About Me

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antrim, antrim, Ireland
Hello and welcome to my blog. If you like flowers and gardens, housey stuff, food and banter, then this is the place for you. I am a decorative artist, florist and maker of things. I sell painted furniture, plants and crafts, through a local retail shop, in my native Ireland, and wedding flowers from home. I am married to a lovely patient man and have a smashing little girl. I blog for the fun of it. Thank you for listening.

Thursday, 7 July 2011

Wood versus Paint


Beautiful window from here


A clients panelled hallway. She is deliberating whether to keep the wood, or to paint it green, something like this...

I know which I prefer, how about you? Image taken from the book 'Wooden Houses' by Judith Miller



Hello lovely readers, sorry it's been so long I have been busy catching up with work. A recent project was these fitted wardrobes, so useful for storage, but a bit dark and dated. My clients home is Edwardian and tradititional so I opted for a rich creamy colour with a brown antique wash. As the robes filled a whole wall, it is amazing how much lighter the room was after painting.
I find it very interesting in my line of work to observe the differences between the sexes. Now I know that this is a generalization, but I find that women love painted wood, and men are quite affronted that I would cover up their lovely wood with paint! The thing is that very often the wood is not so lovely, as in the case of the panelled hallway above, it was done cheaply and for effect, but the actual panels are mere plywood. Very often interior pine doors are the same, and were made to be painted, then we decide we like stripped pine, strip off the paint only to find plywood and not pine in the panels. Don't get me wrong I love wood, beautiful flame mahogany, burr elm, walnut, olive, apple and pear, old and worn and lovingly polished. Welsh oak, with it's gorgeous rich patina is heavenly, green oak barns, pitch pine floors, scrubbed topped kitchen tables, I love it all, but it needs to be a bit of quality timber or else forget it, in my book.

Image from here

Image from here




Image from House Beautiful Magazine.

Image from House Beautiful Magazine.
Image from here
Image fromhere


I would love to know what YOU think about wood versus painted. Have a fabulous Friday, love Linda x.
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22 comments:

  1. Southhamsdarling7 July 2011 at 12:32

    Hi Linda. Perhaps it is a female thing then, because I much, much, much prefer the painted wood to that dark coloured wood! We have a lovely big kitchen, and inherited all wood cabinets. We finally decided enough was enough, and last year my husband painstakingly rubbed them all down and painted them in a soft vanilla colour (very pale yellow) and it looks gorgeous. So much lighter. I love the kitchen now!!

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  2. Jane and Lance Hattatt7 July 2011 at 12:41

    Hello Linda:
    Well, we are at one with you here. As you say, the fashion for stripped pine results in far too many cases where poor quality wood is revealed when it was never intended to be shown, other than painted. And with so many wonderful colours available [take Farrow and Ball as a mere starting point], why settle for dark and dingy brown 'treacle'?

    Our Budapest drawing room has painted panelling to dado height whilst in our main hall this extends to about 3m. Whilst it is very decorative, research shows that it was always intended to be painted.

    When in Herefordshire, the beams of our 'black and white' cottage were of oak, along with many doors and windows, which we allowed to weather to a beautiful silver colour. But then they were outside.

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  3. flowers on my table7 July 2011 at 13:07

    This-is-me, I love the sound of your soft vanilla kitchen, charming! Linda x

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  4. flowers on my table7 July 2011 at 13:10

    Dear Jane and Lance, your Hall and Drawing room panelling sounds wonderful, just what I would expect from a Hattat house! As for the silvered oak in Herefordshire, I am positively drooling!Linda x

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  5. Wendy7 July 2011 at 13:57

    I like painted wood - unless, as you said, the wood is top quality and has a beautiful patina.

    Like your wardrobes Linda - brilliant job. Would love to be able to do effects like that. My efforts are so clumsy.

    As for the client's hallway - painted, for me.

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  6. helen tilston7 July 2011 at 14:05

    Hello Linda

    You are singing to the choir here and I agree also that if the wood is of poor quality paint it. I adore the wooden floor in your post and that with its wonderful patina I would keep. I have stripped down pocket door which separated our dining room from living room and that was pleasing, as the doors were 10 feet tall.
    Great post Linda and wonderful examples of painted and unpainted.
    Have a great weekend
    Helenxx

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  7. Jane the Booklady7 July 2011 at 14:22

    Hello Linda,
    This post really made me think! I do love darker wood and have a lot of oak in my house but so often painting gives a much better effect, especially as you say, if it's bad quality pine! jane x

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  8. Juanita7 July 2011 at 16:08

    I think for me, it depends on the prettiness of the grain of the wood. I'm partial to lighter woods, and find anything too dark oppressive, so would probably paint darker pieces.

