Painting wood!!!

[Screamer777]

Why do some people paint wood? I personally hate to look at wood that is painted.

Wood, no matter what species, always looks good without paint. In my opinion they could use mdf if they wanted it painted. Several DIY magazines makes them guilty of this. Imagine a beautiful dresser that is made of Imbuia, and they painted it!!!

[nateswoodworks]

Several years ago I was asked to make a dresser out of oak, and paint it!! They wanted oak because they said it was the only wood strong enough to hold up to the abuse and wouldn't hear anything else. They were the type that is always right even if they are idiots!!

Nate

[jwatson]

to be honest those non-woodworkers are not going to appreciate the beauty of the wood like we do. you cant expect them to either. they often have other concerns for the furniture they own fitting decor etc. all you can do is try to educate them about modern finishes etc. at the end of the day its their furniture if they want it painted its theirs to do so.

[dwacker]

I think to each his own. At some point in time most of us have had grandma's ugly old dresser built in the 20's. It was solid oak with 15 different coats of paint, each painted by a different generation. Its still a fine piece of furniture just painted to match the current owners style. If it were mdf it would no longer be around. There is nothing wrong with building with quality materials and painting generation after generation. Sure beat the heck out of Ikea. that doesn't make it through the year let alone generations.

Don

[Mister Pants]

I look at it as a design consideration. In some cases obviously there's a protection point too (if it's to be outside and it's not a long wearing wood). But if it's used as an accent, or to put a fairly plain part of a piece into the background so as to draw the eye to a more visually appealing area then it makes sense. For instance, one of the projects on my honeydo list is a new coffee table. The top is going to be from a piece of curly maple that I've had for a few years. I want that to be the visual focus of the piece, so the base I'm either going to ebonize or paint black to draw the eye to the top. From that perspective, I find paint to be a fair design consideration.

[HoboMonk]

Painting wood is just another artistic expression.

My customers are very good at telling me what they want and I listen to them.

I just reviewed a 1700's German Chest, complete with paint and nails, that will sell for an estimated $200,000.

Best wishes.

Bro. Tenzin

[CessnaPilotBarry]

I think paint can a beautiful dimension to some pieces... It all depends on the desired look. I'm not going to paint very special or pretty wood, but sometimes the same pretty wood can look great set off with color.

[Jfitz]

I would paint poplar in a heartbeat. I might paint pine - depends on the piece, where it's going, and what its intended use might be. I could possibly see painting some other wood items - again, depending on their location and use, and also current condition. I could also see painting some parts of an item for contrast or visual appeal (see comments above). Now if you are talking about beautifully figured cherry or curly maple, walnut, or some exotic species - personally, *I* would not paint them....but to each his own.

[Ben@FineWoodworking]

I get annoyed when I go to the flea market and see beautiful pieces that people paint... then destress to make it look old again.

Like the pieces original signs of age weren't good enough.

That said. If it keeps the pieces out of the burn pile... great.

I'm 50/50 on it with new pieces. I like the look of some painted pieces. I think too much wood grain in a house can be overwhelming.