Painting Stained woodwork and trim

flowergal

We have very old, stained (DARK!) woodwork: We put in wood flooring from old barns, and have beautiful shades of oak~~The walls are navajo white. Any suggestions for colors to paint over old woodwork,trim, and interior doors? Thanks

oarfish

Regardless of color you will have to prime the old finish with shellac to seal in the old coats. Try only on a small surface like one side of a doorframe.
When dried old school would apply oil primer and oil finish.
Let it cure for a month or so and check for good adhesion before doing the whole house.
Zinsser BIN Primer and top of the line acrylic latex for finish usually works well in most cases if you don't want to mess with alkyd oil paint products.

Allison1888

I like the classic white trim, even if the walls are white (which you can change in key rooms if you want). You also may have to rough up the wood a little with a light sanding to get the primer and paint to adhere.