The woodwork is so beautiful, I think you'll really diminish your home value if you paint it. I do think eliminating the picture rail would be okay though and would help a lot. Use rugs to break up the wood flooring and maybe paint the wall a warm white to add some brightness. Investing in some more lighting would help a ton too (doesn't look like there is much ceiling lighting) It's a beautiful home you're lucky to have it!

Thanks for your input! Do you think taking the picture rail off completely? Or, what about painting the picture rail and above the picture rail the same color as the ceiling?

Your ceilings feel a little low, so my concern is that painting above the picture rail could enhance that. But you can always give it a try and if it doesn't work remove the railing and paint the walls (more of a time investment than a money one probably).

I think it looks fine, I love the columns.

Buy more lights. LEDs are much cheaper to run than incandescent bulbs. Wallwashers could be accent the woodwork.

Working with woodwork, I know how expensive and time consuming it is to put that type of character into a home. So I would not. I would repaint with a more neutral color because I am seeing green on the computer.

Would add more lighting and add light accents.

Gorgeous woodwork! I would not paint it and think about how much time and money you save not having to do so. I have been slowly painting the interior rooms of my 1945 Cape Cod since even the woodwork had been painted by the previous owners. I have had to repaint all of the trim when painting each room. Very tedious work! Enjoy your beautiful home!

Please don't paint the woodwork. It is beautiful!

I'm with leave the woodwork alone. I see a trees/bushes out side the windows. Can you trim them to let in more light?

Thanks all, any recommendations of color to paint the walls?

Thanks again for your feedback!

I’d paint a creamy white that it brighter than the current yellowish/green color now.

Pleeeeeaaase Noooooo! Look at owning a historic home as being a steward for the next generation who would not otherwise get to experience such wonderful craftsmanship and material. There are many ways to make the home work for you and for it's history. Painting the walls would be the first suggestion.

Welcome to the Craftsman club! It's a beautiful house. I agree that an abundance of wood trim can make some rooms feel dark and heavy, but I would not paint it. Paint the walls and ceilings a lighter, brighter white or cream and consider painting out the picture rail in a satin finish in the same shade as the walls. That would go a long way, and you could further lighten it up with rugs and furniture. If privacy isn't a major concern, lose those wood blinds and keep the window treatments minimal. Then live with it a while and see how you feel.

I have a 1912 Craftsman bungalow with painted trim, because that's how it was when we bought it. It was enough work to repaint it all in clean white (BM Chantilly Lace) that I would never consider stripping it. It's still pretty dark in some rooms. We maximize the light that does come in by using only simple white sheers on the lower halves of the street-facing windows.

Good luck!

beautiful wood. upgrade your lighting in the house. recessed w/cool white LED bulbs should help quite a bit.

you can remove the picture rail if you prefer. (that's the wood a foot or so from the ceiling. it looks like they've put hangers in the plaster, so the picture rail is moot at this point)

I'd also remove the chair rail.

this is one of my fave craftsman pics. a deep, rich blue (looks like Hale Navy or Gentlemans gray,,,something in that line ). bright white crown or ceiling will offset the dark blue.

rich jewel tones, peacock blues/greens, all look super w/your oak.

these sage greens also work well w/the oak.

if choosing a gray, pick one w/the right undertones. this one is on the lavender side, but the bluer grays will also work well.

Here are the sherwin williams arts and crafts color collection.

https://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-collection/historic-collection/interior-historic-colors/arts-and-crafts

No, do not paint that gorgeous woodwork. Put in more lighting and change your light bulbs.

Your house does not look dark at all. Our current house has all that hideous white trim everywhere, so I am super jealous of your gorgeous woodwork.

More lighting ( I would add recessed & others). The house is beautiful.

Haven't been here for a while. I'm actually glad to see the resounding support for not painting this trim. Your house itself is furnished. It doesn't have a bunch of garbage cheap painted "covers" all over the place. After you've lived here for a while and go to someone's "modern" house, only then you will understand what I mean. This is true class you would have to pay major bucks to have done today. Your house would still look beautiful empty. New houses need to be filled up with a bunch of crap (staging) in order for it to even spark an interest.

Please, please don't paint the woodwork. You will destroy the beauty (and value) of your gem of a Craftsman. Instead, start researching Craftsman images to see how to bring out the beauty of this style. If you bring in new furniture, keep it light. You know what's dark? Your massive dark sofa, which takes up more visual space than the entire fireplace. The gray rug would look nice in a different style house, but think about replacing it with one that picks the golden and reddish tones of the wood floor and trim.

