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When Should You NOT Paint Wood Furniture?

When Painting Wood Furniture Is Not a Good Idea

Custom cabinet builders realize that their customers will have some decisions to make when it comes to the finish on their cabinets. One of these is whether to paint them or not. Many people prefer the natural look of the wood grain and simply want to apply a stain instead of covering it up with paint. Others have a particular color scheme in a given room and want to make sure everything, including cabinets and other furnishings in that room, are color-coordinated with the rest of the room. At Walker Woodworking, we know that the decision to paint cabinets or other furniture is a personal one, but our team of local cabinet makers near Charlotte, North Carolina want to address the issue of whether there are times when painting may not be advisable.

Paint Is Not Always the Answer

Whether you are talking about a desk, a dresser, custom cabinetry, or the wooden parts of a chair, there are definitely times you don’t want to paint them. The following are a few instances shared by the designers at our local custom cabinet company.

  • Any furniture that has been in the family for a while and has sentimental value to your family. If grandma passed down that beautifully stained wood dresser that still looks decent after 40 or 50 years, you should probably avoid any family squabbles by keeping it as is.
  • There are paints on the market that are made specifically for painting furniture. If you are thinking about using any old paint you have around to add color to a dresser or some custom cabinetry, you should fight this urge. If you’re contemplating doing something like this, do it right or don’t do it at all.
  • Research the furniture online first. If you have a type of desk that you see regularly sells for good money online when it is unpainted but sells for much less when painted, then you may want to reconsider adding some color to it. That being said, if you are mainly doing it because you want it to blend in better with other pieces in your home and don’t care about resale value, then go for it.
  • Don’t succumb to trends. Sometimes, you only want to paint furniture a particular color or pattern because you see it in a lot of home magazines or websites and it’s the “in thing.” The problem is that such trends usually don’t last long and are out of style before you know it. Only paint your cabinetry or piece of furniture a certain color or pattern if doing so makes you happy.

A Quality Custom Furniture Builder Near Charlotte

We hope the above guidelines on when not to paint furniture prove helpful to you. For two decades, our artisans and craftsmen at Walker Woodworking have been professional, local custom cabinet contractors for residents of Charlotte, NC and beyond. If you are in need of a local custom cabinet company that has experienced kitchen cabinet builders as well as custom bath vanity designers and experience at creating wood closets in Charlotte, NC, you should contact us. Our talented team puts us head and shoulders above other local custom cabinet companies in the foothills of North Carolina. Our wood cabinet makers can give you advice about all the finish options available for your cabinetry, so you’ll have exactly the look you desire.