Painting wood always draws up strong feelings on both sides. A lot of people are all for it. Some are hesitant in most cases, but willing to make exceptions. Then there is a school of people that thinks it is a sin to paint wood. Take this comment from Jess on my last post:
The natural wood trim is so fantastic and really adds to the value of the house. Painted wood trim, no matter how much you agonize over the color and paint it perfectly, is just never as special as the original wood. It’s really interesting to me that Nicole feels that the dining room set is too beautiful as natural wood to be painted, but doesn’t feel the same way about the delicious natural wood trim in the room.
Or Sara, who said “I would kill to have your hutch in that condition.” I know, Sara, but let me show you the truth. Is this the condition you thought it was in?
I understand why people don’t like to paint wood. Let’s contrast the wood grain of the trim with that of my table, which I’ve said I’m not willing to paint or alter in any way. This is beautiful, quality wood.
See the difference? The wood trim in my house is (in Clueless’ parlance) a total Monet.
And that is why I’m OK with painting it. We painted all of the trim upstairs when we first moved in because the second floor trim was not special, and not original to the house. I thought that I didn’t want to be the one to paint the natural woodwork on the main floor because it has survived in that state since our home was built in 1910. But you know what? We’ve been here for three and a half years. This is where my family actually lives, not a historical time capsule. I’ve decorated around the wood and the more I look at it, the more I can’t get over the crazy grain and the stain that has seen better days. Painting the trim white will make me so much happier with the look of my home, and what good is preserving a home’s features if those features don’t actually make you happy?
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I agree with you have to be happy in your own home. I also can relate to things just driving you insane unless you change them. I get like that over things that other people don’t even notice. I think the woodwork painted white will look lovely, however, I still would prefer keeping the wood natural. Even in its distressed state which I think is charming. But, that’s just me. It will look nice either way.
I’d paint that trim in a heart beat.
Nicole, you are completely right. It is your home and you need to be happy with it. If others don’t agree, it is in bad taste to comment to that effect. You owe us no explanation and I feel very privilaged to see you work on your home. Whatever you choose to do with it.
I’m sure your trim will turn out better then great.
Nat
Wow, I haven’t heard people this passionate since I was looking up information on breast feeding and newborn sleep schedules. Who knew?! I wanted to paint our old furniture white for our baby girl’s nursery but was talked out of it by several “Save The Wood” fanatics. I had to compromise everything around the color and now I’M the one who sits in the rocking chair day in and day out disappointed in the final product. If it makes you happy, do it! I understand you put your house on display for the world to see, but YOU’RE the one who lives there. Who knows…after the reveal, you’ll probably convert a few but no doubt inspire many!
This post is so funny to me because after your previous post, I scanned the comments to see if anyone was concerned about your plans to paint. I figured there would be a big debate in the comments area, but I only saw support for the plans at the time I checked (maybe I missed some dissenters).
I am not a die-hard fanatic about leaving woodwork unpainted. My own trim is painted, and I understand how it can make a room look crisp to have white trim instead of a wood color that reads as a brown or orange that may limit the design process.
It’s just that in the pictures on your previous post, I quite liked the look of all the woodwork together with the gorgeous dining table and wallpaper. It’s an interesting and different look. So I wondered if anyone else thought it was a minor shame to depart from that look.
Now that you’ve shown a close-up of the condition of the hutch, I totally see why it will look better painted. And you’re so right that your home should look a way that makes you happy to live there. Looking forward to seeing the “after” photos!
What color are you painting the ceiling? My husband and I painting our living room/eating area a la this Domino magazine pic.
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/uimages/chicago/domino072508.jpg
We have very high gloss poly on our trim and doors. I HATE it! I am ready to strip it and paint. Its the striping part that I agonize over. Will you be able to just sand and paint?
Pffffff! Drama much?
People are too funny. Obviously, we are all looking at your blog and taking the time to comment because we think you have fabulous taste and want to see what you will do next. Comments are great, but baffles my mind to think anyone would come on by and try to tell YOU what to do with your own home. I know we are all entitled to our own opinions, but honestly, who goes to church to preach to the preacher?
You go Nicole! I hope you paint the crap out of that trim and amaze us once again!
