By Valerie Spelman of theHomeandGardenStylist.com

If you are afraid to paint perfectly good wood furniture, reconsider!  

The following photos illustrate how good quality stained wood furniture can go from boring to beautiful in a matter of hours.

In my work as a decorator, I occasionally cross paths with clients who want light, bright and airy interiors, but they are held back by their drab wood grained furniture and cabinetry.

Melissa is a big proponent of painted wood, but her rule is that if the wood grain is beautiful, it shouldn’t be painted.

We both agree that all woods are NOT created equal!

She tried to keep me from painting this clock, which is a family heirloom!  I had a vision, though.  She has since admitted I did the right thing.

People get hooked on the idea that they will devalue their furniture and antiques if they paint them, but it depends on the furniture or antique.  An antique’s real value is whatever someone is willing to pay.

Why hang onto a piece of furniture that doesn’t bring you joy and doesn’t bring you closer to your decorating vision?  Even Monet had painted furniture in his home, which was surely made of lovely grained wood.

Not every piece should be painted, but if your furniture is not making your home sing, think about it!

Carved furniture often looks great when painted white.  Compare the painted carving at the top of this armoire to the carving on the unpainted “before” picture.  The unpainted version looks dated, but see how fresh and charming the painted version looks?  I love how the painted pulls turned out, too.

To achieve this finish, I started with an allover coat of Zinsser primer, even on the hardware, and then applied a few coats of waterbased latex paint.  Once the paint was cured, I rubbed the edges and carvings with very fine sandpaper (I used whatever I had in the garage, maybe 220 grit) to draw attention to the details and give the furniture personality.