantilly Lace: Balances warmer tones such as yellow; goes with virtually any color.

This color is highly regarded as a true white, though it leans slightly to the cooler side with grey or blue-ish undertones.

While it might sound counter-intuitive, it helps to choose a cooler white trim to complement warmer wall colors. The cool tones of Chantilly Lace balances the warmth of this sunny yellow dining room. 

Decorator’s White: Compliments virtually any wall color; works well with grays.

This is often described as a pure, modern white that leans cool with slightly gray undertones. It brightens up homes that lack natural light without being blinding.

The best contrasting trim colors for white walls

Black Satin: Contrasting black trim can make for a dramatic look against white walls. Black Satin is a great choice if you want to go this route.

Kendall Charcoal: Not going to lie, I’m a little obsessed with the look of this rich gray against these white walls. It’s not too dark but still creates a luxurious look if you want to add some drama to a room.

Trout Gray: This beautiful, rich velvety gray has blue undertones. It’s great if you love the impactful contrast of white walls with dark gray trim, but you want something with a little less dramatic-effect than the Kendall Charcoal. I love how this looks on these built-in bookcases.

Backwoods: Why not get a little adventurous and try a deep green to contrast with your white walls? The result is a lovely, rustic feel, like an upscale cabin in the woods. Check it out on this beautiful wainscotting!

The best complementary trim colors for white walls

Not crazy about white on white or dramatic contrast? Never fear. Here are some additional trim colors that look great with white walls. They’re subtle and understated but add a little extra interest.

Stonington Gray: This light-to medium cool gray has slightly blue undertones and adds a refined look to homes with wainscotting. 

Baby Fawn: This neutral beige lends for a classic, timeless look against a clean white wall. 

Wish: This gorgeous greige is slightly cooler than Baby Fawn, providing a neutral sophistication to trim and wainscotting. 

The best of the rest: more trim colors

Taos Taupe: This darker taupe looks great as a contrasting trim color on a warm white or off-white wall without feeling too stark. It also complements beige and greige wall colors (such as Benjamin Moore’s Wish).

Nicolson Green: Feeling like trying something a little different? I’m loving this off-white wall and rich forest green combo. 

That’s it! Personally, I think the hardest part is choosing the perfect wall color for the rooms in your home. Once you’ve done that, the trim color falls into place.

Which one of these trim colors is your favorite? 

More Posts To Read

Here are some more posts about interior painting to inspire your future home DIY project!

• THE BEST BEDROOM PAINT COLORS TO USE
• PREPPING FOR PAINT: PATCHING HOLES, AND DRYWALL TEXTURING
• PAINTING BUILT IN BOOKSHELVES