Before: The main living area of The Shack, as seen here with it’s original sponge painted yellow walls, multiple unattractive flooring materials and various other dated elements, which included ugly grey casing, baseboard and trim. Today I’m sharing the process of replacing all the moldings and what a huge difference that makes!

PROGRESS: All the dated old casing has been removed from around the doorways and windows, prior to priming and painting the walls. I’ve planned to replace it all with simple, chalky-white painted wood.

Here’s an inspiration photo.  I plan to add very simple, rustic, wood casing, just like the examples in this image I found on Pinterest. Even the soft gray tone on the wall is similar to the color I’m using on walls in The Shack.  You can visit this image by clicking here:  Image Link

Here’s another inspiration photo.  I greatly admire quality trim-work in older homes, particularly those from the Victorian and Craftsman eras, similar to the example above. But I don’t want this rustic vacation home in the Poconos to feel too fancy or overdone, so I’m planning to use a simplified version of these trim styles. You can visit this image I found on Pinterest by clicking here:  Image Link

In this progress image, you can see that we’re starting to add some very simple wood trim around the windows.  I’m painting all the moldings a bright white, using Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint.  This paint is based on historic milk-paint formulas and is environmentally conscious as well. To prepare, I back-primed each board, and pre-painted the wood, before installing. We’ll touch the tiny nail-holes after it’s all up on the wall and caulked into place.

BEFORE: You can see the old ‘shell’ style casing (some of it was plastic!) and baseboards, painted grey, which were originally used around every door, window, and even at the floors in The Shack. Also, notice the wood stained molding which outlined the cottage cheese ceiling above the dining area. All these trims were not only out-dated, but using several different styles and finishes on the various trims, just added to the visual clutter in the space.

Aside from unifying the style of our new trim and simplifying the look of the the moldings throughout the Shack, I’ve decided to ‘beef up’ the wood-work around the French doors, both front and back.  We also plan on installing this beefy new molding, around the large opening leading into the kitchen so that it will match the scale of these entry doors. Eventually the French doors (pictured here) will receive a fresh coat of paint as well.

Recently installed casing at this window provides a nice contrast to the freshly painted warm grey wall color. We’ve also begun the process of trimming out the plank ceiling in the dining area, with simple layered boards to create a pared-down version of traditional crown molding.

A detail of the dining area’s new plank ceiling and the layered trim at the crown of the space. This new molding is such an improvement over the old stained wood that previously outlined the stippled dining room ceiling at The Shack!

AFTER: In this photo, you can easily notice what a difference the new trim makes. Freshly painted walls are enhanced with bright white wood casing around the door and kitchen opening. New baseboards are a crisp contrast to our beautiful, rustic hardwood floors. Plus, layered molding at the top of the wall makes the transition into an upgraded plank ceiling. All these layers of trim make the updated interior feel fresh and bright. I’m loving the new look at The Shack!

Click on this image to be taken directly to my website for more information on Robinson Interiors.