How I Added A Mid-Century Modern Look To Our Home (By Painting Exterior Trim Dark)

This post is all about how to paint trim exterior window trim. Do you want to update your home’s exterior on a budget? In this post, I will share how we gave our home a modern look by painting the window trim dark.

Hubby and I prefer mid-century modern (MCM) homes to most other styles. On our anniversary 8 years ago we took a trip to the mecca of MCM.

Palm Springs, CA.

The trinity of MCM homes are windows, flat roofs, and vaulted ceilings. Of the three it’s how they devote certain areas to window space that steals my breath away. Who doesn’t want to invite sunlight and outdoor views into their homes?

They’re uncommon in Pennsylvania. Most homes are traditional two-story, Colonial, raised or traditional ranch style. There are a few MCMs but the ones we like are always out of our budget. If we ever could afford to build a home it would be MCM.

Ours is a 1956 brick ranch. Although it was built in the mid-century era, it’s no MCM. It lacks a dark exterior and wood accents. I wanted to bring more of that look to our home, so I did my research — lots of it. I searched Pinterest for brick homes but found little use.

You’ve probably seen the show Fixer-Upper. Joanna Gaines usually paints the brick and installs dark metal window frames. That’s out for us because hubby is dead set against painting the brick he loves. Plus, as usual, we’re on a budget.

Last year, I painted our sea green shutters charcoal, but this was unoriginal. Many of our neighbors had the same. It’s funny how I suddenly noticed that whenever we strolled the neighborhood.

It brought a more traditional vibe to the exterior which was not my goal at all! I’d have to think of something else.

A couple of months later, I took off the shutters and couldn’t believe how many cobwebs and bugs they had collected! Gross. It was a definite step in the right direction.

Hubby, when he got home from work, the observant dude he is, hadn’t even noticed the change. Yes, I call him “dude” sometimes. 🙂

I researched DIY wood shutters, an idea I stole from Fixer Upper, my favorite show. The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized just how big that project might become. Hubby and I weren’t dealt the handy gene. The mid-century plant stands we made, while nice on the eyes, lacked structural integrity. But who’s perfect anyway?

As an aside, we spotted a leak in the kitchen ceiling. We had already decided our roof had only a couple more years of life so when this happened, we dubbed it deceased and called the roofer. My instinct was to go dark with the shingles, but the roofer told us a lighter color would be more energy efficient. So after much more deliberation than choosing a shingle color warrants (4 hours is reasonable, right?), I chose a blue/gray. I figured I should mention the new roof because it impacts the before/after shots.

I decided that for the trim white was out. I was going full-on charcoal. I cleaned, sanded, and taped the edges to avoid getting paint on the glass. I used exterior paint in Royal.

I’ve done numerous DIYs but this time I was nervous. I thought, if this looks bad I’m going to have to redo the whole thing.

After one window I grew even more nervous. It was a striking difference from white. I wasn’t sure if I would love it or hate it, but I had already committed so I went ahead and finished the job.

And guess what?

I couldn’t be happier with the transformation. The house looks so different now and more modern. I couldn’t stop looking at it. LOL.

I had asked hubby what he thought about black trim weeks before and he said, “I know one day I’ll come and the trim will be black”. He was right, of course! And, fortunately, he also loved the change.

I hope you, too, will step out of your comfort zone when it comes to small DIYs. You don’t need the handy gene, just the will.

Small projects when stacked together over time pay huge dividends.

All I did was commit to a series of small projects, steps in the right direction. Then I reacted to each change and decided where to go next. I wasn’t in a rush either. The transformation stretched out over months and I’m not even sure I’m done. I was looking for a certain result, but there was never a plan because I hadn’t fully realized the vision. I started with a direction.

You don’t need an elaborate plan to get started. You could start by painting your front door or by adding new plants or furniture to the front porch. Small projects when stacked together over time pay huge dividends.

Which style do you like — contemporary, traditional, or farmhouse? Whatever it is, look for inspiration on Pinterest and see just how much you can replicate without spending a fortune.

I’ve proved time and again, at least to myself, that with a little time, energy, and not much cash, you can make a big difference.