When To Paint & When Not To Paint Your Wood Furniture

You guys send me the best emails and I always love hearing from you! I’d like to start sharing some FAQ Reader’s Mail …with the mailer’s consent of course. Whether you’re a professional furniture painter or a DIY’er, I feel featuring some FAQ is a great way to inspire and learn from each other!

 

 

A question I’m often asked is “should I paint this?”… and then a pic is attached.

Believe me, I’m humbled and flattered when someone values my opinion enough to write in, but I can’t give a definite YAY or NAY on this one. Instead, my response is always the same. I ask her/him to consider a set of questions I ask MYSELF when I’m on the fence on whether or not to paint a piece.

Here’s a wonderful email I received from Pam and my response back to her. It sparks the great debate – To Paint or Not To Paint Wood Furniture!

 

[box] Hi Denise,

I have a piece I just bought which I want to transform into my crafting station (think Martha Stewart Craft Space) and paint it white with words placed on top on the spaces on the piece.

For example, Life is beautiful, the share it, remember it, cherish it words from Creative Memories…(I am an Advisor)

It is a solid mahogany piece custom built about 15 years ago by Ethan Allen, and opens up like a secretary desk to a work space – it is really unique – I’m not even sure I should paint over such a beautiful wood.  Thoughts?  (pic attached)

Thanks,
PamO’Grady CM Independent Advisor[/box]

Hi there Pam… thanks for your email!

I get asked this question a lot. With the growing popularity of painted furniture, it can be hard to decide on what’s worth painting and what’s not.

Here are a few things I like to ask myself before painting a piece of furniture.

Will painting increase or decrease the value?

This is an important question to consider if you’re thinking of painting an authentic antique. Antiques increase in value as time goes by. Once they’re painted, re-stained or refinished, they often decrease in value unless they have been professionally restored. On the other hand, a piece that has seen better days can be salvaged from a garage sale or Craigslist for say $25-$75. Do some repairs and paint it pretty = increased value. This $75 piece can now be sold for $475+ … or make for a gorgeous statement piece in your own home!

Does it have sentimental value?

If you paint this piece, is a family member going to want to knock your Chiclets out? It’s kind of a moral thing. If I know someone I love or care about is going to be sadly disappointed in me restyling a piece… just me, but I won’t do it.

Is it going to get more use or display time if it’s painted?

Is your piece of furniture in hiding or storage? When was the last time it saw the light of day? If you can’t remember, it  may be a good idea to paint and restyle. I’m one of those people who eat off the ‘good-china’ every day and won’t save anything for a ‘special’ occasion. The way I look at it, EVERYDAY is SPECIAL! I like to make good use of the things I own and enjoy their functionality and beauty on a daily basis.

What overall condition is the piece in?

If a piece has been damaged and is in need of an aesthetic or structural repair, painting may be the best option.

The most important thing to consider when deciding whether or not to paint… Will it make you happy?

My thoughts on this piece – It’s gorgeous and must be a quality piece if it’s solid mahogany and custom built.  From what I can see, the wood looks beautiful and is in excellent condition. If you just purchased it, it doesn’t have sentimental value, so just go with what makes you happy. It’s an amazing piece to have in a crafting room … painted or not. 🙂

A big thank you to Pam (Creative Memories) for sharing with our SI Readers.

Let me know if you like this Reader’s Mail idea as much as I do!  I hope sharing will demonstrate that we all have similar concerns, questions, doubts and victories when it comes to restyling and painting our furniture!

So where do you stand on the paint or don’t paint debate? Do you have your own set of criteria before you paint your wood furniture? Have you ever been disapproved of for painting a piece? Any regrets on a wood piece you have painted? Let’s keep this conversation going …I’m really curious what you all think!

Celebrate your day and have fun with your next project!

Denise x

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