Paint Pine Wood?

by Alma
(Knoxville, AR)

I have light tan pine tongue and groove wood throughout my house everywhere - the bath cabinets, walls, kitchen cabinets, walls behind the cabinets, and all the bedrooms and living room.

I’ve talked my husband into letting me paint the baths and kitchen and I love them now.  I hate all the other walls, but my husband loves them and says if I paint them it will hurt the resale value of the house.  All our male friends that visit our home really love the pine and tell me that I am crazy if I paint them. What do you think? I’d love your opinion.

Giorgina's Answer: I can understand your wanting to put your own personal touches on your home. Pine tongue and groove walls are not for everyone, but there is something to be said about this type of feature. The pine wood work in your home gives it a log cabin feel, which is rustic and very cozy.

Having this type of charm in your home is appealing to some people and adds visual interest to your walls because of the beauty of the pine. There are homes with the pine tongue and groove walls that also feature a river rock fireplace and this makes the overall room look extraordinary because of the combination of natural elements.

It’s these details that set your home apart from the rest and gives your home character. I would shy away from painting over these walls because of their beautiful characteristics. Perhaps you may want to consider incorporating other elements into your rooms to complement the pine tongue and groove walls. One idea is to decorate your rooms using colorful throw rugs and rustic type furniture and accessories to blend in with the lovely walls.

I hope you and your husband are able to reach a compromise.