Colin and Justin: Paint it, we dare you

There are few decorating decisions more likely to polarize than announcing you intend to paint wood.

Somewhere, a lumber lover will clutch their pearls: “But the grain!” they’ll cry. “You can’t paint that!” Well, actually, you can. And sometimes you absolutely should.

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This principal bedroom, one of our own projects in Muskoka, is a case in point. Before renovation, it was certainly warm, certainly woody and, erm, certainly… a lot.

Timber covered the floor, walls, ceiling, window surrounds and every available surface. The beautiful architecture – soaring roofline, muscular beams and glorious lake-facing windows – was actually being lost beneath a sea of similarly toned lumber.

To be fair, we didn’t dislike the wood. We simply wanted to see the room.

Painting the boards a soft, warm white (Revere Pewter by Benjamin Moore) changed everything. Suddenly the ceiling appeared higher, the angles became even more architectural and daylight bounced around, rather than being absorbed by acres of shellacked timber.

Crucially, we left the structural beams as we found them, and therein lies the trick: painting wood doesn’t necessarily mean the eradication of it all.

By editing ‘some’ of it, the remaining timbers became considerably more important. Think of it as contrast rather than concealment.

Our before and after also demonstrates something we’ve long believed: natural materials aren’t automatically sacred simply because they’re natural.

Pine, cedar and oak can certainly be beautiful, but when every surface has precisely the same visual temperature, even lovely wood can become oppressive.

A thoughtfully applied coat of paint, however, can provide breathing space, allowing floors, beams, furniture and views to take their turn in the spotlight.

But, and it’s a sizeable but, painting previously finished timber demands proper preparation. Take it from us, slapping emulsion over shiny varnish – and hoping for the best – is a shortcut to peeling, scratching and colourful language. As we often opine: “Think twice, do once”.

Start by establishing that with which you’re dealing: solid wood, veneer, laminate and composite panelling require slightly different treatment.

Existing varnish, polyurethane, wax and decades of cleaning products can also interfere with adhesion. We recommend thorough cleaning (big box stores provide suitable products) before lightly sanding glossy surfaces to provide a suitable key.

We generally prefer to preserve grooves between boards, rather than fill them, being that these shadow lines are the very element that ensure the panelling’s character remains after the grain has disappeared below paint.

Prior to starting, fill unwanted nail holes and any associated surface imperfections, then lightly sand. Around 180–220 grit is useful for dulling an existing finish without overly attacking the timber, and we recommend 220 grit for final smoothing. Vacuum meticulously, and wipe away every trace of dust.

For glossy surfaces, high-adhesion bonding primer such as Sherwin-Williams Extreme Bond is perfect. For timbers such as cedar or redwood, a stain-blocking primer is particularly important, otherwise knots and natural oils can migrate through your new finish and announce themselves in blotchy yellow-brown patches.

For walls and ceilings, a good-quality washable interior acrylic in matte or low-sheen finish (try Benjamin Moore Aura) is ideal.

For a harder, furniture-like finish where extra durability is desirable, something tougher like Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel would be a smart option.

Apply two thin, even finish coats rather than one heroic gloopy layer. For best results, brush carefully into board joints and edges, resisting the temptation to judge the transformation halfway through.

Primer over dark timber can look somewhat alarming; the second finish coat is when everything will appear to settle down.

Colour matters, too. Stark refrigerator white can sometimes make rustic wood feel oddly clinical. In cottages and cabins we generally lean towards warmer whites, putties, mushrooms and soft stone shades, colours that lighten architecture without divorcing it from its surroundings.

Most importantly, just to reiterate, don’t paint everything. In today’s project room, retaining those magnificent dark beams was they key stage that provided punctuation. The original timber tells the story of the building, whilst the painted boards give that story somewhere to breathe.

So, whispered apologies to the lumber preservation society: smelling salts at the ready.

Sometimes, as we – and our clients – see it certainly, the optimal way to celebrate beautiful wood (on a case specific basis, of course) is to paint ‘some’ of it, rather than obliterate every elevation in its entirety.

Brushes and rollers at the ready?

Watch ‘Small Town Escapes with Colin and Justin’ on HGTV. Discover the ‘Colin+Justin Home Collection’ at Homesense and Winners. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook.

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