Dear Jean and Richard, How do you feel about painted furniture as opposed to wood stained furniture, and do you ever mix the two? –Deloris, Waynesville

Richard: Hi Deloris, I assume you mean do we ever mix a painted piece among wood pieces or vice versa, and the answer to that is easy—All the time! In fact, I won’t say it is our trademark because every job is different, but I will say that part of a great interior design is finding a balance of complementary textures, colors, and styles, and mixing in a painted piece or two can do all of the above at once.

Jean: Deloris, don’t think of mixing different finishes or colors as something you might have to do, but rather as a great way to achieve interest and character. Even some major furniture manufacturers often offer different finishing treatments within the same collections, which emulates a designer look.

Richard: Yes, but there are certain considerations to weigh when making those design decisions. For example, was that antique chair or cabinet originally finished with paint, or was it painted in later years to cover a worn-out transparent finish? If the other pieces in the room are careworn or obviously old, you may not want your addition to look as if it has just been painted. These days they have greatly improved painted finishes, but there still are a lot of bad crackle finishes out there.

Jean: On the other hand, some styles were meant to be painted from the beginning, such as period Scandinavian furniture. The trick here is to exercise caution when mixing styles, because the piece that was painted to cover up blemishes or painted to look old may not complement the piece that was painted when it was made.

Richard: I’m confused. You’re talking authenticity issues, right? Not everyone is such a purist!

Jean: I know you’re not pure, Richard. But you have integrity, and I’m talking about the integrity of the overall design. There are no hard and fast rules. I think Deloris is better off thinking of the painted piece as an accent to the wooden pieces in the room, not as an attempt to match it to other painted pieces—or paint different pieces to match each other.

Richard: One or two painted pieces can break up the monotony of all the stained wood, including the floor.

Jean: And there are decorated pieces, such as a chest with floral patterns or a table with painted legs. Of course a little goes a long way. But they can be beautiful in the right setting.

Richard: A lot of furniture manufacturers are placing a great deal of emphasis on their painted finishes these days—some offer under-painting and “worn through” finishes with multiple colors to achieve the effect of antiquity. Often a heavily distressed piece with cracked and broken paint can carry a hefty price tag if done right, but the look is timeless.

Jean: Wow, my face must be worth a fortune!