Interior Door Trim Ideas

Casing refers to the entire frame around the door. This frame is functional, as it covers any gaps between the wall and the door. It’s also decorative, as it often complements the door’s design.

Trim refers to the individual pieces that make the casing. This includes the two long side pieces and the shorter piece, also called a head casing, which covers the top of the frame. You’ll often hear trim used to refer to the moulding around the floor or windows, and that’s because it’s usually the same product and style.

We use the word moulding to refer to the trim that surrounds a room. You might be familiar with the phrases base moulding, case moulding or crown moulding. They all refer to trim, but base moulding refers to floor trim or baseboards, case moulding to door and window trim, and crown moulding to decorative trim between a wall and ceiling.

Interior craftsman-style door casings have a thick border. This gives them a lot of potential and makes it easy to turn them into a statement piece in the characteristic open plan of a craftsman-style home.

Rustic style incorporates simple, no-nonsense designs. Think of plain and practical straight lines you can use to enhance any design.

The colonial style embraces texture in its casings. With colonial-style doors, you’ll find bead and cove profiles in the trim that convey a sense of elegance and old-world style.

An arched doorway adds extra flair to any design, but pairing it with the right trim will turn it into a statement piece. Because the door’s shape is out of the ordinary, consider a plain trim so as not to overwhelm the doorway.

Think straight, classic lines, and you’ll think of the square-edged casing. With square corners and thin trim, it pairs well with simple or minimalist designs.

Minimalist door casings are thin, plain and discreet. There are none of the frills of European styles or the heft of craftsman designs — just pure functionality.

European designs encompass pure elegance. With their substantial design and construction, they look and feel sturdier than other options. From raised renaissance leaf patterns to textured Greek designs, these door casings become a feature piece of any room.

You don’t need to stick with the standard-size trim for your doors. You can use a different width to make it thinner or thicker. Thinner casings give a subtle, softer feel, whereas thicker trim makes more of a statement.

There are nearly endless possibilities for door and trim paint colors and finishes. You can be daring, bold, loud, soft, staid or anything in between when it comes to the colors in a room. Painting your door trim opens a wide range of possibilities for your room design.

Using a strip of tile is a unique way to replace trim around your doors and windows. You can use subway tile or smaller mosaic tile. This is a great way to play with color and add texture to a room.

As with tile, take advantage of the vibrance and versatility of wallpaper to add extra style to modern door trim.

Doors don’t necessarily need trim. Having a well-made, trimless door helps it blend into a wall, giving it the feel of a secret door.

There are several ways you can combine white walls with colored trim. For example, dark blue trim can give a dignified or elegant feel to a white room. A muted blue stands out but feels more relaxed. Gray or beige trim contrasts with white walls just enough to maximize the dimensional appeal of the trim. Depending on the shade, green trim can work with white walls to either suggest a touch of nature or create a coastal vibe.

When you paint door trim darker than walls, you direct attention from the walls to the door frames and the doors. You might want to consider darker trim colors if you have ornate trim or if you have richly paneled doors that you want to highlight. In addition, painting your door frames a dark color can be a quick way to give a room a more modern feel. For a different spin on this color scheme, paint your trim a darker shade of your wall color and create a monochromatic look.

Painting walls and trim the same color achieves different looks depending on the colors and paint sheen you choose. For example, if you paint the walls and trim a light color, you’ll give a room an open and relaxed feel and make the most of natural light from the windows. Dark walls and dark trim colors work together for a stately look. As long as the color isn’t too dramatic, painting trim the same color as walls can also be a way to let the trim and walls fade into the background, allowing your décor, furniture and accessories to make a bigger impact. If you want more impact, choose a gloss or semi-gloss finish for trim and a flat or eggshell finish for walls to create a monochromatic scheme with a subtle visual distinction.