In Praise of Boldly Painted Window Trim

I am such a sucker for the painted window frame. It’s a design strategy that feels perfect for those of us who admire bold interiors but are too timid, too risk-averse to swathe an entire room in color.

Recently, I started pinning inspired examples of painted woodwork around windows, images that made me pause and linger and get a little daydreamy. And then I noticed a similarity: All of them feature trim painted in unexpected and/or bright hues. Unlike the painted millwork of yore that favored more neutral or traditional colors, these window frames stand out, with streaks of azure, bolts of tomato red, and dashes of emerald green. Below, the attention-seeking examples that earned my admiration.

Above: Touches of bright blue can be seen throughout this historic Greek villa that’s dominated by natural hues, but the color is perhaps most effective when it shows up in the painted windows as a direct reference to the sky and sea outside. Photograph by Yiorgos Kordakis, styling by Ioli Chiotini, courtesy of Kapsimalis Architects, from “A New Perception of Space and Identity”: A Villa Remodel on the Isle of Sikinos. Above: I adore this subtle strip of turquoise over a window in the home of color master and Danish architect Finn Juhl. Photograph courtesy of Juli Daoust, from Daring Color Ideas to Steal from the Finn Juhl House in Copenhagen. Above: The robin’s egg blue on the window frames looks almost neon next to the muddier, more muted cabinet and wall colors in this exceptional kitchen by Inglis Hall. For the exact paint colors used, see Steal This Look: A Subtly Colorful Kitchen in Lewes, England. Above: Terra-cotta floor tiles with red shutters is apparently a traditional pairing in Portugal’s Algarve region, but it feels very much fresh and modern here. Photograph courtesy of Quinta do Pinheiro, from A Portuguese Farm with Guest Cottages—and Nearby Beaches—in a Nature Reserve. Above: In a creative kitchen filled with colorful moments, the picture-window casing, painted in a grass green and sunny yellow, stands out in particular. Photograph courtesy of The Modern House, from Kitchen of the Week: A Waste-Conscious Remodel Inspired by the Colors at Burning Man. Above: Interior designer Beata Heuman created a paint collection with Mylands called The Dependables, among which is Crayfish Party, as seen in the window frame of a kitchen Beata designed. “For the perfect pop of red needed in all rooms to keep things fun, with just the right amount of rusty undertones,” she explains. Photograph from 10 Easy Pieces: Architects’ Favorite Red Paint Picks. Above: Designer Gesa Hansen’s home in the French countryside is a prime example of combining sober interiors with unexpected strokes of color. Here, she painted the woodwork Little Greene’s Bone China Blue to brighten up a dark living room. Photograph by Nathalie Mohadjer, courtesy of Gesa Hansen, from Gesa Hansen’s Country Style: The Scandinavian-German Designer’s Family Quarters Outside of Paris. Above: Finally here’s an advanced design move for those who aren’t color-shy: the Double Drench. This room is painted in Little Greene’s Royal Navy, while the moulding around the window is painted in Little Green’s Smalt. Double the color, double the boldness. Photograph courtesy of Little Greene, from Double Drenching: Should You Try the Latest Paint Trend?

See also:

• Trend Alert: Stitched Patchwork Cloths as Window Coverings
• Remodeling 101: Everything You Need to Know About Door and Window Trim
• Borrowed Light: The Appeal of Interior Glass Doors and Windows, Shaker Edition