The Best Paint for Trim and Baseboards in 2024

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Discover tips for choosing the best paint for trim and baseboards. Find the best options and enhance your home’s aesthetics effortlessly.

Most of us don’t take note when a paint color or type is right for the baseboards in a house we visit, but we do notice if it was the wrong paint choice. How do you choose the best paint for trim and baseboards to accent your home beautifully and cohesively? Is there a science to it? There are a few easy go-to tips that can be a great starter guide for the best paint for trim and baseboards. The order of some of these steps can be switched around, but you’ll need to check off each one on your way to picking your best paint for these important accent pieces.

Five Tips to help you find the best paint for trim and baseboards

1. Start with selecting the best paint for trim and baseboards. 

Since there are way more wall paint colors than types of paint, this is typically an easier decision that narrows down your options significantly. This will also prevent you from falling in love with a paint color that doesn’t exist in the kind of paint you really need. You may be able to get close to the shade you want in a different type, but with the vast difference in sheen and light reflection among matte or glossy selections, it seems easier to go for a ballpark type and then just look at those paint colors offered in that type of paint. 

Most interior decorators and contractors recommend an oil-based paint or one that is trim-specific for the best paint for trim and baseboards finish. The oil is going to give it that glossy or satin finish that looks and stays cleaner and brighter. Whereas a flat paint is not going to give off reflection or sheen at all. 

There is even a “trim paint.” But wait, is this similar to the way “Infants’ Tylenol” is really specialized but unnecessary when Children’s Tylenol at the right dose the same thing? Yes and no. Trim paint is made to work true to its name but you can find really similar paints with the same strengths at less costs. Just make sure you look for an oil-based “interior” paint or one that is labeled “interior/exterior” paint.

Many decorators recommend an acrylic latex or acrylic-alkyd hybrid paint in a high gloss sheen. That certainly could have a more dramatic look that catches the eye. It’s important to note that if it’s a glossier paint, it’s typically more difficult to execute a seemingly spotless paint job. With the high gloss paints, it can be easier to leave behind brush strokes. If that’s the route you want to go, you may want to call a professional painter or watch several tutorials if you aren’t a veteran in the painting game.

One other bonus of semi-gloss paints is that they tend to be easier to clean. And who among us wouldn’t want something that gives us a bit of a break when it comes to scuff marks, dust and the like?  

All in all, it’s pretty easy to see why semi-gloss paint sheens continue to be known as the best choice, or at least, the most popular type for interior trim.

2. Consider how long you may choose to go before repainting. If you think it will be a while before you get around to the type of home maintenance that lends itself to repainting, you may want to spring for a more durable, yet higher priced brand.

You may also want to go for your dream color even if it is a little more expensive. There are countless great options out there without the designer price. Sherwin Williams is a brand known to be high quality with paint colors that are more preferred by the masses. The colors are vetted so well that it’s hard to make a wrong choice. If you’re on a tight budget and think you’ll be able to stay on top of touch-ups or re-painting, you could go with a more inexpensive brand and still have the best paint for trim and baseboards that gives your home that finished look.

If you’re prone to make changes and upgrades to your home frequently, then you may not feel as pressured to pick the “perfect” paint this time around. If you’ll be up for another painting project in a couple of years, you can choose to go with a less expensive or lesser known option of the best paint for trim and baseboards this time around.

3. Narrow your choice down to three to five colors of the best paint for trim and baseboards that you think would compliment your wall colors.

Some of us will arrive at this choice fairly quickly, while others will want to see every “white” option on the planet and will go through 10 rounds of eliminations before we get to our top 5 choices for our trim color. While some choices are only slight variants from the next shade, it is possible to have a vastly different overall look if you were to pick between two shades on opposite ends of the spectrum. This is where I look to the interior designers and remodel pros; thankfully, there are countless lists of top, tried and true paint colors out there. 

If you’re looking for the best white paint colors, you are in luck! The bulk of the work has been done for you. We’ve even got our own list of some leaders in white trim shared later in this post.

