Trending: Bold Window Trim Colors Are Popping Up Everywhere—Thoughts?

You’re not wrong about the prep—dark colors show every slip, and if your caulking isn’t perfect, it’s just more obvious. I’ve seen plenty of folks regret going bold once they realize how much upkeep is involved. That heat difference is real too, especially on south-facing windows. Sometimes I wonder if all the trendiness is worth the maintenance headaches... but when it works, it does look sharp.

Sometimes I wonder if all the trendiness is worth the maintenance headaches... but when it works, it does look sharp.

Honestly, I gave in to the trend last fall—went with a deep navy on my trim. Prep took forever, and every brush mark was a mini heart attack. But now? My south windows are basically radiators in July. Still, I get compliments all the time. Worth it? Jury’s still out...

Deep navy does look sharp, but darker colors can definitely bump up heat absorption—especially on south-facing windows. Did you use a specific exterior-grade paint or any UV-blocking coatings? Curious if that made any difference with the summer heat.

Deep navy does look sharp, but darker colors can definitely bump up heat absorption—especially on south-facing windows. Did you use a specific exterior-grade paint or any UV-blocking coatings? Curious if that made any difference with the summer heat.

You’re not wrong about the heat issue. I went with a charcoal trim on my last place, and honestly, it did get noticeably warmer in the afternoons. I did use exterior-grade paint (Sherwin-Williams Duration), but didn’t bother with extra UV-blocking coatings. Not sure it made a huge difference, to be honest—maybe a couple degrees at best? The color held up well though, no fading after two summers.

If you’re worried about the heat, you might want to look into reflective coatings or even lighter shades for south and west windows. That said, the bold colors really do pop against lighter siding. Just comes down to whether you’re okay with a bit more warmth inside during peak sun. Your navy sounds awesome, though—sometimes style wins over comfort.

- Totally get the style vs. comfort debate. I did black trim a few years back—looked killer, but yeah,

"it did get noticeably warmer in the afternoons."

Yeah, that black trim looks sharp, but man, I’ve seen it cook interiors if you’re not careful—especially on west-facing windows. I always tell folks: bold colors are fun, but have you thought about how much more you’ll spend on cooling over a few summers? Anyone tried going with a dark color but adding an insulated window treatment inside? Curious if that actually helps balance the heat gain.

- Totally agree, black trim looks amazing but it’s basically a solar panel for your living room… My brother went with charcoal on his place and you could legit feel the heat radiating off the windows by 3pm.
- I tried those honeycomb shades inside last summer—helped a bit, but honestly, still felt like sitting in a greenhouse some days. Maybe my windows are just ancient, who knows.
- One thing I did notice: darker trims outside seem to show dust and pollen way more. Looks slick in spring, then by July it’s “why is my window sweating yellow?”
- If you’re set on bold colors, maybe try a lighter shade on the sunniest side? Or just embrace that you’ll be running the AC more… I mean, style has its price, right?
- Not sure if insulated curtains are a total fix, but they’re definitely better than nothing. At least you get an excuse to buy new curtains.

Here’s what worked for me: 1) Painted only the north/shady side a darker color—less heat, still looks modern. 2) Got blackout curtains for afternoon sun, which helped way more than I expected. 3) Wipe the trim down every couple weeks in pollen season...a bit of a pain, but it beats staring at yellow streaks. Style’s cool, but I’m not about sweating through July just for curb appeal.

I get the whole “don’t bake yourself for style” thing, but I’m a little iffy on the idea of only painting the shady side. Maybe it’s just me, but wouldn’t that look kind of weird from the street? Like, my place has windows all around and I’d feel like I was halfway through a project if just one side was bold and the others weren’t. My neighbor actually did something similar—painted only their north-facing trim dark green—and now it bugs me every time I walk by.

I will say, blackout curtains are clutch. We tried those stick-on window films last summer instead, thinking it’d keep things cool and still let in light. It helped a bit, but honestly didn’t make as much difference as just closing up heavy drapes in the afternoon.

As for wiping down trim...man, pollen season is brutal here too. But I’m not sure a darker color would hide it much better, since you end up with streaks no matter what. Maybe I’m just lazy though...

Painting just one side always strikes me as unfinished, too. Visually, it throws off the symmetry—especially if you’ve got a lot of windows facing different directions. I’ve seen a few homes where they tried this “only the shady side” thing and honestly, it looked like they ran out of paint halfway through. As for pollen, darker trim definitely doesn’t hide it—if anything, the dust and streaks are just as obvious. Wiping it down is a pain no matter what color you pick. Blackout curtains are way more effective than those films in my experience, especially during peak sun hours. If you want bold trim, I’d say just commit and do the whole house or skip it altogether.