Trim adds character to walls, helps unify home

DEAR DEBBIE: We are moving into a new house and the walls will be stark-white flat paint and the woodwork semigloss white paint. I hope to paint the walls in earth tones (soft clays and greens). Is there any way to stain or glaze over all the white trim and doors to remove the "new" look of the house? Thank you. -- Carole.

DEAR CAROLE: It sounds like you want to create a warmer, more lived-in atmosphere in your new home. You will experience an instant mood change by painting the walls as you are planning to do, and once this is done, the white trim might look just fine. However, there is a technique called dragging, or strie, that is well-suited to baseboards, trim and doors. A dry brush is pulled through a colored glaze, revealing the base coat in fine lines.

First, check to see if the builders used oil-based or water-based paint, as you can't apply water-based over oil. Mix a glaze with the same type of paint.

For water-based the colored-glaze recipe is: 2 parts latex paint, 2 parts water-based glazing liquid, 1 part water.

Apply the colored glaze in 3-foot lengths. Starting at one end, pull a long-bristle paintbrush straight through the wet glaze. Repeat several times until you get the desired striated effect. Clean the dragging brush on a rag and repeat on the next section. For durability, apply a coat of varnish over woodwork and trim.

Dragging is easiest done over a semigloss base coat, as you need a slippery surface for the technique. If you are working on a door frame, mask off the angle where the side and the top frames meet. Drag the adjoining area when the first dragged section is dry. This will give you a clean angle.

DEAR DEBBIE: I have noticed on all the design television shows that the baseboards are being painted a color, even with a very strong wall color. I have strong red on the main floor, and the hall and upstairs rooms are basket-weave yellow. What do you suggest I paint the baseboards, and where do I start and stop? -- Mavis.

DEAR MAVIS: Generally, I am an advocate of white trim. It always makes a room feel fresh and is a unifying factor throughout the home.

If the baseboards are small and uninteresting, you can continue the wall color to the floor so that they blend in. If the baseboards are higher, 4 inches or more, you may choose to highlight this architectural feature. Traditionally, these are either stained wood or painted white or off-white. Alternately, paint the baseboards a darker, richer tone of the wall color.

Note: You can create height and interest to existing baseboards by adding molding. Nail the new trim about 1 inch above what's there, then paint the entire section, including the space, one color so that it will appear to be one solid piece. Another simple and inexpensive alternative is to tape off one or two thin stripes above the baseboard over the wall color you have chosen. Paint the stripes and baseboard white.

Debbie Travis is a columnist for King Features Syndicate. E-mail questions to her at house2home@debbietravis.com.