Recently married and moved into my husband's 80's all oak home (kitchen cabinets, bathrooms, trim, built-ins, etc.) He refuses to paint over any of the wood and I need ideas on what I could do to bring all this 80's honey oak into the new century. He is open to restaining. Help!
Too Much Oak
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i hate to say it, but that refusing to paint wood is a man thing! :whistling2: It is one thing to paint a valuable antique and destroy its value but there is no reason not to paint over wood-even oak! I can't tell you how to deal with him, but sometimes you might need to just do it and show him how nice it looks. he'll get over it- eeventually!:wink:
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good luck! i figure, unless he really is into decorating, you probably have really good instincts about painting, etc. You might just need to do something small- like your bath cabinets- and let him see how great it can look. have fun
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Re-stain them maybe? You can always go darker for a more modern look.
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Could be grounds for divorce :laughing:
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Nothing look worse than painted Oak that has not had it's grain structure filled. Oak being so open grained generally takes multiple coats of grain filler with sanding between. Something to consider.
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maybe one of the colored gel stains would work too if you want color but are concerned about the grain as Mike in Ark says.
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Easy solution! Takes some work but worth it!
I am excited to show you before and after photos of the very same challenge...too much honey colored oak!
click here http://www.kimberleejaynes.com/button-photo3B-big.asp to see before and after photos of oak cabinets that I had stained...they look so updated!
Be sure to have someone that knows what they are doing...because you can get some uneven spots if you don't do it right. Read up on it if you are doing it yourself. There are steps to take that make the job come out like a pro.
Take a look at my blog LINK REMOVED for easy DIY tips on redesign and my website for before and after photos of redesign LINK REMOVED
Hope this helps!
I am excited to show you before and after photos of the very same challenge...too much honey colored oak!
click here http://www.kimberleejaynes.com/button-photo3B-big.asp to see before and after photos of oak cabinets that I had stained...they look so updated!
Be sure to have someone that knows what they are doing...because you can get some uneven spots if you don't do it right. Read up on it if you are doing it yourself. There are steps to take that make the job come out like a pro.
Take a look at my blog LINK REMOVED for easy DIY tips on redesign and my website for before and after photos of redesign LINK REMOVED
Hope this helps!
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Going darker is much more in than honey colored oak from the 80's! Take a look at my portfolio page and let me know what you think...it sure looks more today than the unstained oak. Now one thing to point out that darker does not mean dark cherry or mahagony a chocolate-wenge look is more updated then the oak...even though it has been in for many years.
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At least with oak it is. Since that old honey, yellow, orange color is so hated now, dark is about the only other way to go with oak, unless you like red I suppose which is always pretty sexy. haha.Darker is more modern now?.....I remember ripping all the dark stained cabinets, trim and doors out of my house 10 years ago because it was outdated. Now it's back in
just start off with something smaller, like cabinet handles? buy new ones that goes with the cabinet door or paint them or just do something creative at a smaller level that is an eye candy for your husband than he might just change his mind and agree with you..
http://www.englishblacksmith.co.uk/
http://www.englishblacksmith.co.uk/
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