That is a lot of different wood finishes going on! :-) I would match house elements to house elements and consider the cabinets to be something like furniture. In other words, I would have the doors match the windows...My 2nd choice would be to have them match the trim. Are you changing all the doors in your house? I would want continuity with the other doors.

Rhome thanks for answering! I have posted before about my white oak floors and after suggestion decided to used painted trim. I guess I could go back to stained trim. Yes I am replacing all the doors. My home was buillt in the 80,s with cheap builders pine trim and doors stained to match the oak cabinets. We are replacing all the trim and doors. I am trying to make it look updated. Do you think I should do stained trim instead of painted?

I think you're OK doing the windows and doors stained with the painted trim. It will make them stand out from each other and have the doors be a strong focal point, so if that's what you were planning and will like, you should go for it. It's just a personal preference thing, I think, about whether the doors should blend or contrast with the trim. People also do painted doors with stained trim, so I think it's perfectly acceptable to have them be different. I would just do whichever you choose all the way through the house...and like I said, I would choose to match the doors to the windows rather than the cabinets.

Thanks Rhome I like painted trim, my husband hates it! I guess I was trying to compromise. I do think I should rethink whether or not I want the doors to stand out or blend. I'd like to update but still maintain the character of the home.

I just wanted to chime in and agree with rhome410 that the doors should match the windows. I like stained trim better than painted, but that's something for your husband and you to discuss. I do think the windows/doors are one element and the cabinets are something different.

Thanks astridh, I guess I thought it was just too much wood with the wood floor I was trying to break it up with white trim or I should say lighten it up. My kitchen has no windows. What about white baseboard and keeping everthing else stained?

Hmmmm...If you paint the baseboard (and I'm kind of thinking you need to in order to break things up, as you mention) then you should probably paint the trim to match it ...I wouldn't have the baseboard the only painted element. I agree with rhome--stain doors to match windows. I think your plan as described in the original post should work pretty well. Of course, I'm the woman with painted trim, red oak floors, natural cherry cabinets and a combination of painted black and dark cherry/mahogany furniture. It works for me..but I think to pull it all off you have to have threads of each weaving through the whole project, not just single elements--unless you want them to stand out as a stand-alone feature.

(I just painted my stair risers and fireplace mantel in a two-tone of chocolate brown and cream against a red-oak floor and stair--so again, I'm not sure I'm the best source for "restraint" in this area :) I've enjoyed creatively painting much of the ca. 1939 woodwork in my house over the years)

Hope you'll post pictures as you go.

I agree that if you paint the baseboard, you have to paint the rest of the trim. I can see what you mean about breaking it up, but will there be a contrast between the flooring and the stain color? If enough, it will create a break of its own.

I agree with the other folks who suggested you match the doors to the windows. If you're looking for an authentic vintage feel, then your trim should be stained and should match or be very close in colour/texture to the doors and windows.

If you're going a bit more modern then painting them in a lightened version of the same colour as the walls looks nice.

:)

Thanks for all the feedback everyone. To answer your question rhome there will be a contrast between floor and doors the floor will be natural and doors will be english chesnut(which best match windows). I agree to do all or nothing either all painted or all stained believe me stained would make DH happy I think I'll wait to see when doors are hung to see if I will paint or stain. Heres a picture of what I'm replacing I think anything is better than this! LOL. Thanks again.

We have a similar issue. Our 20 year old house has painted trim in foyer and entry hall, LR, dining room and MB. The kitchen and family room are stained. Since they are not open to each other it looks okay...except, the cabs are oak, the interior doors are hemlock, the baseboard is pine, the posts are fir, the railings are oak, the crown molding is poplar. Over the years everything has aged differently and so we have many different shades of wood.

In our remodel we are having all the trim (baseboard, crown molding, balusters, posts, etc) painted out. The new kitchen cabs will be painted same color on perimeter with stained alder cabs on island and in FR. The floors throughout entire first floor are red oak, which we are having refinished. They will be a medium to lighter shade of cabinet color (enough to contrast where they are next to each other, the darker tones matching the cabs). Our designer recommended keeping interior doors stained (they are nice solid 6-panel), but having them toned to match stained cabs. Windows will be painted. Sounds like quite a jumble still, but my wood loving husband has finally agreed to go with it. Having wood floors throughout will definitely keep the space warm feeling and our trim will be a warm off-white (BM Navajo white). We are going for a classic look and feel , but since this is an 80's era house, we are not worried about the authenticity of any specific style or era.

It has only ;) taken us 9-1/2 years to come to this decision, so hopefully you can move faster!