Why did we Paint our Woodwork White?

29 Replies to “Why did we Paint our Woodwork White?”

1. I do not belong to the group of people who are personally offending by the mere mention of painted wood. Sometimes, it's ugly wood. And if a coat of paint is all it takes to keep a piece of good furniture rather than throw it away and create more waste.
   All things get dirty. All things need cleaning, care, and maintenance. Some finishes require more. Some people are not physically able to do the care. Some people just don't want to, because they are lazy. Get over it. At the end of the day, people have different tastes and preferences. Maybe one day, we will all be a little better at dealing with that.

2. We bought a house built in 1972. DARK wood stain on everything, banisters, trim, doors, kitchen cupboards, and I figured out why. It hides bad workmanship. You can’t see the cracks, dings, nail holes, or the fact that they didn’t cut the miters correctly until you go to paint them…🙄

3. So, Joanna Gaines didn't start the fire but she sure as heck fueled it. I reside in a mid-century-modern neighborhood and if I see one more house remuddled, open-floor-planned, and gray-washed Imma lose my shuttin mouth. Don't even get me started on vinyl replacement windows/siding. Argh! Folks painting Bedford stone, brick, and/or tile…there's a special circle of 👿🔥 for y'all.

4. Our reason was … 🌩 TERMITES 🌩

5. My parents live in a 1900 building in an apartment and my mom striped down one of the doors of the terrible white paint job. They really just globbed that stuff on over and over over the years and not sanding it down properly. I personally like the wood more now than the white.

6. I didn’t realize this trend was so old. But now that it’s mentioned here it actually reveals a lot about a Victorian home near me. This mansion was originally built in the 1860s as a dark Italianate. It was sold in the early 1900s and the new owner did a complete renovation changing it to a more renaissance revival look. And inside all the woodwork is painted white. The exterior too changed from a dark look to a very bright white. And I know that wasn’t a recent change because photos of that house from the 1920s show it was white even back then. It was only shown as dark in pre 1900s photos. And I find it funny you mention the Victorian look being considered ugly back then. That actually ties into that house’s neighbor a Second Empire build around the same time. It was demolished sometime in the 1920s for exactly that reason. It was considered ugly and I’ve heard Second Empire by that point was considered especially ugly. These trends explain these things I’ve seen in my local architecture history. I wish that Second Empire still stood. It makes me sad it was demolished for looking “ugly”. But I do dream of one day owning that Italianate I spoke about and maybe even doing work to convert it back to its original look. Also funny you mention furniture getting the same treatment. I have an 1870s dresser that got the ugly teal paint job to the inside and a dark red stain over the original shellac. Underneath is beautiful walnut. It blows me away to know these things were once considered ugly and are now once again considered beautiful.

7. Paint and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race

8. Fast growing woods aren't as dense, but with longer fibers, they are actually stronger. I know. Surprised me too.

9. Do we tell her that potash is pronounced pot-ash, and not poe-tash?🤣(I made the same mistake when I first encountered the word!)

10. We do bespoke woodworking – paneling, doors, windows, cabinetry, etc. Wood to be painted would NOT be mahogany, maple, birch, red/white oak, English oak, walnut – they are too precious and reserved for finish instead. Wood for painting will be cheaper woods, like pine, or plywood. I am very relieved to finally see that you will NOT be painting all that gorgeous wood grain.

11. But what about wood painted to look like wood! The 1840s Greek revival I grew up in had a staircase with treads painted to look like wood so it would match the varnished moldings throughout!

12. I keep the paint on my door. It's really dented & cheap wood.

13. My house has original wood grain all throughout and my biggest fear of selling this house is someone painting it white

14. Introducing millennials to HGTV was history's greatest mistake…

15. There is a novel I read years ago that critiqued the nouveau riche for painting their wood. I wish I could remember the name of it, but basically it was making fun of the character who made his fortune in paint.

    Also, not to poke at Nicole, but your voice sounds so super strained when you talk. I feel so bad, have you seen a speech therapist?

16. I believe it was the Smithsonian magazine that detailed the choices in “restoring” an historic colonial home (1980s, or early 90s).

    The problem was the house.

