Original oak trim.. eww:( What to do!?!
Alright, I get it. Painting the original oak trim in my house would be a sin AND devalue the home. :( But what if I hate the look of it. Is there a way to have white trim and not devalue my home? Am I the only person who thinks wood trim looks outdated and dirty? I want a modern, clean and shabby chic look to my home.
The upstairs trim is white, and if it was the other way (white trim on main floor and wood trim upstairs) I would be a happy girl!
Should I just paint it white to make myself happy, and devalue my home:(?
Could I remove the original oak trim, store it until i'm ready to sell the home and get new trim that I like?
Is there a way to refinish the oak wood trim to make it look more modern, clean and make the floors pop as well as white trim would?
Unless there is a color of paint that would really go with the wood floors and trim, I don't think just painting the walls is enough. Any wall paint suggestions would be nice.
What are my options here??? HELP!
The upstairs trim is white, and if it was the other way (white trim on main floor and wood trim upstairs) I would be a happy girl!
Should I just paint it white to make myself happy, and devalue my home:(?
Could I remove the original oak trim, store it until i'm ready to sell the home and get new trim that I like?
Is there a way to refinish the oak wood trim to make it look more modern, clean and make the floors pop as well as white trim would?
Unless there is a color of paint that would really go with the wood floors and trim, I don't think just painting the walls is enough. Any wall paint suggestions would be nice.
What are my options here??? HELP!
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I don't agree painting white will devalue your home. Use a latex paint and it can be painstakenly restored by a different owner if they want the wood back.
Use a creamy white to give it a richer look. Too bright may cheapen the look.
Go for it!
Ditch the rattan shades obviously but save for another property or donate. Do not take off your trim. Consult with finish carpenter and ask them: 1) how much to remove and replace with cheap pine painted white, 2) how much to put original wood back up at time of resale, 3) is there a product that would allow you to white wash without painting and get the real shabby chic look which could be sanding later?
Ultimately, it is your home. You may end up there for 10 years. If you know you will sell in less than five -- don't paint the wood. Five years is a blink. Maybe you can rethink an entire home of shabby chic. I knew a lady whose dining room table and chairs were so dynamic it didnt matter that the rest of her home was more craftsman. She had boho style through and through. Great art everywhere...True story. She lived in the wilderness.... So, you can use both styles together if you have great piece of furniture and right accessories. Besides, you will take those with when you sell the home.... Enjoy your process.
I would suggest start by painting your walls a color you like...A cool, light gray may contemporize the room enough. Add your furniture and accessories and live with it for a bit. If it still isn't what you like, hire a good painter to paint out the trim.
You'll want to lightly sand all the clear coated trim wood so that the new paint has something to grab onto (sanding will rough up the surface). Then apply a primer. The problem here is knowing whether or not the clear coat on the wood is oil or water based. I would go with an oil based primer though. After that, you can use whatever paint you want on top of that (latex or oil, any finish, color etc).
If you don't like the dimensions, it shouldn't be all that expensive to replace the trim in your house. Takes less than a day to install. If you're painting it, its even cheaper. Trim work is not that hard to do either if you're so inclined.
However, the only caveat that I would give is the same as mentioned before. Do ONE window first and see how you like it. If you like it, do all the windows in the room. If you still like it, do all the trim. But don't do anymore than one room and furnish and sit in it to see if you like it. One room is easier to fix than an entire house.
I think it would be beautiful if you stain all trim including the ceiling beams, banisters, and stairs in Ebony.
Paint your risers, and spindles white.
I would install built-in window seating with storage on both sides of the fireplace. Have the seating stained Ebony and the storage area painted white.
Have a professional install radiators covers; they will complete your room. You will have a place to display some of your favorite items.
You have many options to ponder, good luck.
This isn't the best picture of the idea of all white... But sort of. You could play with some wall color in a couple rooms, but the main living areas all white, with some added great art, would make for a very cool look.
And not too white.
That oak is gorgeous, though. Is your house a craftsman style or just an old house?
Instead, embrace & embellish your house's personal style which includes wonderful wood. You're lucky it's not cheap, 60's mahogany.
Generally only some bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms had painted finishes in this style of house, and a lesser wood, such as pine or poplar, would have been used if it was intended to be painted. Oak has an open grain that may show through paint and is generally more expensive than other woods. I see you have strapwork on the ceilings too. Somebody went through a huge amount of work to do all that and if you are thinking about selling in the future, it would be a shame to cover all of it up. However, it would be possible to lightly sand and refinish to a darker shade.
http://americanwoodworker.com/blogs/techniques/archive/2012/04/09/t-amp-t-sip-t-ps-amp-techniques-for-fantastic-oak-finishes.aspx
http://www.monicawantsit.com/2012/02/staining-oak-cabinets-espresso-color.html
As Kah416 suggested, perhaps you could select just areas to paint so the next owner isn't cursing you out, because styles and tastes change every 15-20 years or so. In about 5-10 years all that "clean" woodwork will start to lose its luster and show signs of wear and start to chip, so it will be repainted and eventually be a big mess. If that is as long as you want it to last, do the next owners a favor and sand very lightly so the paint strips off fairly easily..