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  9. Leigh Powell Hines7 July 2011 at 19:44

    I don't know. I like both. I think I may like the Edwardian style, too.

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  10. The Paper Mulberry - Glenda Steel8 July 2011 at 00:11

    Oh Linda this is a wonderful post! My answer would be both!!!! If the wood is yummy then not painted, if not then out with the brush! I agree the panelling would be so divine painted and I know you would make it truly scrumptious! Wonderful inspiration! Also if you have any tips on 'feeding'/waxing an oak floor (floorboards) without making it look orange (i.e. using linseed oil) I would be most grateful!!!! Warmest of wishes - Glenda P.S thank you so, so much for your lovely message!

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  11. Suz8 July 2011 at 00:35

    I used to be into natural finish only but I am getting into painting wood now.

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  12. Robynne's Nest8 July 2011 at 00:40

    Hi Linda, glad you enjoyed my trip to Althorp...interesting post here...it can be quite a quandary sometimes...to paint or not to paint. Apart from the quality of the wood being a factor, I think it boils down to the look you want and more often how much light you need in a particular room. Paint can make such a difference and I think those robes look a million dollars. Robx

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  13. The Cloth Shed8 July 2011 at 01:23

    I am totally with you...I love old oak, fruitwood and mahogany. As for pine...it was indeed, a cheap wood always intended for the paint pot in years gone by.
    I would certainly paint the panels...that hallway will be transformed! The table, mirror and chair will come to life....
    Julie x
    PS You have done a great job with the wardrobe doors.

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  14. Anonymous8 July 2011 at 02:54

    Well, if it's real wood I love to see the patina of age and so on, but with the panelling in the hall, it makes the area so dark and uninviting. If you have plenty of light and it's a really large hall, then you can get away with it, but seeing as it was plywood, I'd have been tempted to rip it off altogether. Painted furniture gives a new lease of life to something dull and ugly, and can lighten a room. We have a lot of antique pine, which I love as well, unpainted. It depends on the room, the light and space as well as functionality and beauty of the item.
    Love those wardrobe doors!
    Maggie @ mrsrunofthemills.blogspot.com

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  15. LindyLouMac8 July 2011 at 03:53

    Difficult as I love both, in my opinion as yours it really depends on the quality of the wood, the function and the location as regards the light. Thankyou Linda for your recent kind comment on my Rose photo.

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  16. Room Seventeen8 July 2011 at 07:33

    Painting wood furniture is very hot in Holland. Dark wood is completely out of fashion. Everybody is painting tables and cabinets in white and grey colors and Farrow and Ball paint is very favorite!

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  17. the fishermans cottage8 July 2011 at 11:27

    Yes I agree with you, a little pet hate of mine is when there is a mixture of different woods, I love to see a white wall with beautiful, walnut or mahogany etc.

    Then on the other hand I recently purchase a pine door and was going to paint it but now have decided to leave it be, never thought I would be liking stripped pine again.. have a great weekend Linda :) x

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  18. flowers on my table9 July 2011 at 01:14

    Thankyou all for your interesting comments. I apologiise if I haven't answered you in person yet. I will get to you shortly! Love Lindax

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  19. Room Seventeen9 July 2011 at 01:15

    Hi Linda, you can't send mail to info@room17.nl ? Please leave your mail adress on my blog, I will try to send you a message.

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  20. designchic9 July 2011 at 05:55

    For me, I am so drawn to the painted wood, but I do have a walnut paneled library that the wood is amazing, and I would never paint, but generally, I'm drawn to the painted!! Have a great weekend ~

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  21. Anna9 July 2011 at 13:55

    I think wood is wood... it has its colour... you can read its age by counting the rings, when you cut through it! Why spoil it by painting all over it? Ever heard the expression "mutton dressed up as lamb?" I love wood, good old wood, just the way it is. It tells stories, it has natural texture and colour. Who would dare paint over Van Gogh's sunflowers? Nature made things... she made them beautiful... Man made paint and fashions... they come and go... nature stays. Wood should be loved, cherished and respected. Has anybody read the original Collodi's (not Disney's) Pinocchio? Wood is alive.

    ANNA

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  22. Anonymous10 July 2011 at 09:44

    I think it depends on one's decorating style. I love both painted wood and naturally finished wood and have a bit of both in our tiny cottage!
    :)
    Wishing you a lovely Sunday, Linda!
    Hugs,
    Zuzu

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