Paint and Finish Trim
Trim and paint are what separate a remodel that looks professional from one that looks like a DIY project. Crown molding, baseboards, door casings, and flawless paint coats are the finishing touches that frame every surface in your living room. This step requires patience and attention to detail because every imperfection at eye level will be noticed for years.
Time Required
3-5 days
Cost
$2,000-$6,000
Difficulty
Moderate (skilled painter/carpenter)
Final Paint Coats and Wall Finishing
Proper paint sequence
Always paint the ceiling first, then walls, then trim. Apply two coats of finish paint over a tinted primer that matches your final color. Use flat or matte finish on ceilings to hide imperfections, eggshell or satin on walls for washability, and semi-gloss on trim for durability and contrast. Budget $1.50-$3.00 per square foot for professional painting.
Sand between coats
Lightly sand walls with 220-grit sandpaper between primer and first coat, and between first and second coats. This knocks down dust nibs and creates a smooth surface for the next layer. It adds a day to the painting schedule but makes the difference between a good paint job and a great one.
Invest in quality paint
Premium paints from Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, or Farrow and Ball cost $50-$100 per gallon but provide better coverage, richer color, and superior durability. A gallon covers roughly 350-400 square feet. For a typical living room, you need 3-5 gallons of wall paint and 1-2 gallons of trim paint.
Crown Molding Installation
- Choose the right profile and scale: Crown molding should be proportional to your ceiling height. For 8-foot ceilings, use 3.5-4.5 inch molding. For 9-foot ceilings, go with 5-6 inches. For 10-foot or higher ceilings, 6-8 inch molding or built-up profiles with multiple pieces create appropriate visual weight. Avoid small molding on tall ceilings as it looks timid.
- Material options: Solid wood crown costs $3-$10 per linear foot and takes paint beautifully but is harder to install on imperfect walls. MDF crown costs $1-$4 per linear foot, is easier to work with, and paints just as well. For curved walls, flexible polyurethane molding bends to match the radius at $5-$12 per foot.
- Coping versus mitering: Professional carpenters cope inside corners rather than mitering them. A coped joint stays tight even as the house settles, while mitered inside corners eventually open up. Budget $4-$8 per linear foot for professional crown molding installation including material and labor.
- Crown with cove lighting: If you planned LED cove lighting, the crown molding must be installed on a ledger board set down from the ceiling to create a channel for the LED strip. This looks like the crown is floating with light washing the ceiling above it, creating one of the most elegant lighting effects in residential design.
Baseboards and Door Casing
- Baseboard height and style: Modern remodels trend toward taller baseboards in the 5.25-7.25 inch range with clean, simple profiles. Traditional homes look best with 5.25-inch Colonial or Craftsman profiles. Match the baseboard style to your crown molding and door casing for a cohesive trim package throughout the room.
- Door casing considerations: If you are replacing doors, install the casing to match the baseboard style. The casing width should be similar to or slightly narrower than the baseboard height. Use plinth blocks at the base where casing meets baseboard for a polished traditional look, or run the baseboard into the casing at a clean butt joint for modern style.
- Shoe molding at the floor: Quarter-round or shoe molding at the base of your baseboards covers the expansion gap required for hardwood and engineered flooring. Paint it to match the baseboard. Skip it only if your floor meets the baseboard perfectly flush, which rarely happens in real-world installations.
- Window sill and apron: Replace window sills and aprons to match your new trim package. A stool-and-apron window treatment with a deep sill adds character and provides a spot to display objects. Budget $100-$300 per window for new sill, apron, and casing.
Caulking and Final Touch-Ups
- •Caulk every trim joint: Run a thin bead of paintable latex caulk along every joint where trim meets wall, where crown meets ceiling, and where baseboard meets wall. Smooth it with a damp finger for a seamless line. This single step eliminates shadows and gaps that make trim look amateur. Use silicone caulk only at wet locations.
- •Fill nail holes properly: Use lightweight spackling compound on nail holes in trim. Apply it, let it dry, sand it flush, then touch up with trim paint. Do not use caulk in nail holes as it shrinks and creates visible dimples.
- •Final touch-up paint with the right tools: Use a small artist brush for trim touch-ups and a mini roller for wall touch-ups. Feather the edges to blend with the existing coat. Keep leftover paint sealed and labeled for future touch-ups as the same batch will match perfectly.