The chairs are incredible, you lucky bum! (an expression from my childhood, not to mean disrespect) Just yesterday when reno posted the pic of the blue and white lamp with the black shade, 'chijim' and I had been discussing the SAME THING! I have some blue and white lamps, but in my current decor, the white shades just seem too stark. I'd like to maybe use the lamps to lighten up my look a bit for spring and summer and knew if ANYONE had a pic of a blue and white lamps with a colored shade, he would. From his extensive inventory of photos - So, reno - You GO, girl! You've gone black; no need to go back!

I always come down on the side of leaving the trim natural. Once you paint it, it might as well be cheap MDF trim under there, and that's why it devalues the house. However: The wall of wood under the stairs looks like cheap 1/4" plywood and pine boards. It may look a bit better in person (I'd love a closer pic of it), but it looks like cheap material to me. You can see the seams between the sheets of veneer on the door and wall panels. And that wild grain on the diagonal board and parts of the panels just screams "pine !". So, I propose a compromise: leave all the trim alone. But remove--don't paint--the wall surface and cheap 1x4s under the stairs and the weird door that he probably made himself and which sticks out from the wall weirdly (it's framed poorly). Then, replace it all with wallboard (and matching oak baseboard) and paint the wall. Or replace it all with real oak if you can match the finish of the other trim.

Thanks for your advice. I hate the wood cabinets and even though it’s a trend we are refacing with white cabinets. We have too many shades of wood so I think white will brighten it up and compliment if we can pull it in somewhere else even if it’s just the baseb or decor. I appreciate your advice and will definitely consider your comment on the mish match of white with wood. Thanks again! Amy

I know today’s trend is minimalist white trim, but I wouldn’t change those windows or their trim. They look gorgeous to me, but I’m a boomer who views wood as a high quality feature. Real wood is a sign of quality because it is generally more expensive than the sleek lines in today’s styles that are made with less expensive synthetic materials that are painted versus stained. The arched mill work on those large windows is awesome and was not cheap. I don’t think you’ll achieve the look you are seeking by painting. Just my opinion.