to paint or not to paint - that is the question?

DRP

another (probably less labour-intensive) option is to replace the doors and/or handles

Mayflower10cat

We inherited a pine clad ceiling in the kitchen - but painted with a Dulux (I think it was) 'colourwash paint' it looks like a limed finish and much, much nicer. The kitchen was bespoke and made by a local joiner and painted quite a dark, antique cream with darker green washlines - when we rejigged the layout we decided to repaint a lighter, brighter colour. We washed the wood with sugarsoap and keyed the surface with sandpaper. We used a Farrow and Ball oil based eggshell in a 'not quite white' shade with the washlines defined in a soft greyish green which I mixed up. Two coats covered the original colour well. Oh and we swapped the painted wooden handles for brushed stainless steel. Now we still have a country feel but with a more modern slant.

pimento

If you're selling, just do the ceiling. It will make quite a difference. Painting all the doors will take ages and is not worth the effort. (IMO)

Littleweedj

Some really good suggestions and comments, which are very much appreciated.

The kitchen is bespoke and made by a local joinery company and it is in perfect condition.....I inherited it on buying the house and quite liked it then but my tastes have changed and much prefer lighter or white wood now.

Just counted and I would have 23 doors, 8 drawer fronts, 2 crockery racks and a glass and pine closed shelving unit to repaint. As suggested, think I will do the ceiling first and see how that turns out. The walls are Buttermilk, should I continue with that colour for the ceiling or would it be best to go with Brilliant White and so make the whole place brighter?

It's a good kitchen, with integrated washing machine, fridge, freezer, dishwasher, but definitely agree pine is dated now, but would it be a deal breaker if you were buying a property?

picklepick

Definitely paint the ceiling white. An off white colour or buttermilk will just make it look dirty! No one is offended by white

namecheck

picklepick wrote: »

Definitely paint the ceiling white. An off white colour or buttermilk will just make it look dirty! No one is offended by white

Yes, white is the way to go. We inherited a pine clad bathroom ceiling and painted it white - it looked a lot better, though a bit later we did remove it altogether and have the ceiling replastered - an option for your buyer!

Having seen how many doors/drawers etc :eek: I would leave the kitchen units as they are, especially as it was a bespoke kitchen. It would probably be easy enough to live with for most people, even if they plan on changing it at some point. (You could mention there is a market for good second hand kitchens - eg theusedkitchencompany.com)

Just make sure the worktop and sink/taps are sparkling clean for the estate agent photos, and the viewings.

Littleweedj

So to double check I need to apply:

Knotting Solution, then Primer, then Undercoat and then Top coat.......yikes I never thought there was so much to it. Are there any shortcuts but still have a good finish?

Would it still look ok if I didn't use sandpaper first? The ceiling is quite large and this would take me days.

Thanks again, you have all been very helpful.

Better_Days

Agree that the best thing would be to do the ceiling white. But it would be an awful lot of work to do the cupboards too, and get a good finish.

You could buy or hire an electric sander which would take a lot of the work out of the job, but you would probably benefit from a face mask while you were doing the ceiling.

20400keith

If the ceiling is 'raw' wood, not previously sealed, then maybe consider just using a wood stain. This is a watery consistency, goes on much more easily than paint and gives an even coverage without the need for a second coat. No need to seal knots or rub down.

I stained a large fitted kitchen using Cuprinol Shades wood stain (a huge tin, for outdoor use but fine inside, cost about £15). The grain of the wood is visible. Muted colour, matt finish. Looks very classy but was quick and easy, requiring no skill! It's been done a couple of years and is still fine.

Debt_Free_Chick

Just to show that you can never account for the taste of buyers ..... definitely do not paint the ceiling the brilliant white

I would choose an off-white, which has a yellow tinge (rather than an off-white with a black/grey tinge).

Look at Pointing, New White or Off White in the Farrow & Ball range. You don't have to use F&B paint as decorators' merchants will match the colour in Dulux in or whatever you want.

I find brilliant white too stark - it tends not to complement the other colours, but simply "stands out".