Painting wood (will I still be welcome ?)

[Mdotflorida]

We are about to change all our internal doors to Oak rather than the cheapo painted white ones that were installed by the builder. We have the doors but because they are a different size to the ones we have now I have had to install new liners and whilst I was at it have replaced all the skirting as well.

Oak would have been my first choice for the linings and skirtings etc, but partly due to cost (we are talking the whole house here) and mostly due to it being a family home with kids and not a showhouse, I have gone for bog standard softwood.

Now the question. My wife wants all the wood left natural and a light colour but I'm not sure. The doors will obviously be left but I am not sure about the linings architraves and skirtings. The softwood is all slightly different colours and to me, even if it were stained, looks cheap.

I could just clear varnish and live with the different colours or stain and varnish but I am tempted to white gloss all the softwood (boring !!). I also think that this will make the Oak doors really pop out.

Just wondering, am I going to be ostracized for daring to paint wood ? What would be other peoples preferences in this situation ?

Thanks Jeff

 

[Philly]

Jeff
I'm with you - paint the softwood. As you say, the Oak doors will look fantastic against them.
Only my opinion,
Philly

 

[Karl]

Hi Jeff

We had the same problem with the entire downstairs on our house.

My wife wanted the softwood skirtings stained/varnished. I thought it'd look pants. So insisted on glossing everything. We've only got pine doors, but with a nice sand and a good few coats of wax, they look half decent. Philly is right - the white door frame does just that - "frames" the door, and makes you appreciate the lovely texture and colours in the wood which is actually left bare.

If SWMBO insists on stain, do what I did - insist that she does it! :lol: She soon relented.

Cheers

Karl

 

[Paul Chapman]

I would paint the pine as well. Otherwise it will always look like pine (even if stained) and won't look nice against the oak doors.

Cheers :wink:

Paul