# Need Help Please: Advice on Painting Woodwork (Picture Included)



## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Either option is alright I guess. If that built in is real oak or oak veneer, I hate to see you paint over it though. On the other hand, you are the one that needs to live in the space. 

If you leave it, I think it will look goofy sitting on white baseboards. And with white crown above it. If you paint the cabinetry I think that ceiling fan will have to be switched out to something lighter? Fireplace might look stark set in white?

It looks like you have decent lighting in the room? I would think about painting the ceiling a color if you paint the cabinetry white. And use an off white like Ben Moore's Atrium White or Super White for the trim and cabinetry. It will sill read to the eye like White White but will go better with the flooring and furnishings and will actually cover better.

Remember to prep correctly. Then prime (I would use an alkyd but a nice bonding waterbased underlay and primer will do the trick too). Two coats of finish. Of course with a nice angled sash brush.

Just wondering? What are you hoping to gain painting all white? The room seems to have nice lighting and seems quite inviting. I think the wood adds some character, warmth and coziness. I would replace the window treatment and paint the ceiling a color but leave the woodwork alone if it were my place. Of course it is not.


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## Hammer450R (Aug 17, 2012)

Its actually Birch. I would love to make it all dark wood and it looks like just 1 coat of polly on everything. But doing all the crown and base would be a task.


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

I would leave well enough alone. paint the walls a different color if you need to do something.


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## KevinPh (May 25, 2012)

You could try painting everything white but the fireplace and tv surround - they would stand out and the contrast would be attractive. Of course you would have to paint the crown molding white as well.

Kevin
www.home-additions-startup-guide.com


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## Hammer450R (Aug 17, 2012)

Wow Kevin you might be on to something!!!


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Silly me. I just thought of the obvious. We don't you paint everything virtually first to see how you like it all white? I use the Personal Viewer from Benjamin Moore all the time but others like Sherwin Williams have similar things. It is free. You can use it online or download the program. You will also need to load Adobe Air to run it on your machine. You will have to set-up an account to be able to upload and save images. 

http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/for-your-home/personal-color-viewer?OVMTC=Exact&site=&creative=12342992513&OVKEY=benjamin%20moore%20personal%20color%20viewer&url_id=133316253&adpos=1t1&gclid=CIj797v8mbICFQc4nAodLgIAmg

Anyhow, upload the image of the room you posted here. It will take you awhile---but not too long since you have straight lines---depending on how accurate you want to be but mask off the crown, baseboards and cabinets into separate paint areas. There are rectangle and brush tools and you can adjust the size of them. There are eraser tools if you make a mistake. Once you have the areas masked, paint away! You can adjust opacity and such things. You can save your virtually painted room as JPGs. 

Another option is to use a room in the collection that is close to yours but with areas masked off.


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