    This particular house was THE House that inspired Colonial Revival, in the 1930s.

    Colonial Revival, as expressed by this house, featured a white exterior. Interiors had varnished wood floors and painted wood trim.

    But the inconvenient truths of history began nagging at the 1980s. The revival was more fanciful than factual.

    It turns out the Colonials did not paint New England white, that was the Victorians.

    Of course.

    Floors were not varnished. Trim was not painted white, either

    The conundrum was, how to proceed.

    The house was Colonial. But This House also inspired an entire movement, however fanciful.

    So they restored parts to its actual heritage, and other parts to its by now historic Colonial Revival.

17. When the covid pandemic began, I resolved to paint everything I could white. I needed clean!

18. They did this in my high school that was built in the 30s, makes it sort of bland now with all the ornate wood covered with white paint

19. I did grow up rural. I'll use that when questioned about why I like natural wood.

    (I have never been questioned but good to have a reason at hand)

20. You have quite a mix of woods in your home. The doors are mahogany (at least the ones I could see). Of course these are gems and should be protected at all costs and restored to the fullest – which can be quite full. I see pine baseboard by your stairs. Sometimes this is better off replacing than refinishing. Personally I feel the same way about old oak. If you an afford it, it's better to replace than to clean and refinish unless it is detailed carved. Best of luck.

21. What is the music in the beginning?

22. I love these historical videos!

23. Thanks – as always, very informative! I’m so glad that I found my house. Only the bathroom, plus kitchen window sashes had been painted.
    I wonder whether they also recommend painting bedrooms and bathrooms because they were often pine, or fir? In my case, they went for the upgrade (oak bedrooms, and maple bathroom and kitchen). But I have friends with cheap pine in all but living room and dining room.

24. Knowing the white usually aged to other than white and woods usually turned darker brought me to the decision when putting in woodwork to unify the existing features that could not be color changed–brickwork. I picked two different woods to lap with a recess between the top layer that had a lighter wood that would remain lighter in color instead of a darker that would just suck up the light. So now years later the darker top boards are lightened up by the lighter wood in the recesses that will always remain lighter than the top boards because they are a different wood. The shades pulled the color of the wood floor and the color of the fireplace brickwork together. Before one was too red and the other was too blonde. The only paint is the gypsum board above the wainscoting.

25. All the wood in my century home has been painted white SOOOO many times that some of the doors don't close. I wish I had the time to strip it all.

26. So … Nicole has a video on waterproofing fabric … (I guess lensseed oil ? which would make it highly inflamable) btw wood that was treated with lenseed oil is not more inflammable. Once the oil has cured. You have to treat the brushes and buffing cloths as hazard, but other than that …. Now fabric soaked in that oil and some other ingredients … that is another beast. I saw it done that way by historic reenactments. Fairs, cosplayers (kinda, the kind that try to be historically accurate).

27. I used to use Murphy's oil soap to clean all of my natural woodwork and furniture. I was introduced to a product called Restore-a-Finish. The manufacturer is Howard. This product is fantastic. It returns the wood to its original look and shine with less effort than multiple coats of Murphy's oil soap.

28. Even as a youngster I loved woodwork and icily disliked when it was painted over, especially white.
    BTW, kill me before I have to see Victorian woodwork or furniture -and brick fireplaces!- painted over.
    BTW, I was born in 1955. Never a follower of trends

29. I think the invention of acrylic & latex paints had at least a little to do with how homes were painted (just as synthetic fabrics & dyes influenced clothing manufacturing) Oil based paints & the thinners & solvents required to use them are pretty noxious. And of course everything was loaded with lead once upon a time. Latex paint changed all that. I imagine if you had wood trims & cabinets in your home that weren't properly cared for or had termite damage, paint was a easy fix compared to sanding, puttying, staining, sealing, etc. In a smaller home, dark wood paneling can make a room feel smaller. I like the contrast of white trim against a different color wall or wood trim against a white wall or a dark color trim against a white wall (dark green or grey or whatever). I currently rent a home where they just painted the trim & the walls stark white. Probably to save money & time between tenants. It's a shame because the house has pretty chunky baseboards & trim & it would make a nice architectural feature otherwise.

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