Weekend Warrior

Kidproofing the woodwork

Off-whites are good trim colors in busy households

Q. I have painted a gardenia color (pale green, almost white) on my dinning room, kitchen and hallway walls. I am at a loss for a color for the trim. I'm thinking about using different colors in each bedroom. So I would like to use the same trim color for all rooms in the house. I would like something a little darker than white. With two boys in the family, white shows to much dirt.

A. Trim color is important, especially if you are doing multiple wall colors in different hues, says Tim Perryman of Perryman Painting in North Highlands.

"You will most likely have to use a light off-white if you are warm and cool colors, such as green and taupe. "Not necessarily straight white, though. Swiss coffee is usually a safe bet."he says . "Just put all paint swatches together to check for cohesiveness"

When painting over stained trim, make sure you do the proper preparation and use a good primer, he adds.