I just bought a home built in 1900 where all the original trim was painted white. It didn’t factor into my decision to buy at all. The house was/is in awesome shape and it looked bright, clean and modern for a 110 year old house with no-so-great natural light.
Sometimes I wish at least some of the trim was unpainted, but whatever…now I don’t have to agonize if I want to try painting the trim a different color!
These comments make me laugh!
Nicole, you have flawless taste and it is going to be better than ever! Painted wood is so nice and cheery!
I could kill the contractor who told my mother that “it would be a crime to paint those wood kitchen cabinets” and told her off, cowing her into thinking it would be a crime, when 1) she hated the way the cabinets looked and 2) it is not the contractor’s house.
While I like beautiful wood, there is some wood that would look better painted, and I personally think that yours falls into that category. (At least with your decor.) But it is YOUR house. You should do what you like, other opinions be damned!
PLEASE write INSTRUCTIONS or How to-DIY, wood trim painting. Thanks! :)
You already have a zillion comments on this topic, but here’s one more: when we bought our 1930 house, the original trim was all there and was mostly unpainted. The previous owners really liked the natural wood, so they would probably be horrified to know that we painted it ALL. Even the stairs. Our house is not very big, and having all that heavy dark wood, particularly around the doors, chopped up the space so much and made everything seem smaller and darker. I feel that painting our trim white actually draws your eyes more to appreciate the fine details, instead of the orangey stain colour.
Although we are making this house our home and not decorating it for resale, I think any potential coming into our home now would say it feels bigger, fresher and brighter.
I think it is and will be lovely no matter what you do with it. You have fabulous taste and should go with what you want. I have no issues with painting original wood in a home, my issue comes when people just tear everything out without even trying to make it work. I can’t wait to see how everything turns out!!! :)
xoxo,
Bonnie
We finally made the decision to pain the dark woodwork in our kitchen white. Our home is a 1930s bungalow and the person before us pained all of the trim white throughout the whole house except the kitchen trim, wainscoting, and cabinets. The combination of super dark wood on half the wall and small brown and beige tiles creating a pattern that kind of looks like butterfiles on the floor was not inspiring to say the least. We agonized over painting the original wood because, “What would the next inhabitants think? Would they prefer wood?” And every guest we have says how “cool” the floor is. But it is like what everyone has said, it comes down to you, the current inhabitants and what makes you happy! So, we painted the wood white. The floor is still there, but hopefully not for much longer. I cannot wait to see how your trim comes out!
As if you don’t have enough comments on this – but as an architect with historic home experience, I can tell you that this trim does NOT compare to the typical Chicago bungalow trim that was installed and left natural. This is paint-grade wood. The grain is poorly matched (if at all) in adjacent pieces, and it is really TOO grainy. I am usually for preserving the natural woodwork, but I think this was meant to be covered in a faux finish, not left natural.
I own a 1913 foursquare, very similar in style to your bungalow. I have spent a small fortune having the wood stripped and refinished downstairs, and have an estimate for $18,000 to do the upstairs. I love the look of the various woods used throughout the house (oak in the dining room, a type of burled wood in the living room, birch upstairs). However, that said, I think the woodwork should complement the decor and style of furnishing. I have mostly Victorian, Arts & Crafts, and turn of the century furniture. Your bungalow is what I would call “modern cottage” style and painted woodwork would complement the lighter colors of the furniture and wallpaper. You should do what makes you happy, and what makes your house feel like “home” to you. And, even if you sell the house someday, the woodwork can be restored to a “natural” finish if that’s what the next owners want to do!
Holy Comments Batman!
I love that you quoted Clueless. Made me smile.
It seems strange that so many respondents reference ‘haters’ who don’t seem to exist in this thread. I love this blog and read it regularly, but it drives me crazy when folks react so defensively to even a slight whiff of disagreement over design choices! Surely the point of blogging and sharing this kind of thing so publicly isn’t simply to have everyone congratulate you on your outstanding taste, but to actually invite open responses? (not referring to Nicole specifically, but rather the howls of protest that greet any dissent in the comments!) I’m interested to read the views both pro and con.
Also as an aside– as a European it can be a little amusing to see so many getting worked up and overly precious over anything ‘original’ from the 1920s and 1950s, as if it were all ‘vintage’ and ‘historic’. After all, ‘heritage’ is such a relative concept, why treat it as an absolute?
