I swear, paint colors are like mood rings—totally unpredictable once the sun hits them. In my living room, the “soft blue” I picked looked chill in the morning, then turned almost electric by late afternoon. Window direction definitely messes with paint more than I expected. West-facing windows? Prepare for weirdness after 2pm. As for high gloss trim, tried it once and yeah, it looked less “classic chic,” more “greasy diner.” Semi-gloss hides fingerprints and doesn’t blind you, so that’s my go-to now.
That’s wild about the blue—light really does a number on paint. Here’s something I keep wondering: do these bold window trim colors actually impact how much heat or light comes in? Like, if you go for a deep navy or even black around your windows, does it make the room warmer, especially with west-facing glass? I get wanting the pop of color, but I’m always thinking about how it’ll mess with my AC bill... Anyone else notice a difference after switching up trim shades?
do these bold window trim colors actually impact how much heat or light comes in?
I painted our old sunroom trim black last summer—looked sharp, but I swear that room felt warmer in the afternoons. Could be my imagination, or maybe it’s just the west-facing windows doing their thing. Has anyone tried lighter trims and noticed a real difference, or is it mostly about the glass itself?
I painted our old sunroom trim black last summer—looked sharp, but I swear that room felt warmer in the afternoons.
Funny, I had a client do navy blue on their south-facing windows, and they mentioned something similar—felt toastier than before. In my own place, the white trim never seemed to make much difference, but maybe it’s because our glass is double-paned? Wonder if it’s more about the type of window than the color sometimes. Anyone ever tried switching from dark to light just to test it out?
- Painted our kitchen window trim dark green last year—looked great, but that spot definitely feels warmer in the afternoon now.
- Older single-pane windows here, so maybe that’s why?
- Tried white before, didn’t notice any temp change.
- Honestly, the color seems to matter more with sun exposure and older glass.
- If you’ve got newer, insulated windows, probably less of an issue.
Yeah, I noticed something similar after painting our living room trim a deep blue.
That’s been my experience too. Our windows are old and not the best at keeping heat out, so the dark color definitely makes that spot toastier when the sun hits. Still looks good though, and honestly, I’d rather deal with a little extra warmth than go back to boring white. If you like how it looks, I say stick with it.“the color seems to matter more with sun exposure and older glass.”
I totally get wanting to ditch the standard white trim—bold colors really do add character. But I can’t help but wonder about the long-term impact on energy bills, especially with older windows. When I painted our window trim a dark green last summer, it looked awesome, but that room heated up way faster than before. Has anyone tried pairing bold trim with reflective window film or upgraded glass? Curious if that actually helps balance out the extra warmth from the darker color...
When I painted our window trim a dark green last summer, it looked awesome, but that room heated up way faster than before.
Yeah, darker trim does soak up more heat, especially if you’ve got older single-pane windows. I’ve seen folks try reflective film, but honestly, it only helps a little—mostly just cuts the glare. Upgraded glass (like low-E) makes a bigger difference, but it’s not cheap. If you’re not ready to swap out windows, you might want to look at heavy curtains or cellular shades too. Sometimes those little fixes do more than film. I wouldn’t count on paint alone to be the main culprit, but it definitely doesn’t help with the heat.
I wouldn’t count on paint alone to be the main culprit, but it definitely doesn’t help with the heat.
That’s been my experience too. Dark colors look sharp, but they do pull in more warmth, especially if you get direct sun. If you love the look, don’t beat yourself up—most of us are just trying to make our spaces feel a bit more ‘us’. I went bold on my back porch trim and yeah, it gets a little toasty, but it’s nothing some blackout curtains haven’t helped with. Sometimes it’s about picking your battles, right?
I hear you on the heat—my south-facing windows with dark trim definitely get warmer in the summer. I like the look, but there’s a tradeoff for sure. I’m curious if anyone’s tried lighter colors that still pop, like a deep green or navy? I wonder if those shades are any better for heat, or if it’s just the same issue as black. I’ve thought about repainting, but not sure it’s worth it for a few degrees.