To paint or not to paint

[Mumstheword1983]

Moved home. About to have this room decorated, new flooring to bring it up to date. Big question. Should we paint the woodwork white or leave it as the original wood skirting boards and door surrounds?

Images.

Finally!

Don't ask me about fashion, but I've always like the look of well treated wood. Everybody has white skirting etc, dare to be different!

Thanks I appreciate it. I've had mixed opinions from friends so I'm conflicted. It's good quality however so many people just go white!

I have natural wooden windowsills but all architrave & skirting has been painted white, maybe that 🤷🏼‍♀️

What colour are you painting the walls OP?

I've painted the woodwork in my sitting room the same colour as the walls (a soft olive green colour). I think it's called colour drenching to paint it all the same. It's soooo restful. https://www.farrow-ball.com/how-to-guide/design/colour-drenching

What period is the house? It looks fairly modern to me and the skirting and architrave are simple. I'd probably paint them with white satinwood tbh.

It was built in 1992. Not an old house. Thanks for the thoughts so far. I am taking all be options in 😊

We haven't decided. I want to modernise it. I like the woodwork but I feel it will still be dated if I don't do something with it. I do like this idea.

Paint paint paint.

Like @SeaAndStars we've colour-drenched a few rooms (which we first tried at a previous house before it became a thing, after I was inspired by a period house I'd seen in a TV drama). We have used deep, saturated colours which is our preference - for example, our second bedroom is colour-drenched in F&B De Nimes, our dining room in Edward Bulmer Pompadour and the snug is currently being painted Edward Bulmer Nicaragua - but it looks equally good with lighter tones. Amongst others, we used F&B Setting Plaster to colour-drench the bathroom at our last house and a cream (Craig & Rose Pale Oak) in the kitchen.

Colour-drenching isn't for everyone, but imo it can make a space feel larger and less 'choppy' than having walls and woodwork in different colours. It can definitely give a more restful appearance as @SeaAndStars says! I'm not a fan of white joinery anyway though 😆

I detest white skirting boards. The amount of CLEANING they need!

I'd paint them as they look very dated.

I'd also be getting the ceiling skimmed as that pattern also really dates the room badly.

Paint! They’re very orangey wood and I’m not sure sanding and staining/varnishing could tone that down. They’re very orangey orange would make some colours look a bit off.
you could always colour drench the room and paint the woodwork the same as the walls.

I’d leave them as I like the look of wood and it will be a pain to paint them for ever more. White woodwork yellows quite quickly so will need repainting every few years.
I’d paint the door the same colour as the walls or at least a softer colour than the white so it toned with the wooden surround more. Or even better, replace the doors with some natural wooden ones.

Paint it. I think it looks very 90's and dated. If you're modernising everything else, it will look even more old and tired once that's all done.

Edit to add, if you have the budget for it, I'd also overboard and skim that ceiling.

Paint them. That orange wood tone is so dated-it’s cheap soft wood, different if it was something like oak, but it screams 1990s

What sort of wood is it?

Personally I would paint pine, but leave oak, as it's a tough beautiful wood.

The ceiling is being skimmed tomorrow 😃

Yes the ceiling is th first thing to go 🤣

I really don't know. The decorator said it's good quality and I should leave it but I don't know if he just doesn't want to have to paint it.

Leave the wood as it is. Trends come and go, and painting them will mean more maintenance.

Close up. It's all through the house. All 5 bedrooms 😵‍💫

Paint them. They have that 80s or 90s look.

Absolutely everywhere.