Yes, it can be painted. Primed first with a high adhesive primer.

I would paint it ALL . crown, trim doors and cabinets...

Light as in white, taupe, ...

a color you love on the lower(s) not all the same (for me)

What strikes me first is that the wall paint in the addition doesn't match your kitchen wall paint. IMO, the entire space--kitchen, walls in addition--should be the palest shade pulled from your countertops--probably a warm light ivory. (Check out Benjamin Moore Gentle Cream). The gray in the kitchen doesn't work. It's too dark and too cool for the cabinets, flooring, and other finishes in view.

I'm also looking at other finishes in the space--warm reddish brick steps, dark floors, floor tiles in yet another finish, very reddish large leather sofa, light pine side table, dark stools. These multiple shades are a visual mish mash of browns. We need to see the entire space to help pull it all together. Painting the trim isn't necessarily the fix to go for. Show us the space, especially flooring, which is a fourth "wall."

Exactly what housegal200 said. I do not undetstand the wood/brick/tile floor combo at all.

Do you not like the trim and doors??

I would leave it alone. It looks fine. If you did want to paint then I would do the trim and crown but leave the doors alone. You can stain the doors if you want, but typically you don't match your trims to your kitchen cabinets. IMO

painting will not be easy, but it will be easier than staining, and it will look better too. I like wood trim in some spaces, but not in that one. I'd paint the oak door white too.

also, the wall color in that den does not go with the grey in the kitchen. and do the ceilings in the two rooms match? (or is that just the lighting?)

Wow. These are some really good, thought-provoking comments. Thanks!

Here’s more info-

This house is kinda like an old shoe, in that it’s comfortable -for us, that is. It’s in a rural setting, and we don’t entertain much. However, it is in a great school district, with rising home prices. But we’re spending most of our time in our new build, in another state. We’ve talked of selling this home, but odds are we’ll hang onto it -likely forever.

The mixed colors/styles/finishes are from various updates over the 30+ years we’ve been here.

We’re definitely making some changes (updating bathrooms, some flooring, etc.) So I’m trying to get ideas and prioritize, while keeping in mind return on investment.

What I’m hearing is that someone needs to evaluate the entire home, and weigh in with a cohesive vision. Right? That would be great!! But doubt the value is there for doing all the work that would be recommended.

So back to the honey oak… when I redo the master bathroom, I’ll be getting rid of the honey oak cabinetry there, and then it may not bother me as much. Maybe I can live with it on the doors/windows/crown and base moulding still; and mantel. Then I’ll only be painting the trim of the cased opening between kitchen & den - a white, like in original part of house. Yes?

Not wanting to shut this thread down, though, because I’m not sure I’ll be able to live with it. Especially if I get a shiny new master bathroom. So please keep the ideas coming. Thanks!!

Your style in the house? how much brick and how do you decorate around it...

Well you asked about your honey oak, I would paint it white, to match what you have done in the kitchen. Your doors and trim in the kitchen are white, I would do the same in the rooms that are open to the kitchen.

In the other rooms, you can make that decision as you redecorate them.

In my home, all my trim, doors and windows are painted white on my main floor and all my trim, doors and windows are original dark stain on my top floor.

Brick? Just the 2 steps down into the den, and a big honkin' fireplace just opposite the steps, that take a big chunk out of the den's space.

I'm asking to help me give a little opinion about trim in white, or other color.

Here's white baseboard, and no upper.

If your fp etc. had a more transitional directrion - might work with different doors...

is kitchen floor concrete?

Madrona Residence · More Info

Madrona Residence · More Info

The kitchen floor IS concrete, but that's one thing we're planning to tackle -because it doesn't look as nice now as it did in that photo.

since you're looking for more ideas in general-- that rug on the edge of the steps: it doesn't look good there. is it to cover a small lip? hopefully when you tackle the concrete floor in the kitchen, you can redo the steps and eliminate the need for a rug right there.

Wood is en vogue right now and is classic. All types of wood are trending; and what you are referring to as “honey oak“ is not an exception. So imo it is possible that your house would have more resale value with the wood trim and doors, and especially since it might soon be one of 10 houses left that have these wood details - with all the paint happy folks running around.