One area that is particularly hard to strip and to paint is the inside frames of windows and it can cause to make them hard to open if not done with great care. This becomes a greater problem with each coat. of paint. Stripping paint from panelled doors and trim is also difficult, and handrailings, newel posts and any place with deep crevices. I think the staircase is particularly beautiful and would only paint the banisters, if anything. They have such a slender graceful shape. The mantel, the built ins (but not the pink color) and the French doors are beautiful too.
Keeping those outstanding features and only painting the flat casings(window frames, door frames, inside built-ins and baseboards) could be a compromise and look nice too and take less time. And I have seen shabby chic done with natural wood finishes in the mix..
I had hard time deciding should I paint - and in which colour - my wooden kitchen cabinets - and decided to go with the white-wash so that it is lighter, it shows wood grain, and it still can be re-painted/striped; of course - the colour turned to be sandy-off-white which I still have not changed!! So if you like shaby - there you are! I don't know how white wash will look combined with plain white upstairs..
And I agree with 'lionnessone' - particulary like pic of Arden Park..ideas of combining it with ebony...are also interesting..
I do not think that plain wood does not need additional care - it does, it maybe just ages more gracefully, and does not show so much...My final word: too much of too bright white(walls, trims..) looks hospital-like !
Hmm, good luck to you!!
I'm thinking light gray walls with white wood furniture with a tan rug on the floor tan couch and colorful chairs.
OR
Beige walls with black wood furniture with a tan rug on the floor, tan couch and colorful chairs.
Any help hints? Window coverings? Fireplace ideas? Stairs ideas?
Or should I stain everything ebony instead?
Perhaps you can finid an inconspicuous corner to experiment a bit on the baseboard in a back hallway or something, or clear coat a piece of Oak and try it out. If you keep the fireplace, I would consider keeping some of the other woodwork too, like the built ins and the paneling by the staircase.
If you posted inspirational photos from Houzz it will help others to help you with the decor.
If it goes well and you like it and enjoy it, then continue!
HOWEVER, I HATE TO PAINT!
I hate to paint trim and/or walls.
I end up with a big mess and paint everywhere, so I no longer even try.
However, I can use homemade chalk paint or milk paint on old furniture finds and
even my mother-in-law is impressed.
The dining room table might relate better with some seat cushions in a light color or stripe with the grey and brown tones in it. I could also see the table in white or something to contrast with all the chairs, or maybe having fewer on the sides so you can see more than a jumble of legs. If there is any way to lower the light (nice period style and nice white shades) that would make it feel more intimate. The rug is too small under the table--the chairs almost feel like they might fall off if you pull them out. like they are huddled on a raft :). Perhaps the rug in the living room would work.
So what kind of accent colors are you planning to use?
I don't know what your plan is for window coverings, but the current shades have a yellow cast that is jarring. I would remove them until you decide what to do. You could even replace them with those cheap paper accordion shades from Home Depot in the meantime.
Grover, I am more comfortable with the wood actually now. And the window coverings will come with time. Those curtains are the cheapies that came already in our house. I'm thinking of some cream very light curtains, with honeycomb blinds the help energy costs.
Any helpful decor tips would be great, like what kinds of furniture to buy and furniture placement, wall decor ideas, what to do with the electronics on the fire place, etc.
Rugs are expensive==I think Rugs USA has some decent sales if you watch for them, and World Market is pretty good on side chairs and such. I love old Danish Modern, which is becoming quite popular these days, and it is a cousin to the bungalow, I think.
Pottery Barn has some nice plush ones--I hesitated on one on clearance because the colors were more muted than I wanted and it added up to get the biggest size, and because I impulsively ordered a smaller one on One Kings Lane just prior. Still regret that I didn't get it. the prices never get lower than clearance except sometimes for the small ones.
Speaking of One Kings Lane, sometimes they have some interesting stuff for reasonable prices--it is all over the map that way. Fun to look at, and periodically have nice outdoor rugs on special., which can work well in high traffic areas and in the dining room.
Stenciled floorcloths are very period, and quite practical because you can just sweep the crumbs off. You can even make them on the backside of a piece of scrap vinyl. Cutting Edge Stencils has some great ones and you can google directions on how to make a floorcloth. Then you could put the dining room rug in the living room to create another seating or work area, perhaps under the pendant.
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