4. Compare swatches to your wall colors or purchase some sample of the best paint for trim and baseboards. All whites aren’t created equal, but an even more challenging task is selecting a primary wall color. Not only are the options endless, but they look different in every home, every room, and yes, even on every wall. Many of us have learned that no matter how many times you compare those colors to other samples, once that paint hits your room it can show a completely different color. The appearance of the paint colors can vary greatly depending on how much natural light is in the room and where it happens to hit the wall. 

For instance, grays look blue, purple or green depending on the undertones and the design of the room. By the same token, the color of the crown molding could make your wall color appear a much different shade than you had in mind. Different sheens can bring about vastly different looks in the same room. Even with the same paint in your living room and your bedrooms, you are likely to get a different vibe and many visitors may think they are different colors.

Whether you temporarily tack paint sample cards to the wall or actually paint several different options on some baseboards to see how the trim color complements your walls, you’ll probably want to get a visual image of the two colors side by side. If you’re on the fence for trim colors, painting a little of your top three choices on the door casings or window frames is the best way to see how the colors work together.

If you sample near a window, you’ll get to see how the interior paint fares with the natural light. It takes a little more prep work, but some homeowners try their samples in a variety of spots and actually make a point to check at different points of the day to see how the changing natural light affects the entire room.

5. Make the choice, make the purchase. At some point you just have to go for it! If you’re doing a new construction or a complete home overhaul, you’ve likely already powered through hundreds of decisions anyway. Baseboards and trim are key pieces throughout the home, but if you happen to dislike your choice once you’ve started on a room, we’ve got good news for you – a paint change is an easy fix! So go for it, commit to the color, buy that brand, and choose the best paint for trim and baseboards that work for you!

If you want the best results for the best paint for trim and baseboards, pick a high-quality semi-gloss paint finish, choose a fan-favorite color, and make sure it coordinates well with the specific color scheme you are going for in your home. In short, the best paint for trim and baseboards won’t be your most crucial design decision but it can make the room look cohesive and welcoming. When these subtle accents are chosen well, they draw the eye to the architectural features and more statement pieces that make your home unique and reflective of you. 

What is the best paint for trim and baseboards in white color?

White is the most common trim color, so it makes sense to lean on the experience of others and search the favorite white paint colors in our online community. Two of the top trending Sherwin Williams’ colors are Extra White and Pure White. Alabaster, by Sherwin Williams is another great option. You can find these almost anywhere paint is sold.

What are the best shades for white trim colors? 

If this is the first time you are painting that bare wood, you may be a little hesitant to commit and go for that coverage. It’s fun to look at and peruse photos of finished looks, but it gets personal when you are going to live with it and make the space your own. Other than popularity, what can you look for to settle on that go-to color for you specifically? Think undertones and impact.

How do you want your room to come across? Is the trim going to add even more color, per say, to an eye-catching room? Or are you aiming for a more calming aesthetic, with a more subtle, warm feeling? The kind of impact you want the paint to have will help you take a paint color from a list to the top of your list.

As mentioned above, the undertones of the best paint for trim and baseboard color make a difference. Are you going for a cool or warm color palette?

Still unsure of the direction you want to head?

You can’t go wrong with a clean, bright white. We love Sherwin Williams Extra White because it compliments so many colors nicely and it can even go well with white interior walls. When you think of a crisp, eye-catching white, this one will provide that pop you are hoping to achieve.

It’s a good idea to keep in mind that this cool white actually has blue undertones though. That won’t be recognized by the naked eye, but you will want to think twice if you are going for an especially warm look. If you compare it with your wall colors and don’t immediately question it, you are probably picking a strong route with this most popular choice.

If you’re looking for a softer accent, you may want to go with Pure White by Sherwin Williams. This is going to have a more off-white tone that is only actually noticeable right next to the super bright whites. It is a good choice for those warm colors or palettes because the undertones are more neutral and you won’t have as stark of a contrast between your wall color and your trim paint.

To go a step further into the off-white land, you could opt for Sherwin Williams Alabaster. This is a quality paint in a warm white. It is described as a creamy white but not with a yellow tint.

If you still cannot land on the best white for you, think about whether your primary wall color is cool or warm (google it if you have to), and then go for the most popular white paint that pairs with those descriptive words.

Whether you go with your eye and rely on those in-home paint samples or go with the science and think about undertones and complimentary colors, you now have some guideposts to take the guesswork out of selecting the best paint for trim and baseboards!