November 16, 2011

The Great "Paint the Wood White" Debate

I'm strugglin' folks.  Here's the thing, we knew that when we bought this house we were purchasing an architectural home.  That's what we loved about it actually.  We didn't want builder grade, we wanted something with character and history.  So even though this home definitely still has some strong 80's presence, we felt like we could embrace it, and work with it to make it a modern, architectural home.  Something like these.

From Here

From Here
I know, I know, our home is no where near these, but we were DIY dreaming.  I mean, in 10 years... who's to say we can't work with our clean, modern lines to create something like this?  (Don't say it to my face anyway.)

So what's the problem?  The problem is that it's a lot easier to talk about it than actually do it.  Especially when it comes to this room.



As we've explored back in this post, I just can't figure out what to do with this Family Room.  It seems almost blasphemous to board up the fireplace and make a shelf for our TV, but I also don't want to take down that architectural element that is so strong to this house, a continuous fireplace from the bottom level up to the top.


I mean, what if 20 years down the road, removing that piece and is the equivalent of painting beautiful mahogany wood from a 1900's Victorian, tiling over and ruining beautiful original hardwoods in the kitchen or removing the stain glass from a Frank Lloyd Wright style house?  Will I completely regret the decision? 

But it's clear that this room was not made for the way we live, which, at least in our house, is just one big TV that we can watch sports and HGTV on.  So just to humor myself, I did a really rough mock up of what it could look like if I went against all my better judgment and decorated this home in a style I know.  (i.e. Painting the built ins white, removing the mantel and mounting the TV above the fireplace.)


Not bad, eh?  And it gets even better when I paint the backs of the built ins with my deep indigo blue accent color.


It looks warm and cozy, doesn't it?  Even before you light that fireplace and actually make it warm and cozy.  But the thought still haunts me, will I regret painting that beautiful wood with the unique stripes and variations in the cupboard doors?



But on the flip side, there are lots of architectural elements that we've all decided will never come back, and we have no problem removing those.  Like pale pink or blue tiles that cover a bathroom from the 60's, or tiny 1920's kitchens tucked into the back of a home.   So maybe this Family Room with no room for a modern TV is just like those, on it's way out.  Or maybe it's just that I don't have a good vision on how I can work with the elements of this room, while still modernizing the space.  

In short, I've decided nothing, and I'm off to explore the inter-webs again for inspiration.  If you'd like to place you vote, or add any additional suggestions to the debate- I would be entirely grateful.  Because I'm strugglin' here folks. 

13 comments:

  1. The architectural elements are what gives a house personality. Unfortunately, these elements don't always jive with our personal style. Have you considered keeping the wood, but finishing it in a dark, rich stain? If you did that, you could keep the bookshelves, but still remove the fireplace thingamajig. My mom taught me you should always be yourself, but sometimes you need to compromise your personality. Good luck!

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  2. Could you remove the wood above the fireplace and still hang the TV there, keep the wood shelves their original color, and still paint the backs of the built-ins the indigo color? I do love the look of white wood and have debated painting my entire honey oak house the same, but worry I'll regret it later. While I do think the white looks great, keeping it the original color may "match" the rest of your house better? I also really like the existing stone hearth and am sure you could polish the stones to make it stand out more or something. Just my opinion, but honestly it'd look great either way! Everything you do does!

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  3. What if you removed some of the shelves and opened up the room completely? I realize it changes the look entirely, but it is an option. Can you do a mock up?
    If that's not an option at all, I like the white especially with the dark background. I'm not a fan of the light wood, but I dream of owning a house like the two at the top of your post, so I can respect the wood.

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  4. Hi. Stumbled across your site from YHL. As much as I LOVE painted white details, I think that it wouldn't suit your house, especially for some of those strong architectural details. For the family room, what about painting the walls/cabinets a grey color at least on that wall? Something like this: http://pinterest.com/pin/187003888/. You could do the two adjacent walls the same, and then a pop of color on the back wall. I also think you should remove the bowed out wood and run new tile from in front of the fireplace all the way up the wall so that you can mount the TV above the fireplace. An alternative idea is to still rip out the bowed out section, but put in horizontal planking there (painted the same color as the cabs/shelves) and new tile down below. Espresso colored flooring (cork?) would help 'ground' all the colors too.

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  5. For the main living room, if money were no object, I'd take all the wood down and put in a floor to ceiling stone fireplace something like this http://pinterest.com/pin/336427659/ or this http://pinterest.com/pin/333188870/. Save the wood you take down there and in the family room and repurpose it for an accent wall somewhere else in the house as horizontal paneling (ie in the downstairs family room or on one of the dining room walls)....

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  6. That is a toughie. What an amazing fireplace. But white does look sharp. No answer for you, sorry. But go with your instinct - you have to live in the house.

    P.S. Today is my first blogiversary and I'm hosting my first-ever giveaway (and it is handmade)!

    http://dans-le-townhouse.blogspot.com/2011/11/blogiversary-giveaway.html

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  7. I think staining the wood a dark color would make it look a lot more modern, which would fit the style of the home. That honey-colored stain is just SOOOO dated! We painted all of ours white, but we have a more traditional home and it suits it well. I love your house- it's gorgeous!!!

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  8. Boy, the diversity of opinions just shows how hard this decision is! The warm wood upstairs really works because of the tall ceilings and lots of natural light. Downstairs, the lack of those things makes it seem more overwhelming a oppressive. Tough call, but I think painting them white (or cappuccino white, as the case may be), really helps them to blend with the rest of the room. How about an option 3? Paint the bookshelves, but leave the fireplace the same? This would preserve the continuity of the fireplace from one floor to the other, and allow you to make sure your design/color choices in that space are visually connected with the rest of the house. Longest comment ever, but hope that it gives you a new way to think about the space!

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  10. You guys are amazing! This has given me so much inspiration, but Carrie is right, your opinions are all so different, it's hard to know which is the right decision. Maybe if we continue to live in the space everyday the answer will start to come to me. In the mean time I'm loving the gray shelving that one of the Anonymous commenters above suggested. Lately we've been thinking along the lines of Alana as well- why even have all that shelving? Why not open the space and make the room wider? And I LOVE the suggestion of a dark cork floor down here. Soft yet clean.

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  11. Oh, I'm so excited. Found this http://pinterest.com/pin/224898575111432929/
    on Pioneer Woman, thought it is very close to what I was trying to describe (the "anonymous" comments) above when I mentioned taking out the bowed section and putting in horizontal planking in it's place. Though, instead of the crazy silver mantel, you'd have your TV above the fireplace.

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  12. Love that Karyl! I've been a pinning fiend over on Pinterest lately looking for ideas for this room. For those of you interested here's a link to my Family Room Board. http://pinterest.com/ErinOneProject/family-room/

    I reserve the right to still completely change direction, but here's what I'm loving right now.

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  13. Fellow Minnesotan, new to your blog! I agree with some of the other commenters - it's really the color of the stain that's making it feel dated. I would take down the upper shelves, put your TV there to the left or right of the fireplace (depending on your furniture layout) and stain the base cabinets and the slats above fireplace a contemporary shade. Good luck!

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