Well that is the dilemma... I actually like some of the wood trim. I think the dining room looks great. Has a bit of character. Im just trying to find the proper "balance" of where I should paint some trim... My husband is ready to have someone come in and paint it ALL WHITE... everything.. I'm like noooooo!!!! So my immediate mission is to "update" and lighten the home without making everything ALL white and losing ALL warmth and character of the home. I dont know what "fixes" I should start with. Doors? Staircase risers and rails? I don't want "all white trim" going up in every room. That means white doors everywhere... once you start... it just keeps going. I have archway into dining room... if it gest painted white it will look weird to have white on one side and brown on the other... so there goes the wood in the dining room...

Paint all the crown, window and door casing a white and leave the stairs the dark stain. It will really lighten up the house and bring it up to date. Then choose new wall colors and lighting. It will really change your home and make it less dark. The current dark trim just doesn't really do anything for the home. Its 1990s trying to be 1890s and it's doing nothing for the home IMO.

Congrats on your new house! The contrast between modern furnishings in a house with traditional bones can be quite striking. I'm envious of your situation. My suggestion would be to move in and live in the space for a while to see how it all feels to you. In the meantime, here are some ideas to mull over: -Modernize the traditional trim by painting walls, mouldings and trim all the same colour. -Changing light fixtures and fans to more streamlined options will go a long way as well. -Budget willing, consider changing the railing for something simpler. Not super modern, just simpler. Some links and pics you might find helpful: Great blog article that talks about mixing traditional and modern furniture - look at the houses' bones. 10 modern ways to update traditional home House and Garden UK - Mixing trad and modern Transitional bedrooms StaircaseStaircase Makeover - Studio McGee- Studio McGee For inspiration, you might want to check out Studio McGee who design "soft traditional" interiors, Miles Redd who infuses a lot of modern whimsy in traditional (or classic) interiors, European shelter mags and decorating sites for modern living ideas in old houses. Terms to Google include "Soft traditional", "updated traditional", "transitional", "classic contemporary".... There is A LOT of inspiration out there. I'm sure you'll find a way to make this house your home. ETA: Minimalist furnishings in a classic house on B&B Italia's site. Striking.

The light trim all over on the doors etc, doesnt bother me at all. However, that light piece on top of the cabinets, would drive me nuts. I would replace that with cherry. Leave the rest until you have lived in the house for a while. Once you paint it, it will be paint and touch ups forever, so best to make darn sure, thats exactly what you want.