Should I paint these bannisters? Pic incouded

[Bladders73]

Just that really. Am tempted to paint them white to help lighten up the hall and stairs but at the moment they are maintenance free and I suspect that children rubbing their grubby hands up and down them every day will render them dirty and needing painting every few months. I don't like gloss paint and tend to use satinwood on woodwork. Would this be up to the job?

Any recommendations? Or leave well alone?

[pizzaeatingmonkey]

I think they look great as they are.

[Secondtimeround75]

I would paint them

[ShowOfHands]

Paint them. You'll be surprised how much of a difference it would make if you're trying to lighten the area.

We have some satinwood stuff in our dining room and it looks fine. I don't like gloss either.

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

Ooh I don't know. I normally prefer natural wood, but painted is good in the right place.

Could you find and post a picture of a painted staircase please OP to help us chose

[putcustardonit]

I like them as they are, are they oak?

[Finola1step]

I used Dulux satinwood Cotton White on mine. Yes, there is the issue of kids and grubby marks. So every few weeks, I give them a few baby wipes and a challenge to wipe off as many funny marks they can. Job done.

[Roussette]

Paint them. I had identical banisters to you have now and they were painted white gloss about 4 years ago. I know you don't like gloss but they barely need doing again as they were taken right back to the wood, undercoated and then glossed. My hall and landing is so much lighter, really.

[Tfoot75]

We have exactly the same and were also thinking of painting white! So I say do it. We did originally like the colour but the hallway is dark so think it would brighten it up massively and really modernise it.

[NewLife4Me]

We painted ours and then about 2 years later took it all off and have never looked back. We did the panels, skirting boards and doors too just leaving bare oak.
You can lighten with mirrors and if you have any pictures try a reflective glass, gold, silver or brass frame.

[Allgunsblazing]

Anither vote for paint! :)

[Finola1step]

That said, it will be a pain of a job. And there are nice as they are.

[Erimemushinteperem]

I would leave. Ours are darker than that. I quite like our dark hallway. I just use lamps. I think it's cosy.

[FinestGrundyTurkey]

Do it!

I've recently changed from stained pine to white paint (I got a decorator in to do it though, couldn't face it myself ) & it makes a massive difference to the light - mid-terrace house with no window or skylight on landing.

Mind you we also opened up the attic staircase with spindles, previously that had a solid panel at the end, so now we get daylight down from above but it's still much brighter at night too.

[FinestGrundyTurkey]

Ours is satinwood btw.

[FurbysMakeSexNoises]

I would paint but not bright white and would paint top black to highlight it.

[Qwebec]

I think if you pain them you hall will appear rather bland, I second the mirrors idea.

[Bladders73]

Split decision! Really can't decide. Like everything in this house the cheapest wood has been used. Previously every skirting board, doorframe and dado rail (they are in every room bar the bathroom) was left natural varnished pine. It was all very 90's with stripy wallpaper everywhere. All the wood used in these must have been the cheapest the previous occupier could get their hands on as its all full of knots, holes, splits etc and wherever we paint it shows up the poor wood more. I swear this house is held together with filler!
I am seriously thinking of doing it though, I haven't mentioned it to DH yet, I'm sure he won't like it . ;)

[7to25]

Leave the handrail and paint the spindles?

[WowOoo]

I wouldn't. I stripped ours as the paintwork was all scratched, stained and horrible. I don't know if it was a bad paint job, but everyone agrees it's much better than the paint before.

[FinestGrundyTurkey]

So we had a whole new staircase in with new spindles - when it had the solid stained panel it was a bit further away from the top of the main staircase but still very oppressive & even without it, pretty gloomy.

Ours is all fairly cheap basic timber too. We had to replace the original pitch pine on the main staircase because the spindles had been boarded in & several had been removed or hacked about

We're really happy with the white paint anyway

[Bladders73]

Wow what a different finest, looks lovely now :)

[ShowOfHands]

I think while the skirting, door, architrave, wall banister etc is white, leaving it as is doesn't look quite right. If you don't want to paint, I'd think about whether the door or skirting could be stripped to match and then lighten it up with mirrors.

If you're worried it'll look bland painted, you can warm it up with pictures, mirrors or a rug or a lamp or a table or whatever you fancy.

We went with the painting option in our dining room. We had similar coloured doors, shelving units and banisters. Painting it was definitely the right choice. It looks miles better.

[FinestGrundyTurkey]

Thank you, Bladders

It was all only done this year though, remains to be seen how it copes with wear, but I think if the banisters do get scratched and/or grubby it would be relatively straightforward to sand them lightly & put another coat on.

[Thankfulforeveryday]

Leave the banister paint the spindles?!

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

Id say leave the banister, paint the spindles.