Golden Oak Millwork Enamel Refresh

The honey-toned oak trim that shipped with so many 1990s and early-2000s homes can feel dated against a modern palette — this main-level project traded it in for a crisp, factory-smooth enamel finish. We worked room by room through the foyer, formal dining, kitchen, and living room: doors and hardware came off, and every inch of millwork was sanded before a shellac primer sealed in the oak’s natural tannins, since skipping that step invites yellow bleed-through within months. Two coats of Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane trim enamel followed, along with matching treatment on both sides of the home’s French doors. Walls throughout the main level were refreshed at the same time, so the whole floor reads as one cohesive space instead of oak islands in a sea of new paint.