To paint or not to paint {stained wood trim}, that is the question…

If you want to incite controversy, tackle the topic of painting woodwork!  Devotees of “painting wood is a crime” will defend it with religious fervor.  Often this falls along gender lines (and is the cause of much relational friction!) – somehow wood equals masculinity and log cabins and hunting and gathering – or something.  Sometimes it’s cabinetmakers and woodworkers who see the beauty and artistry inherent in different wood grains and are loath to cover that up under a coat of paint and they are totally right – sometimes.

This 4200 square ft log home on 40 acres in northern Wisconsin features over 17 different species of wood and takes “natural woodwork” to a whole new level!

Devotees of painted millwork have an “anything is okay as long as you like it” attitude and they are totally right too – sometimes.

When It’s Okay to Paint the Woodwork

There are many instances of stained wood that is vastly improved with painting. The 70’s was a bit of a bleak era for taste in general and interior design in particular.  Builder homes in our area of that vintage invariably have stained 2 ½” colonial casing for millwork. To clarify, we are talking about mass-produced pine casing from a lumberyard usually stained a medium-dark brown.  This ended up leaving the impression of rooms outlined in a particularly bad application of eyeliner.  Painting this is in no way a crime. 

Another example is the ubiquitous honey oak cabinetry from the 80’s.  This is a PITA to paint, but is greatly improved with the effort if you can’t afford to replace it.  THIS post is a stellar example of the power of paint to transform dated oak cabinets.

And let’s not forget about the 4’ x 8’ sheets of wood grain paneling in every den and rec room of an age.  Painting is a vast improvement and you gain some texture.  Here is a before and after of a family room project we did a couple of years ago. Our client couldn’t believe what a HUGE difference it made in the feel of the room!

Case in point: I had a lower level family room that was paneled in dark brown rough barn board when we bought the house.  This was combined with the brown stained colonial casing, rust shag carpeting and a faux tiffany stained glass light…you can probably picture THAT horror show.  It took GALLONS of paint to cover the rough texture…it just kept soaking in - and in retrospect it might have been less expensive to remove it, but lightening the walls made all the difference. And YES we painted the casing, ripped out the rug, and replaced the awful light fixture too!

When It’s Good to Keep Stained Millwork

But there are times when beautifully crafted, antique stained millwork has developed a patina that can’t be duplicated and it would be a shame to irrevocably remove that.  This house, by talented designer Angela Todd, is a case study where she honored the history and age of the house , but decorated with such brilliance that the historic millwork and the new décor perfectly complement and enhance one another.  This foyer is nothing short of stunning – the teal wallpaper plays perfectly with the orange undertones of the woodwork.  Every detail supports the house and the design and it is PERFECT for Angela and her home!  For the whole description and more stunning photos click HERE.

Another wonderful example of decorating while respecting the millwork in a house is this project executed ingeniously by Lisa Peck of Lilu Interiors.  The owners wanted playful and fun, but they bought a serious, and very dark and wood-stain heavy home.  This is one of the best examples I have seen of keeping the integrity of the house while infusing it with the homeowners playful personality.  Lisa strategically painted a touch of the millwork for contrast – the balusters, the mantelpiece, some built-in cabinetry, but kept the majority as it was.  Coupled with colorful furnishings and textiles, the house that was somber before, now just sings!  More can be seen of this project HERE or on her blog post about the project HERE

SO…should you paint your millwork? 

That depends on the millwork and on you!  Paneled stained rooms can be beautiful. Lovely carved and crafted millwork can be beautiful.  Painted millwork can be beautiful.

It all depends what you put with it!  Even natural wood has a color…some variation of brown with undertones often in the yellow or orange or red family, and what you put with it cannot clash with the colors in the wood – there needs to be acknowledgment of those colors.  Beware – you are not working with a blank slate! The tones in the wood will make some colors look awful and others look wonderful! 

Are you obligated to live in a museum if you have stained millwork?  Of course not!  Where’s the fun in that? Slavish adherence to period (ANY period) décor makes for a boring space lacking the personality your house should have!

Should all historic millwork be stained? By no means!  Many, many historic era houses were DESIGNED with painted millwork. The colonial-era house shown below is one such example with it’s detailed painted millwork.

In new construction, the current trend is for painted millwork and light and bright is the order of the day. Of course, whether you paint your trim or stain it, and the color you choose, is entirely up to you. It’s YOUR house, and you should love how you feel in it. But I recommend employing Elsie de Wolfe’s mantra of suitability in your decision making process. Meaning ask yourself first, is it suitable for the circumstance, the house, and the lifestyle of the people who inhabit it? Only then can you make a wise decision that is respectful to the house, AND appropriate for how you want to live.

Need help selecting YOUR perfect paint colors? We offer virtual paint consultations! Click HERE to learn more, or purchase our guide to Choosing Paint Colors with Confidence HERE