#10. painted molding and ceilings

i think you can really make an impact in a room by painting the trim, doors, and ceilings a color. i know, most people think that you have to use decorator's white trim paint but you can think outside of the box. why not use your color here verses the walls??

i think a great chocolate brown paint looks attractive when you use it as your trim color. it beefs up the look of the molding and looks stunning on the doors. now i am not saying that if you want to try this technique, you have to do it throughout your house. you could do this in the main living areas. if there is a door frame separating a room, you can go back to the traditional white on the other side.

if you aren't quite there with the painted molding and doors, try a ceiling color. if you keep the walls a neutral, pick out an accent color that will pop....a beautiful blue or green or light brown looks great against a cream wall. or if you have a coffered ceiling, play off the accents of the trim and paint in between the beams. or if you have used color on the walls, add a small amount of the wall color to ceiling white. it will give a slight hue of the wall color to the ceiling and prevents it from looking so stark white. these are simple ways to give your home a "designer" look!