Should you paint or stain a piece of furniture? If you view furniture refurbishing videos you will get two different answers in the comments. Painting makes it look better or painting is a crime against furniture. Typical Internet divide.
The reality is you can choose what is right for you, the piece itself and your decor style. Here are a few considerations to help you decide what is right for you.
Does it have a grain?
You might think this question is odd because wood is wood and all wood has grain.
But, some furniture is made with MDF instead of wood. Medium density fiberboard is an engineered wood product. It is quite sturdy, but it has no grain. So staining it results in a flat single color. Yes, I speak from experience. You are better off painting it.
Some furniture has a veneer of natural wood or a laminate that looks like natural wood. The laminate may look like wood, but it is actually more like a piece of paper with wood grain printed on it. Salvaged Inspirations has some good pictures showing the difference between the two.
Laminate needs to be painted. Veneer can be stripped and stained as long as you are careful not to sand all of the way through.
Do you like the wood grain?
Different woods have different grains.
Do you like the look of natural wood grain in general? If not, paint it.
Do you like the look of the grain of the particular piece? Stain will highlight that grain.
What is your design style?
Some decor styles are more conducive to stained furniture than others. Here are just a few design styles
minimalist: monochromatic or neutral dominant colors
maximalist: bold colors and combination of textures
traditional: painted or darkly stained woods
industrial: metal and wood tones
modern: sleek lines, neutral color palette, pale wood
mid century modern: bold colors and rich wood tones
farmhouse: stained or white painted wood
coastal: combination of whites and blues, with some natural woods tones (think driftwood)
Mediterranean: rich wood tones are almost a must
Craftsman: same as Mediterranean, stain is the only choice.
What does the rest of the room look like?
Consider where the piece is going to go.
If you have hardwood floors and wood paneling and other stained wood pieces, do you want more stained pieces? Or would that be too monochromatic?
When in doubt, combine the two
Pieces with a flat top like tables, dining chairs, dressers, desks, floor cabinets, etc. can look amazing with a stained top and painted bottom. My kitchen table is similar to this one:
Which should you choose, paint or stain?
In my house we have a craftsman style kitchen and family room with lots of stained wood furniture, while the living room is Chinese with black lacquer furniture.
Ultimately the decision between painting or staining furniture when you refurbish it is a personal choice. The good news is with a little paint remover and sanding if you don't love the finish you can always redo it.
More Furniture Projects
Leave a Reply