Home Town Stars Prove This One Feature Can Change The Entire Feel Of Your Home
Giving your home a historically accurate upgrade doesn't always require a ton of work. Quite the contrary, as seen on HGTV's "Home Town," sometimes tweaks to things like the trim in your home is all it takes. Just beware, though: the type of trim you choose will determine how it all comes together.
As Erin Napier shared in one episode of the HGTV hit, "Trim makes all the difference in the world making a house feel more historically appropriate." Appropriate being the key word here — the trick is to use the home itself as a starting point in finding the best materials. After all, colonial and federal homes are both historical, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're the same. With that in mind, it's vital that you learn about the history of your home, and take it from there.
If you're still compiling your research, it may help to know that as a general rule, Victorian homes tended to feature more elaborate, wooden trims and mantels. Federal trim, on the other hand, is more simple, and generally in a cavetto style. As for colonial homes, trim can be either detailed or more simple, so base the decision on what feels right in your home.
Research the right colors for your historical home's trim
The next thing to consider, when trying to bring historically accurate trim into your home, is the color you'll use. Lighter-colored trim is an authentic choice in colonial homes while also maintaining a timeless feel. Think whites, creams, and even very light yellows. Trim in Victorian and federal homes were also often painted white.
Light colors aren't the only options for an era-appropriate renovation, though. Wooden accents also became prominent during the Victorian era, so that's certainly one option to play around with if your home was built during that time. And, if your home was built a bit later (think the 1920s), dark wood trim was exceptionally popular then, too. In fact, "Home Town" fans may even remember that in another episode, Ben and Erin Napier gave a '20s home some extra oomph with beautiful dark wood trim.
One thing Erin Napier does caution against, when playing around with trim, is painting anything original. Don't risk messing up any of your home's charm — rather keep original accents as they are, and use them to find great color and style matches. You'll end up with a seamless finish all round, and you won't even need to feature in an episode of "Home Town" to achieve it.