This one also reflects the gray of the fireplace:

Since your dark, large sofa takes up so much visual space, look for a handwove sofa throw on Etsy in colors pulled from a new rug. Most weavers do commissions. A beautiful throw would lighten the sofa. Art above the sofa would also help.

As you live in your beautiful home and gradually bring in new pieces, look for simple lines, lighter colors that bring out the golden tones of the wood, and materials.

Start with beautiful lighting. Here's an article about how to light a living room so that you have light coming from different heights and directions. The images aren't Craftsman, the the lighting principles still apply.

https://www.realhomes.com/design/how-to-design-a-north-facing-living-room

Here's some dining room lighting inspiration. Notice how much the rug adds to the lightness of the room even though the dining pieces are wood:

Notice here that the sideboard and lighting adds to the lightness of the room.

I like the suggestion someone else made above about taking out the picture rail and chair rail. I think that would make a huge difference. I really feel like the picture rail cuts the room off at a strange height. Beautiful home!

One last thing--a Houzz article about paint colors that go with wood trim. There are lots of choices. Again, lighting, rugs, art work, paint can all be ways that you bring light into your amazing Craftsman.

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/11-terrific-paint-color-matches-for-wood-details-stsetivw-vs~9025200

paint, don't remove, the picture rail. it will save having to repair a lot of plaster. i dont actually see any chair rail in any of your photos, but maybe i've not had enough coffee yet.

rugs will be your friend. you have acres of wood on the floor thats easy to tone down by covering with a rug. leave the rest of the wood trim alone for now.

Add color. Rugs, pictures, doodads, Etc

One pointer about color. I painted my large entry sherwin williams sea salt. Holy cow its an awesome color. Highly recommended to go with woodwork. Its like a chameleon color. Depending on the time of day it is, it can look green, blue, grey, greenish blue, greyish green, greyish blue. This is one of the reasons why I love it so much.

I have a crappy camera so its hard to pick it up. In person its a lot more distinctive. Even right now one side is like a greenish blue, and the other side is more blue. I love it.

It has been said already, but NOOOOOO don't paint your woodwork. We just spent the last 9 months recreating what you have in our home. Look at the Sherwin Williams Craftsman palate of paint colors, Add some appropriate table or free standing lamps. Maximize your light in your existing fixtures. Please don't paint your woodwork!!

Your house is beautiful! I’ll add to what other posters have said. Leave the wood work and focus on 3 things to start: 1. Lighting. It can be overwhelming to put the different types of lights to work in the best way, but you can start one at a time and see what the effect is. 2. Paint. You have lots of suggestions above. Once you’ve narrowed down to a few, you can paint them on poster board or large pieces of wood and move around the rooms at different times of day and night to see how color changes. I find this approach especially useful when choosing between whites - helps drive home the tone differences. 3. Trim the greenery outside. Again, you can start small and see the impact before you go further.

Enjoy your gorgeous house!

Paint the wall above the picture rail the same color as the ceiling. The room will look taller. Trim the growies away from the house. Get rid of the yellow-y cream color.

And do not paint the wood! You will lose thousands--tens of thousands--of dollars in resale value.

What ev else says - youd diminish value of the house, both esthetically and in dollars and cents terms. Its that current acid yellow that is not flattering the wood AT ALL - any of the above suggestions will vastly improve the look.

PLUS yes add better lighting if its not good. If you paint everything white and still have bad lighting, youll just end up with a dingy looking white room. White needs a certain amt of light to look truly white and not dingy blah. Its not the wood that's the problem.

Is the picture rail original - looks kinda wimpy in relation to the other wood. If it is, you could just leave it and paint the wall that's above the rail the same color as ceiling - as it is its kind of choppy looking with the different colors. Or yeah remove it - I would not object.

Oh BTW if you are new to antique wood you may not know that while once pine/fir was looked upon as a lesser, cheaper wood than say oak, that's totally changed in the last 20 yrs. What you have is clear 100 yr old pine that came from the virgin old growth forests that once blanketed north America. That stuff is hard as nails and beautifully tight grained, nothing like the cheap soft farmed wood of today. It gets top dollar at architectural salvage yards - that is if you can find it at all. Ive been trying to find osme pieces that were taken out of my house.. Anyway I love that grain in the dining room and it looks to be in good condition.