I get a lot of feedback in my day to day conversations about why people are hesitant to have their furniture refinished or painted. Some people strongly believe that you should never paint “good wood”. Others think that a particular piece is too damaged to be salvaged. Still, others are just creatively stuck. They are having trouble committing to a color or stain choice.
Today I want to talk about a solution to all of those concerns. It’s the paint/stain combo deal. Let’s address these concerns one at a time.
Never paint good wood.
This is a fair point–and to an extent, I agree. Few things make me happier than beautiful wood grain. My argument is that sometimes by painting a portion of the piece, the stained wood is actually highlighted by the contrast. Take this piece for example.
It’s a beautiful desk and is in great shape. So why paint part of it? Because the wood is so much more beautiful with the visual break of the paint.
Too damaged to be salvaged
I have worked on some pretty beat up furniture requiring repairs, patches, wood filler, and more. It is very difficult to get a nice stained finish with those types of repairs. In most cases, however, some part of the furniture is still in good shape.
This dresser had a lot of damage to the sides, but the drawers and top were in salvageable condition. I was able to strip and refinish those areas while patching the damage and painting the sides and body.
The same was true for this dresser. It came to me painted with a good deal of damage. The top and drawers got stripped and stained, and the body that had required patching could be covered with paint.
Creative roadblocks
Finally, the paint and stain combination is a great solution to creating a balanced and interesting finished piece. Below are examples that illustrate how paint can bring out details in furniture that can otherwise be lost, while stain highlights the beautiful wood grain.
When looking at furniture in need of a facelift, don’t forget all of the creative possibilities that paint and stain combinations can offer.
Hold My Wine, I’ve Got This…
Amy
