Author: Nina Malkin | Published 9:59 PM, October 27, 2021
Question: A friend recently came to dinner with her new boyfriend, a real estate agent, and she said that if we want to sell the Victorian-style house, we should plan to paint all the interior woodwork. We were surprised because we always thought that its original state was part of the charm of the house-and also a potential selling point. Who is right and why?
A: "They don't do them like they used to!" Of course it also applies to houses built in the late 19th century. Many of these houses have a large number of intricate, natural-toned woodwork that fascinates the purists, but there are others who reach out for their paintbrushes. Today, both sides are fiercely debating whether to apply or not, but determining the winner is tricky because the subject is too subjective. Here’s how to find out what’s right for you, now or in the future.
Although the woodwork on the exterior of Victorian houses was usually painted, the interior decoration was usually painted with a transparent coating to show off the natural wood. Depending on when the house was built, the original finish may be shellac or varnish; the stains we have today have not yet been developed. If historical correctness is your top priority, then dyeing is better than paint for interior decoration.
In an independent Victorian house, with natural light coming in through many large windows, the details of the original woodwork are likely to be very beautiful. No such luck in a row house with limited natural light! There, the dark trim may look muddy, making the room appear dim and enclosed. Painting the trim in a lighter color will make the interior space larger, brighter, and more airy. More importantly, light-colored trim can be used as a background to make decorative elements stand out, while dark and gorgeous woodwork may compete for attention with furniture and artwork.
If you are planning a renovation and may even want to remove some of the walls to bring a more open floor plan to your house, unpainted woodwork may eventually appear outdated. In order to have a cohesive aesthetic, the designer may suggest applying a new layer of light-colored paint.
The current trend is white decoration. Therefore, if you bring your house to the market tomorrow, real estate professionals may urge you to paint the wood products white today to attract potential buyers and possibly increase the sale price. However, the style of millennials—appreciation of past decorative designs, and strong opposition to the fashionable mid-century modern that has been popular for a while—is gaining popularity. Fashion is fickle, so when you are ready to sell your house, before deciding whether to paint the old woodwork, study the local home sales.
The purists begged: "Don't paint!" The real estate agent coaxed, "Consider a coat." However, the designer believes that every family-in fact, every room-is unique, and accordingly make a suggestion. Usually, better quality wood is used on the first floor of an old house, so the original unpainted decorations, for example, foyer and dining room may have real beauty and value. Upstairs, poor quality wood may have been used, and white or light-colored paint may be best, especially if it refreshes the small bedroom and bathroom. Whether it's upstairs or downstairs, mixing paint and stains in the same room will look spectacular.
Most DIY novices can handle the effect of interior wall painting, but painting and trimming is more challenging. Choose oily paint thicker than latex and go deep into all corners and crevices; semi-gloss finishes will have a reflective effect while concealing imperfections. You need stable hands and good brush skills to ensure that all complex details will eventually show up.
Removal of paint from carefully crafted wood products, especially its multi-layer paint, can be difficult and time-consuming. Although there are multiple methods and products to do this, many professionals rely on Peel Away to remove up to 30 layers of oil-based paint in a single application.
When we bought brown sandstone from 1893, its intricate woodwork was bright white. It was not until my husband and I went out to play with some neighbors that we learned how the owner restored the decoration to its original state before turning the house over to our people. It is true that we do occasionally feel jealous when we visit people who still have unpainted gingerbread in the historic hood, but we insist on using white, which shows the best advantage of every crevice and floral decoration. Later, when we painted the bathrooms, kitchens and corridors, we adopted historical colors and kept light colors for decoration. This may very well be our eternal home, and we live by "We like it"! Spirit. If we ever sold our place, we might not do much to make it more marketable. The new owners will have to consider themselves lucky because we did not take away our original woodwork (as well as the tin ceiling and soapstone mantel).
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