The One Design Decision We Did In Our Entryway That we Regret Not Doing in All of Our Interior Renovations

I know this is a long title! Anyway, this is a post I’ve been thinking about sharing since we did our entryway renovation. Once we did our other interior renovations and lived with them for a while, I strongly regretted one of our design decisions. It was actually more of a design neglect because we honestly didn’t think about it—it was more like oh this is how everyone does it so this is how it’s done. But then the more interior education and studying up I did on styles I admire, I realized the mistake! We didn’t paint the ceiling and trim the same white color as the walls! This made the walls look dirtier and more drab than they actually are. The trim and ceiling are bright white while our walls are a very soft, warm white.

So, I knew in our next renovation (which was the entryway) that I wanted everything the same color. It looks cleaner, the ceilings look taller and it just feels more spacious to me. It took a little bit to get Dan on board with me (because honestly most people don’t think too much about ceiling and trim color), but we are so happy with this decision.

I’m not saying there is a wrong or right way to do this, but this was just our observation and we just want to remind everyone to think of each and every step in the design process no matter how trivial it seems. If your walls are a color other than white, still look at your white paint color options for trim and ceiling and pick a white that works well with your wall color. Ask an expert for color suggestions if you’re having trouble!

So in the entryway we have White Dove by Benjamin Moore in eggshell on the walls and ceiling, and White Dove in semi-gloss on the trim, closet doors and ceiling medallion.

Here is an example of where the wall is White Dove and the ceiling and trim are bright white:

You can especially tell in the bottom left corner where there is more shadow and the difference between the ceiling and wall. Again some people like this look but I feel like with a warm white it just makes it look more drab and yellow instead of the nice soft warmth that is actually is.

Above: different color walls and trim.

Below: same color walls and trim

Also, remember that shadows/lighting play a roll with how colors look in a room so the ceiling won’t always look the same exact as the walls even when painted the same color, just as some walls won’t look exactly the same.

I’d love to know which look you prefer!