Paint or stain give a new look to pine furniture

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/02/2003 (8313 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DEAR Debbie: I have 20-year-old pine furniture in my living room. I like the wood furniture, but want to update and change the finish. Most pieces have a polyurethane finish on light colored wood. Can I make pine look like a dark cherry wood? How would I do this? Thank you for your help.

–Barbara S., e-mail

DEAR Barbara: You can either paint or stain your existing pine furniture to update and reinvent its style to fit in with your decor. Let’s talk about painting first. The furniture is finished with varnish so you need to ensure that the paint adheres to this shiny surface. As long as the varnish is not peeling you do not have to remove it, but there are several steps that you must do. First lightly sand the surface and then apply a coat of high adhesive primer. Leave to dry overnight, then apply two coats of oil or latex paint. You can choose a cherry wood colour, but the surface won’t show any of the wood’s natural grain.

Staining is a different matter. Stain is meant to be applied to raw wood as it sinks in (unlike paint, which sits on the top.) The varnish must be removed before you apply any form of stain. There are many varnish or paint removers on the market but I would choose a non-toxic one. When all the varnish has been scraped away, wash the piece down with soapy water to remove any residue and sand to open up the wood’s pores. You can choose any colour of stain but each colour will come out differently against the natural colours of each type of wood. Pine is very yellow and it will combine and change the shade of the cherry wood colour. Test the stain in an area like the inside of a drawer or underside of a chair. Use a soft rag to apply the stain. Let the first coat dry and, if you want more colour or depth, apply a second or third coat. Remember to complete the job, whether paint or stain, with several coats of varnish.

DEAR Debbie: We are decorating an older home that has a long hallway; four bedrooms, a bathroom and a small pantry closet all run off this hallway. There is a large linen closet at the end. Any suggestions for decorating this space to visually shorten the hall? Paint isn’t an answer as my husband just completed the area in off-white with white doors and trim. Your advice will be much appreciated.

–Doreen V., Vancouver

DEAR Doreen: One way to make a long hallway appear shorter is to decorate the space with artwork or framed photographs hung in symmetrical groups. Another way is to make the end of the hallway a feature. I know you have finished painting but why not apply a trompe l’oeil image to the linen closet door? It makes a remarkable difference to the whole space and is not so difficult to accomplish. Copy or trace a picture onto the door and fill it in with paint. Shadow lines around the frame of the picture will give it realistic dimensions.

DEAR Debbie: Your show is great and has given me more confidence in my redecorating endeavors. We have just done a major reno in our basement. We are trying to entice my parents to use it as a second home. The floors are oak laminate, the kitchen cabinets are white, the bathroom is purple and white with sage green walls. (My colour scheme throughout our home is based on grapes and the wine it produces.) If I paint the rest of the suite a warm taupe, what colour can I paint the ceiling? I thought a half tint of the taupe but don’t want it too boring. There are only two small windows at the kitchen end and I don’t want the space to be dark and gloomy. Any help would be appreciated.

–Audrey H., Alberta

DEAR Audrey: Coloured ceilings were popular a couple of decades ago but more in the hunter greens and dark blues. Then flat white ceilings became the absolute norm. We have begun to use the palest pastels to brighten up low ceilings and to add a little pizzazz to a space. With the colours you have chosen for your parents second home, I would suggest the softest buttery yellow — fabulous with sage green walls and the fresh white cabinets. Run the colour throughout the basement and it will liven up the space.

The Painted House column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Please e-mail your questions to askdebbie@painted-house.com. Check out Debbie’s Web site www.painted-house.com and watch Debbie Travis’ Facelift on HGTV and Debbie Travis’ Painted House on W. For more ideas look for Debbie’s newest books, Kids’ Rooms and Bedrooms.