So I would leave it. And looking at your photos the only thing that stands out to me are the different finishes between the kitchen remodel trim and the honey oak trim in the adjacent room. So if I painted anything, I might paint the kitchen remodel trim in a white. So it is the trim that is around the bar/counter area that I am referring to - particularly the part of it that would be visible from the adjacent room side; I might paint that wood trim, so that the disparity between finishes there is not obvious. It’s ok that the kitchen cabinets have another finish - and you can mix wood tones. But that area on the kitchen remodel trim being immediately adjacent to the other door/trim is not working.

Paint all the honey oak the white of the house trim.

Paint the family room the wall color of the kitchen.

Replace the counter stools.

That rug is no longer there (picture is several years old). It was originally hiding the split between concrete and brick steps.

Painting all the honey oak (a matching white) seems to be a valid option, but I do hesitate to paint over stain-grade wood. Open to it though!

Definitely, at the least- I'd be happy to paint the trim between kitchen and den to a matching white.

As the colors are rendered on my computer, it looks like you did a good job choosing a cabinet stain that plays well with the honey oak. I don't mind the combo, really, and think that a wise choice in wall paint would help to pull it together more.

I wouldn't say that one should never have different colors in adjoining spaces like yours, but they do need to match in warmth and tone. I don't think the kitchen and adjoining room do. You do have to work with the very pretty counter, though, which seems to have some cooler gray in it, and the backsplash perhaps even more?

Look for a warmish-neutral greige that works with all the elements. Getting a color consult, if you have a local chain (like Sherwin Williams) that offers one, might simplify things.

Even if you paint the honey oak, I think that you will still need to then work on unifying the rest of the elements with a good wall color.

The brick doesn't bother me either- to my eye it is fairly neutral, even with the reddish tone - red can be a neutral when subdued like yours is.

Painting all the honey oak (a matching white) seems to be a valid option, but I do hesitate to paint over stain-grade wood. Open to it though!'

yes, but you have white trim in the other half of that room, which you would need to either replace or sand and stain. having one room with two trims looks pretty bad. and then you have the white trim in the rest of the house to address.

sorry but it's not like it's beautiful statement trim on a historic house. most 80s/90s architecture looks dated with wood trim. painting it white will be easier and look better.

Weighing again, particularly since this may not be your primary home, on painting all the walls in kitchen and addition one pale ivory pulled from lightest shade in countertop. To paint everything dark gray would be dreary and lose some of the warmth. Leave the trim, but paint the walls for consistency, not the other way around and much easier fix.

As to 'cool' - there's lots of houzz talk about tiling over brick, and other treatments. Here's only one nice fp idea:

Greenlea · More Info

This is their Before, with both light and dark trim.

"New hand-torched, wide-planked hardwoods, pillars removed and replaced with large, chunky, "railroad tie looking" beams, and German smear brick pavers..."

Franklin-Leipers Fork complete makeover · More Info

Franklin-Leipers Fork complete makeover · More Info

Franklin-Leipers Fork · More Info

Amazing what they do with veneer or cheaper, and lightweight wood. New beams, not dark, can add alot [with trim painted white].

Mt. Juliet/Hermitage Reno · More Info

One more house with high trim removed. Light floor, and light wall paint.

East Hartford Country Kitchen · More Info

Idea? 3- coat. Milestone Hybridized Cement, ACRYLIC CEMENTIOUS FINISH can do smooth mottled look of Venetian plaster / or monochrome and rough look of concrete. The hybridized cement powder in combination with the Fusion acrylic solution allows for universal tints for coloration. With appropriate sealers any finish can be applied in most situations, on walls, floors, ceiling, fireplaces, counters, bathrooms, showers, indoors and outdoors.

In my humble and not professional opinion you're not as far off as you think. Painting the trim and crown and door in the addition to match the kitchen trim work and painting the addition the same color as kitchen, but perhaps mixed at 50 or 75% to lighten it somewhat would make the two rooms communicate with each other much better! I don't think you have to or should paint over the stained case opening trim above the peninsula- it helps define the space and it matches the cabinets so no need to paint. Those two relatively inexpensive changes will go a long way to help your space feel more updated and fresh but still like your own style.