Decorating a Bedroom - Dark Wood Skirting

MRGANNET

My fiancee and I have just purchased a house and first room I intend to redecorate is the master bedroom. We've not moved in yet but I've attached a couple of photos from the schedule. We'll certainly be paintimg the walls and replacing the doors however I'm not sure what to do with the skirtings.....options range from leaving them as they are but replacing the doors to give a nicer look, painting them white, attempting to lighten the wood, or completely replacing them. Any suggestions on what might look best?

https://photos.app.goo.gl/jGUzXxgDxMX0LOMM2

https://photos.app.goo.gl/5gaGigy73MyTr01p2

rach_k

I would paint the doors white (or replace them with white ones, I can't really tell what they're like as the photo is a bit blurry for me) but I'd not paint the skirting until I'd changed the doors. You might find the skirting looks nice left as it is, once you get rid of the massive expanse of brown doors! If they do need changing, I'd just paint them white. It's cheap and easy... much easier than replacing them IMO.

EssexExile

Personally I don't like wood skirting or architrave so I'd paint it all white. But I'd lay carpet too because I'm old!

Doozergirl

Someone got a good deal on fire doors!

I’d paint the whole lot white. I’m not a fan of wood skirting, even with wood doors.

But I am a fan of plain doors painted white and would happily spend money on some really nice door handles for an individual, expensive look. (Don’t tell anyone!)

https://www.busterandpunch.com/hardware

gamston

I had dark brown skirting for years, painted it white a few years ago does look better
I used satinwood paint, rubbed down skirting, then used 3 coats of satinwood white, dry's quickly so easy get done in 2 days,
satinwood is not as good as old fashion gloss, but they don't make old fashion gloss now
the new gloss yellows within a year

getmore4less

rach_k wrote: »

I would paint the doors white (or replace them with white ones, I can't really tell what they're like as the photo is a bit blurry for me) but I'd not paint the skirting until I'd changed the doors. You might find the skirting looks nice left as it is, once you get rid of the massive expanse of brown doors! If they do need changing, I'd just paint them white. It's cheap and easy... much easier than replacing them IMO.

Time is money,

pre finished can work out cheaper if you are paying for the time.


For a bedroom I would go matt white woodwork.

Doozergirl

getmore4less wrote: »

Time is money,

pre finished can work out cheaper if you are paying for the time.

Doors don't come pre-finished though. Primed at best!

Silvertabby

Another vote for paint - all that wood looks too heavy.

Our bedroom has 5 doors - 3 on the triple built-in wardrobe, plus the en-suite and the door to the landing. We've painted the doors the same colour as the walls, but in satin rather than emulsion. Architraving and skirting boards are in a soft white satin.

It does seem to make the doors less overpowering.

P.S. - we used a light colour. Don't try this with the red you already have on the walls !

MRGANNET

Silvertabby wrote: »

Another vote for paint - all that wood looks too heavy.

Our bedroom has 5 doors - 3 on the triple built-in wardrobe, plus the en-suite and the door to the landing. We've painted the doors the same colour as the walls, but in satin rather than emulsion. Architraving and skirting boards are in a soft white satin.

It does seem to make the doors less overpowering.

P.S. - we used a light colour. Don't try this with the red you already have on the walls !

The red will be going the first day we move in!!

getmore4less

Doozergirl wrote: »

Doors don't come pre-finished though. Primed at best!

SIL has used them on her London projects.

seashore22

We moved into our current house 10 years ago and are gradually painting over much of the wood because it looks too heavy and dark in the original pine finish. We are painting the skirting boards and door frames in a cream white satinwood and leaving the doors pine, although we may use a different woodstain on the doors at some point. I do like the contrast of the pine with the soft white and maintenance of woodstain is less than painted surfaces, so it was a happy middle ground for us.

I'm decorating the internal bathroom at the moment and the transformation from dark and pokey to light and airy is staggering.

This is how we tackled the wood:

Wash down all the surfaces.
Rub over with liquid sander (I have mild asthma, so don't use sandpaper) and wipe down with a damp cloth.
Paint a base layer with Zinsser Bin (wonderful stuff).
Couple of coats of satinwood paint.

I'm not sure that the liquid sander is a necessary step, but I do it anyway.

Edit - I can't stand quick drying satinwood and would go for the stuff that takes almost a day to dry. The finish is so much better and nicer to use.

Another edit - all of our doors are half glazed with door curtains on the bathroom, loo and bedrooms, so not as imposing as solid wood doors would be.