Painting Stained Trim White: The Easiest Bathroom Refresh
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Dark stained trim can make even a big bathroom feel smaller, heavier, and honestly… kind of depressing. If your space feels dated and you don’t want to spend thousands, painting the trim white is hands-down the cheapest way to modernize a bathroom.
We just did this in my parents’ bathroom and phase one of their update is dramatic!
Wow, the difference is night and day! All it took was paint on the wood trim and interior doors to make this bathroom feel brighter and less stuck in the 1990s.
If you’re looking for large or small bathroom ideas on a budget, or a quick refresh without tearing out tile, this is one project you can absolutely do.
How Do You Modernize Wood Trim?
Quick answer: paint it white. That’s the fastest, cheapest way to bring stained trim into this decade.
Most homes built in the 1990s and early 2000s came with orange-hued wood trim and cabinets. It was everywhere.
Now?
It makes rooms feel dated and dark. Painting trim white instantly shifts the focus back to the natural light, windows, and your actual design choices—not the woodwork.
In our case, the jacuzzi tub is staying (my dad is obsessed with it), and so are the shower tiles because replacing them would’ve been thousands.
Instead, we focused on updates with the most visual impact—paint, lighting, and soon new vanities.
We’ve painted trim white all over the house, so doing this bathroom was a no-brainer.
Even my dad admitted it feels like he’s “taking a tub in the woods” now because the view finally shines instead of stopping at dark trim. 😂
Tips for Painting Trim: Read my full guide here, How to Paint Wood Trim White (sanding, priming, exact products we used).
Why Painted Trim Works (for Less Than $100)
You don’t need to gut your bathroom to make it feel fresh. Paint is the most budget-friendly update you can do.
For less than $100 in supplies, trim paint gives you:
- A brighter, cleaner look
- Updated style without replacing expensive fixtures
- A project you can DIY in a weekend
- Instant resale appeal (buyers love white trim)
We hired painters since the whole house trim was being done, but this is totally a DIY bathroom update if you’re comfortable with a brush and roller. Supplies are cheap and mistakes are fixable.
Paint color: Sherwin Williams Westhighland White (25% lighter). We use it on all our trim and doors for a clean, classic look.
What’s Next for This Bathroom
Next up, updating the oversized Mediterranean chandelier (my mom cannot wait to swap that thing out), adding new vanities, and refinishing the floors to a light natural oak. The new flooring will tie in beautifully with the fresh white trim.
This is still mid-project, but even with just trim paint, the bathroom already feels fresh and brighter. Once the lighting, vanities, and flooring are updated, I’ll share the full reveal.
If you’re aiming for a bathroom remodel under $3000, check out our Lake House bathroom remodel or this 5×8 bathroom update with cost breakdown.
*All our priming + paint supplies are linked in my Amazon Paint Supply List*
Meet Jessica
What started as a hobby, Jessica’s blog now has millions of people visit yearly and while many of the projects and posts look and sound perfect, life hasn’t always been easy. Read Jessica’s story and how overcoming death, divorce and dementia was one of her biggest life lessons to date.