I think it’s marvelous that your woodwork will be getting it’s makeover. Cannot wait to see the results (becauseiamnotafanofunpaintedwoodthathasseenbetterdays).
jbhat
Just go for it!
I’m sorry I don’t have time to read all the comments, and maybe someone pointed this out already….but the Victorians, who installed all that dark hardwood trim in the first place, quickly became bored with the dark color, and within a few years of installing it, started painting it white. Sooooooo, it may be more historically correct to paint the trim. It’s gonna look so beautiful when you are done, and it will still be wood! A win-win.
Totally agree with you! Although I would like to throttle the people who carpeted our gorgeous Craftsman wood floors. OMG, the glue is going to cost a mint to buff off. Wahhhhh! Our trim is all painted white. It looks fantastic this way. Fresh and bright.
Go for it. I grew up in a house where my mom stripped THREE FLIGHTS of wood stair railings and spindles. Much of my childhood is memories of her scraping away on the steps, but even still you have to love your home… and as mom proved, if someone doesn’t like it they can just strip it off. Home ownership makes us servants to our homes in so many respects (fixing the leaks, staying home from work for a repairman when it’s not convenient) so it’s fair to take some of that ownership back.
PAINT THE TRIM! You are going to be so happy you did. My brother and his wife agonized over painting the trim in their 1937 cape and after they did, the living room felt SO much bigger. When you have wood toned trimmed windows, the walls feel choppier and you spend more time focusing on the wood and not the view and the other decorating. It will be so worth it. The before and after will be stunning!
AND, to all of those people staining their Home Depot 3-4″ window trim. DON’T. You are not adding any value to your house, just dating it. But, fi you
PAINT THE TRIM! You are going to be so happy you did. My brother and his wife agonized over painting the trim in their 1937 cape and after they did, the living room felt SO much bigger. When you have wood toned trimmed windows, the walls feel choppier and you spend more time focusing on the wood and not the view and the other decorating. It will be so worth it. The before and after will be stunning!
AND, to all of those people staining their Home Depot 3-4″ window trim. DON’T. You are not adding any value to your house, just dating it.
Your wood, your choice. Enjoy your white trim. Cannot wait to see the pictures!!
That room is going to look GORGEOUS with white trim!
Deciding to paint old woodwork can be a difficult decision, mainly because you feel like you’re not supposed to… However, my parents lived in a house for years, struggling with whether to paint the original wood trim; finally, my brave mother took the plunge and painted it a creamy white. The house never looked newer, fresher, or more chic, and you know what….no one has ever said they wished we hadn’t painted it. Do your thing and don’t look back!
Hi Nicole – long time reader, first time commenter :)
We are moving in about six weeks, we went and had a look at our new house the other day and the first thing I noticed (amongst about a bazillion other ‘renovators delights’) was the dark wood trim around the doors, skirtings etc. and I went ‘Huh, just like Nicole from Making it Lovely’s house and she hasn’t painted hers…’ Because my first reaction was to grab my trusty white paintbrush! I guess I will see the state they are in, if they are good condition they might stay, if not they shall be white. Thanks for making me think I’m not horrible for wanting to paint them!
i like, how you handle criticism.
looking forward to see the result, so go for it!
Yay! It makes me SO happy to know you’ve decided to paint the wood! It will look SO MUCH better when you’re done with it! I LOVE the way you’ve decorated your home so far. I don’t think you could possibly “ruin” the place! :)
Our house is 80 years old and still has most of the original trim. The colour is ugly with a whole lotta red and too many spots where varnish of some sort was splattered on haphazardly. Thick, shiny, gross!!
We decided to keep the wood, but we are in the process of removing, sanding, and re-staining all of it a dark brown. It is a loooong process. Not gonna lie, some days I want to pick up a can of white paint and be done with it.
I am definitely not an old house purist because I painted out the original fireplace. Yellow and brown brick had to take a hike.
Anyway, I am in the ‘do what you like’ camp. Your dining room looks nice from afar and I am looking forward to seeing how the white changes the room. I’m sure it’ll be gorgeous.
I’m behind you Nicole – paint the trim. All the trim in our house is painted white. It allows the really nice antique wood pieces that we own to “pop.” Your nice wood pieces will look all that much better with a neutral background.
