Paint against stained wood?
+36
I am wanting to lighten up my living room. I have brown stained trim, brown stained ceiling beams and a large brown stained built in bookshelf cabinet which is next to an old outdated brick fireplace. I have already decided to paint the fireplace with a lighter color that has a touch of taupe. I also have brown hard wood floors. I would like the bookshelf to be painted but what do I do with all of the brown trim and beams?
Also, it has 2 openings to my kitchen which I also want to lighten up. Currently brown stained oak cabinets. Advice?
Related Discussions
Suggested Project Book
Its a big task but it can all be painted. I would start with an oil based stain blocking primer or that dark stain might bleed through any paint you put on it. After that a regular acrylic paint will do :)
sounds like a lot of brown. Maybe paint the trim And bookcases and leave the beams natural?
I would paint the ceiling white and the trim I would white wash. The white wash would allow the trim to show through but only if the trim has a wood texture to show off.
Giving the fireplace brick a nice modern color would change it drastically. What do you have as a mantel?
A picture would be very helpful so we could see the exact set up.
Leave the beams and trim as they are and paint the walls a light shade. Paint the bookcase a contrasting or brighter color. Add a brightly patterned fireplace rug like ones from Improvements catalog or look on Wayfair. Some great deals.
Leave the beams. Trim would need to be lightly sanded to remove any gloss. Then prime with Kilz primer and then paint with your color or white if you choose. Do the same with the bookcase. You can also paint the kitchen cabinets.
https://www.hometalk.com/search/posts?filter=paint%20cabinets
Absolutely leave the beams and the trim. But if you decide to paint them get a good stain blocking primer. The brown will bleed through. I do not know what colors you have in your room but a nice gray white would soften and lighten the room up. The bookcase I would definitely paint a lighter color. Use a good acrylic paint from Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore or Behr Marquee. Don't skimp on the paint. Get a good paint brush like Purdy or a good roller. The best way to insure no paint brush marks is to use a sprayer if you can.
As far as painting your cabinets, if they are in good shape I would not. It is a very tedious job and many times does not come out as expected. Another thing DO NOT use chalk paint.
Hi Kelly, how about grey wash or taupe washing the dark wood, it will look wonderful! Hope this link helps you out.
https://www.younghouselove.com/glad-thats-out-of-the-way-part-2/
I have painted my laundry cabinets a light blue color, maybe this color would be an option https://www.simplenaturedecorblog.com/5-tips-on-painting-laundry-room-cabinets-week-2/
Hello. Its hard to suggest colors without photos or assessment of lighting and windows. But—
We have a log cabin and too much wood is dark and dreary.
We are quite pleased the previous homeowner placed paneling in two bedrooms and painted it a light color. I would suggest not to hesitate to use paint for any room brightening update.
I think you’ll be really pleased with your results. Best wishes in your painting adventure!
I hope this helps!
You can paint trim. I went from 1970s dark trim and doors to white with paint.
Hello,
You could try a liming wax or a watered down paint. Try it out in an out of the way place first to see if it is the look you want! Best wishes.
There are lots of posts here on painting trim:
https://www.hometalk.com/search/posts?filter=paint%20trim
Here are some posts on painting ceiling beams:
http://blog.tahoedreaminteriors.com/2014/06/what-to-do-about-dark-painted-beams.html?m=1
Once you paint your bookshelf, ceiling, and fireplace I think you will be surprised at how much lighter the room will be. I have also painted all my trim but I would wait and paint things in steps to see how much better it looks. Add bright lighting and make sure your walls are painted a light reflecting color.
I think it's a good idea to try painting the trim and the bookcases and leaving the rest their original color.
This is the first time I've tried HomeTalk. I'm so excited to read your comments. Here is a picture as was requested.
Maybe you can paint the bookcase and trim and white wash the fireplace to get a look like this: https://pin.it/4bjvfDk
Hello,
Give everything a Limed Oak look!
Please post a photo this is something I would need to see in order to give advice.
Home and Garden DIY Ideas | Hometalk
Hi Kelly,
Do one thing at a time, when that is done, re access the situation and then go again. Good luck!