Don't underestimate the magnitude of the stripping job. I know, it's been hanging over me for 16 years as I advance, one board at a time, but mostly still look at untrimmed doors and floors for which the trim is still in the basement. OK, I'm exaggerating a bit. But think hard before turning a functional house into a work-in-progress. (We removed the trim in the course of a full reno). I have a near mania for removing thick coats of paint from old wood, but I would never characterize the task as a small job. It's actually quite horrid. Also, it cannot be claimed that every piece of wood that emerges from beneath its paint is beautiful. But once I strip it, it is almost impossible to get myself to paint it (or to talk my husband into it). As such, the freedom to have coloured trim is somewhat reduced by stripping. And darkish wood/brown is not necessarily the best trim colour for all spaces - light and clean, for example, has its attractions. But my trim, which has a lot more profile than yours does, is so heavily marred by drips and bubbles that its original condition is almost unbearable. Painting over the old paint is not a solution for me. For you, it might be. You can always paint first, and then strip later if you decide that's what you want to do. If you have to strip, then one extra coat of modern paint is not going to make the job much more significant one way or the other. That way you get to figure out your colours with relative impunity too. If you do strip, research methods carefully. Search the topic here on the forum for previous exhaustive discussions. And also, think lead. I would never sand - sorry to disagree, powermuffin! - unless maybe just to rough up the surface a tad. But mostly, if I am painting over old paint, I don't have any problem with adhesion. KarinL

Thank you for all the comments. I really like Prospect Heights Row House with the Dark Grey/Blue combination. When I say Scandi/Norwegian I am referring to contemporary styles (attached images below) and while I acknowledge the house does have Scandi colours at present, they painted style is more 80s ski chalet. Any visual apps/websites i can use to play with trim/windows/pillars/door options? Its such a great house, keen to respect the exterior whilst bringing it bang up to date.

Congratulations on your new home - how exciting! I would not paint the walls grey/blue/green due to the orange/yellow wood. Those colors would look nice in your home but may feel a little old-fashioned to you. In my opinion, grey has been overdone and it's time for something fresher. I would paint both the walls and the wood trim the same soft white to give it a more modern feel. The trim is not very substantial so just paint it out altogether. Bring in color with your furniture or art. When you eventually replace the flooring you can think about changing the trim too. Look at Benjamin Moore OC-117 Simply White, or perhaps OC-118 Snowfall White or OC-149 Decorator's White.

The doors and knobs are dating the house. If it's in the budget, it might save you time and effort to replace the doors with a different style in a pre-painted door. Lever handles would also update the look. Then you would have to paint the trim to match. However, wood products are one of things affected by COVID shortages and price increases, so if you do decide to replace the doors, it might pay to wait a year. While gray is going out, you have an overabundance of beige which is also dating the house. So as not to break the bank maybe selectively replace some of the beige flooring? Before doing anything, try to develop an overall plan for your update. Even if you spread the work and/or expense over a couple years, an overall plan will yield a more satisfactory, cohesive result.