I’m just not sure about the dining room…it seems like it’s never come together. Maybe you should scrap it and start completely over.
I say good for you, paint it! I’m having the same debate over a bedroom set that is in good condition, and is somewhat of an heirloom as it was my grama’s childhood set, but is not a high end set and would work for us so much more if we painted it… deciding to actually paint old wood is such a hard decision! Although we had no trouble painting the new-ish very country wood window trim in our home!
I have been reading your blog for a few years now, and the only room I haven’t loved in all that time is your dining room, expressly because of the awkwardly colored/room darkening trim and hutch! I think it takes away from the fantastic wallpaper (that I am super jealous of) and have always wanted you to either paint it or stain it darker. So excited to see you doing something to it! Don’t listen to naysayers. Haters gonna hate, and tacky people are always going to put the stamp of approval on rooms full of wildly contrasting wood. <3
Nicole the room would look great with painted trim. Can’t wait to see the end result. I’m glad my home was already painted so as not to have to make this decision. I’m tossing up on whether to paint my floorboards white *gasp*
Do it! We have a 1920s bungalow and painted all the trim white. Looks fabulous! So much brighter and more open. Your house should make you happy. There are a few people out there who like natural wood. And if one of those few people happen to buy your house in the future, they can strip and refinish the wood. Stripping one layer of carefully applied paint is not going to ruin your wood. When people paint over layers and layers of chipped, icky paint, then you have problems getting back to the original. But yours will be fine. Don’t even worry about it!
Wow strong opinions! I say you’re paying the mortgage, you do whatever the he!! YOU want.
Hi Nicole!
I’m a big fan from Canada!
I would love to know what paint type/color you are using?
Are you sanding the trim 1st?
Are you taping your walls?
Thanks, I appreciate it!!
Painted trim can be so pretty. I think it’s important to make your house liveable for you and your family, not worry about what some future owners might one day think of it. It’s silly to be hung up on the “value” of something if you don’t like it.
Oh. Im feeling a little envy to you. I just love how nature wood looks like and I cant force myself to do something with my old wooden furniture. Cant change muself. :)
Honor the past by loving it, therefore, paint it!
My husband has a lovely game table that belonged to his Grandparents. Both of us love the lines and detail of the table, but I don’t care for oak. My solution, paint it black or eggplant, and honor it in our daily life rather than hiding it in the extra bedroom. Having a standoff….
It is very simple…. It is your home, you pay the mortgage, you have EVERY right to paint it. :) lol I understand both sides on this, but I will always just look for a home that has the trim already painted for me. lol It is all just what each person likes. I can’t live in a home full of dark wood trim.
Love the Clueless reference “a total Monet”. Do what makes you happy and puts a smile on your face when you walk in the room. That’s what your home is for, smiles…not agony.
I always hesitate to paint wood because I think wood is very pretty and have heard it adds value. However, I finally did in our 1904 home. It was scary at first but just so dark and beat-up. I am so glad I did! it is so much brighter and it makes me happy too. Why have your own home if you can’t make it yours?
This was exactly what I needed to hear! We’ve lived in our house for 5 years and haven’t painted the wood because everyone says “Don’t you dare paint that wood. It has been unpainted for 80 years don’t paint it now. Once you paint it you’ll never get it back”. But our wood is the same – not great quality to begin with and very damaged. Why keep it this way just to make other people happy when I don’t like it? And anyone who buys the house will never know it was unfinished when we moved in;-) Thank you so much for this post!!!
I feel sad when I look at my wood trim because I dislike it so….it just seems such an overwhelming task to paint it – it’s everywhere! You’ve given me motivation though to just get to it…so true about the wood trim – in the right setting and correctly done, it’s beautiful. In our 1960′s split level it’s dated.
a problem in many older homes is not that the trim is painted but that it has been painted SO MANY TIMES and so often the painter SUCKED at what they were doing. In my house the upstairs trim is all white – it looks okay at a distance but close up it is all brush marks and drips. It probably has ten layers of paint on it. I don’t want to strip it but I don’t want to add yet another layer of paint either. Any advice?
Adamco I didn’t want to strip it either but because it was so thick with paint went ahead with it and it was worth the extra effort. Not something I’d like to do again mind you, but I’m glad I did it.