My Mom used to have tan trim throughout her house. It was an older house and it was too much work for her to strip the trim to stain it. It looked really great. I wish I had a picture to share.

I've always liked this look in the Donald Gardner home that I posted below. I thought this would be a good option for us too if we couldn't afford the stained trim. I just didn't want white because my boys are a lot like Pig Pen. I have white now and for me it is a pain to keep clean--pretty though.

Hope this is what you were looking for!

Here is a link that might be useful: Tan trim example

I was recently in a Martha Stewart design model home. The wall paint and trim paint were the same color, only the trim was in semi-gloss. It was very beautiful. The list of colors that were used are documented in one of my blog entries on the parade of homes in our area.

I think one or two shades darker works well, too. The only thing that would concern me with tan, is the undertone. There are so many tans out there, you'll perhaps want to think about what colors will be in your upholstery and window treatments. You might also post on the Home Decorating Forum. Someone over there may have some more examples.

Here is a link that might be useful: colors

We are seeing so much white everything right now... Yeah, its classic, etc.: too much of anything is still boring.

A little warmth, a little color, a little character sounds very apealling to me.

I just visited a friend's newly built house. They went with a dark kakhi color and did a shade darker on the trim. It was so nice to see something different and it looked great. I noticed it right away. I think the trim was in a gloss and the walls were semi-gloss.

Thanks, all! I know white is classic, but classic can also get tiring, and wanting something different, yet safe. I'm sure white will continue to be popular with future generations as well, but maybe it's time for other options to emerge. I also envision black in certain areas of a home where more drama is wanted such as a DR, LR, or den.

Mscajunpie, that sounds very good too. I haven't actually looked at paint swatches, but know I want something more dark than light on the walls, but still don't want to go too dark on the trim.

I like the darker trim, but I wouldn't like it in all the rooms. There is a photo of a very beautiful great room with darker moldings posted from BH&G I think. It's somewhere in the decorating forum. I remember seeing it. Actually, I think I have the photo in my clips. I'll check and let you know. I think having the darker trim in the main living area would be beautiful and then I'd want white in most of the other rooms. Unfortunately my DH is a strictly white trim guy and convincing him to paint a trim in a darker color would send him over the edge. LOL

Sorry Patty I no longer have it in my clippings file. I had to clean it out to fit more and think I deleted that photo. If you go over to the decorating forum and ask about the trim maybe the person who posted the original pictures I'm speaking of will post them again. Some of those folks have very good memories, I'm not one of them. LOL

Thank you, Patsy. I'll go over to the deco forum and see if someone's memory can be jolted. I don't usually have a great memory for something I might have seen or read on a forum either.

If I wouldn't have seen the house in NC a couple of years ago I would probably be doing white trim. Once I saw the tan, it was all over!! I decided if I ever built a house, the trim HAD to be tan. I'm paying a little extra, but it will be worth it to me cause i'll be getting what I want, and I expect to be in this house for quite a long time.

If you like it go for it. Our builder suggested BM Grand Teton white for all of our trim, as well as the ceiling. We're going with it. It looks like off white, except when it's up against bright white (as it is until the drywal gets painted).

I don't usually have a great memory for something I might have seen or read on a forum either.

What I've been doing is saving posts. I made a folder in My Documents called GardenWeb, I then make folders inside that for the decorating, new home & other forums. When I see something I want to save, I go to that forum folder, make a new folder with the post name, then save it in that. Yes it makes a lot of folders but it's a bit easier in the long run because when you save a web page, it saves as a page, plus a folder. If I save as one folder, it's easier, then I can add a picture to the folder so that I remember why I saved it.

Trish, terriks on the home decorating forum posted some Christmas decoration photo's of her home and I noticed one room with white walls and tan molding. Thought you might want to go check it out. Her posting, and there are over hundred, is about 20 or less from the bottom, I think!!

Here's a sample of how we've been doing our houses...

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1518359}}

trish, somone just today posted a question about darker trim and someone linked some inspiration pictures. Sorry I don't know how to bring them here. You'll have to go there! HA!