![]() ![]() I m a big believer in creating a set of rules or parameters when you start a project so that you know how to finish it. We made a hard and fast rule not to paint the cabin from the outset. History is full of rebels with a paint brush. We did however use cabinetry and furniture to add pops of color. Do I think there are black and white rules to this decision? Definitely not. It’s dark and moody and different from the everyday. In the same way, one room leads to the next in the A-Frame making it incredibly hard to know where to start and stop if we were to add paint. For that reason, we made the decision not to paint any of the walls and preserve the original woodwork. But when we bought a cabin to restore, with the intention of it being a rental property, we wanted to find something that was worth preserving/restoring, something that might transport you to a slower time of life. It’s hard to know where to start and stop painting, so we painted it all white, and we didn’t have to make the hard decision of whether or not to paint the woodwork in our house. We live in a mostly white, new-ish construction where one room leads to the next. People have really strong feelings about it. It wasn’t until moving to Minnesota that I first learned that painting your woodwork is controversial. We feel that salvaging trim, even when painted, is prefered (and even celebrated) to ending up in a landfill or sitting unused in a basement. As for that trim we decided to re-purpose and paint, we still feel very good about it. We are so happy we didn’t as the natural wood became our favorite focal point. In the living room, we initially considered painting the mantel in order to blend into the tone-on-tone look. Have you ever regretted your choice to paint or not to paint? In both of these instances there has been an effort to salvage existing trim by integrating it throughout our home. More recently, we used it as basement door casing, in which we painted it to match the surrounding stairs and beadboard. You can find original trim in the parlor as the vertical stiles of the built-in, painted to integrate with the rest of the new millwork. Of course, there are exceptions to the aforementioned rule! That stack of original trim? Since there was not enough to trim-out the entire house or room we’ve tried to include it in the house where we can. The mantel is now the focal point of our living room, the pantry doors will be integrated into our new kitchen pantry and kept natural to highlight its history. In most cases we have chosen to celebrate the natural beauty of the items that were salvaged. In the basement, we found another mantel, pantry cabinet doors, and a limited stack of the original door and window trim. The biggest showstopper in our home (we think) is our home’s entry with the original wood paneling, fireplace, and integrated staircase - luckily this was maintained and we knew right away it needed to stay in its original, natural glory. ![]() ![]() The prior owner had stripped the interiors of much of the original woodwork with the exception of a few items. Our current home is a bit unique in that it was nearly entirely gutted when we bought it. We find natural woodwork to be SO beautiful and easily worked into so many styles. Generally, we tend to subscribe to the rule: "If it’s not painted, don’t paint it" in the context of homes considered to be historical. Call us today, for a free quote or consultation.Have you chosen to paint any unpainted woodwork in your house, left it unpainted, or a mix of the two? What went into that decision? iPaint and Deco Express are Sydney based painters, servicing all Sydney areas. We are fully licensed, Registered and Insured. We ensure that occupational health and safety standards are maintained with every project. Following consultation, we provide timely itemised quotations and keep our clients informed on the progress of their project, from beginning to completion. We provide our clients with free consultations and discuss the scope of works including repairs, materials, paints and colours. We have extensive experience in insurance, strata and maintenance works. Our painters have over 20 years experience in residential, commercial and industrial painting and decorative services. We have great attention to detail, are quality driven and GUARANTEE customer satisfaction with every project. We provide exceptional interior and exterior painting services utilising premium products with highest standards of workmanship. At iPaint and Deco Express we value our clients and maintain long-lasting professional working relationships. ![]()
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