So, I have this secret interior decorating weapon called Living Spaces. I bought the book for a buck at a Goodwill a while ago, and was amazed to find that its 1978 goodness is perfectly aligned with current interior trends, and maybe even a few upcoming trends that I will attempt to predict a la Miss Cleo. This bad boy was produced by the Whitney Library of Design, so you know it’s good. Anyhoodles, I’m starting a series based on inspiring images from the book, so let’s see if I can get this sweet puppy to fly.
Clean lines, natural surfaces, neutral backdrops — this ain’t your momma’s carpet infested house. Actually it’s a fat villa in Florence, and what I’m really digging is the colored trim against the pale background (please ignore the hideous table setting… yikes!). So I’ve done my very bestest to find some contemporary examples of trim that are not painted white or blended into the wall color. Why should all the other surfaces have all the fun, anyway?
Sorry, not sure where this picture came from, but let me just say that it takes some pretty powerful trim to distract me from the vintage card catalog in all its sexified glory.
If you’re really brave, you can dispense with the white altogether and bathe the entire room in saturated hues, like this pic from Domino. (By the way, has anyone received their January copy via mail yet? Anyone? Anyone?)
Sad story: this is NOT the picture I wanted to include. Months ago, I saw this gorgeous image of a very spare room with pale walls and maybe pale concrete floors, and the only color in the room came from the citron yellow window trim. I cannot for the life of me find the picture… I swear, I went all Captain Insano and searched for HOURS for it, and I’m really tired now. OCD sucks. If you know which picture I’m talking about, please send me the link and I’ll swap pics. Until one of you superfantastic readers can bail me out, you’ll have to make do with this pic from Apartment Therapy.
So maybe you like the idea of having non-white trim, but are looking for a little less contrast in value:
Even if you choose color for your walls, you don’t have to paint the trim white. Thoughts on this color scheme? Photo courtesy of Marie Claire Maison.
A more subdued palette of butter yellow and a pale purplish blue, courtesy of Apartment Therapy.
This twist on traditional features dark gray walls with medium gray molding, which reads as understated and sophisticated rather than cartoonish. Photo by Richard Powers.
Or perhaps you’d like to keep your Sanders-approved color on the walls, but still want to funk up the trim? Once you go black, you’ll never go back. Like, seriously — it would be a pain in the ass to paint over.
But, no pain, no gain, right?
Elle Decor UK reminds us to “Go With the Flow.” With gorgeously framed windows like those, (and a disco ball!) I’m feeling a lot more fluid.
This quirky room from Apartment Therapy might be enough to make me take the plunge. I love the Roy Lichtenstein look:
Color is fun, but there’s certainly nothing wrong with classic, clean and simple:
In these images from Bo Bedre, straight black trim sets off the crispness of the architecture and decor choices.
I love the simple black trimmed windows in this otherwise light and bright space. Image via the awesome decor blog, Roseland Greene.
Finally, I’ve been crushing over this gorgeous room since the always fabulous Door Sixteen first posted it. It’s the perfect mix of drama and breathing space, and the stunning architecture doesn’t hurt. I loooove the way the black draws attention to the windows, framing them like pictures.
White trim, eat your pale, listless heart out (but don’t worry, I still love you).
Related posts:
I have a feeling that book will change my life. I’m going off to search for my own copy…
P.S. The last issue of Domino was a combo December/January. The February issue just went up online and scares me very much.
I started painting all the trim in my living/dining room beigy-gray (greige?) when we first moved here. I loved!!!! it and everybody else hated it. Then I was looking at the trim in the adjoining rooms (which you could see) thinking “do I need to paint that, too?” I just gave it up and repainted it all (panel molding, crown, etc.) white again.
Raina, you are right, that book is amazing, I look at it almost every time I’m at Erin’s.
A+ on the round-up Erin, I love all the rooms with black trim. That disco ball under the table makes me think of those trucks that have ballsacs hanging from their trailer hitches. Gross.
Haha… ballsacs.
I received my February Domino two days ago.
The black trimmed rooms look great (and thanks for the shout-out!), but that yellow and black room with the green chairs and the dead fish (???) makes my heart go pitter-pat.
Dang, where is my Domino? Maybe it’s time for a showdown with Mr. Postman…
It’s not the postman, really, it’s domino. I haven’t gotten mine yet either
i never get mine on time. isn’t that the whole point of a subscription? to receive it before it hits newstands?!?
this post makes me want to kidnap Sanders and repaint my entire condo!
I never get mine until the last Saturday, always the last Saturday (why?), of the month preceeding the actual date of the issue, i.e. I don’t expect the February issue until the last Saturday in January. So all month long it burns me up every time the cover stares at me in the grocery store check-out line.
That book is so fantastic, and so au courant. I don’t remember my ’70’s lookin’ like that. I love this post!!!
These images are great. Hello card catalog! I’m still rocking mine.
Same as Cassie…got my February issue two days ago. And YES, I definitely have to ponder what to do with the gross 70’s trim ALL OVER MY HOUSE. Wall paint first…back to Sanders…
I was sort of saving this post until I could savor it, because it looked so tasty in first skim! And so it is, nom nom nom…
I have this one pic in my flickr that has yellow trim, well, yellow door…
http://flickr.com/photos/woodleypark-zoo/2430443325/in/set-72157605173056688/
But I wish I had the bedroom you speak of…
In the picture below the Lichtenstein, the right side, through the doorway… in the back… that round hoop hammock-y chair. Do you know who makes it? I saw a knockoff of it at White on White’s site but I want to know what it is MEANT to be. Wanty wanty wanty…
I love the yellow door in your Flickr pic! LOVE it! And it’s hard to see that chair, but it kind of looks like a Salterni hoop chair… anyone else have any ideas?
Vintage thrift store design books are my favorite finds… I have an entire top shelf full at home!
But I don’t have this one- it’s great.
Hi!
Hi Ski! Awww, it’s nice to see you here
I would love to know what kind of awesome goodies you picked up at the thrift store. I bet you’re a super design goddess with the help of 1967 Better Homes and Gardens (or something like that!).
oooh, i just did this for my mom’s bay window, we painted the room and the window trim oxford white and the interior of the window dark grey, it looks great!
Hi Eva, thanks for stopping by! That sounds awesome — feel free to send in some pics if you’re feeling ambitious
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I agree, there’s no reason why trim should be deprived of colour. The more colour the better for me so my favourite is the pink trim with the blue walls.
Hi Catherine, thanks for weighing in! The pink and blue room is definitely a classic
Hi! I stumbled across this blog entry googling “yellow trim” – I doubt my room was the picture in question, but here’s another bright yellow trimmed room for you:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3463/3386227039_cb857a42bb.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3588/3387039010_2d43df706e.jpg
I didn’t paint it myself (was like that when we moved in) but now I’m in search for what color to paint the walls to go with it as we turn it into our nursery.
Just thought you might enjoy!
Hi Ginger and welcome!
It wasn’t your room, but I love the bright trim!!! How about a pale gray for the walls?