Burning Question: Furniture Finishes?
From rich espresso tables and chairs to glossy white painted chests, which furniture finishes do you think have the most staying power?
Are there any that you think are undeniably timeless? Which do you think are already dated? And which ones do you predict will be totally “out” in a decade, even if they’re extremely popular right now? Feel free to weigh in. In fact we whipped up this handy little poll to keep everything tabulated… but we’d also love to hear more about what you love (and what you predict will be oh-so out) in the comment section.
[poll id="3"]
Image courtesy of Ethan Allen.
Leave a comment
If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
While I’m loving white furniture now I don’t think it is as classic as dark toned furniture. I can see it becoming less popular in a years time.
While I love dark wood tones, I always struggle with how to pair different furniture finishes to avoid being too matchy matchy. Does anyone have any suggestions on what kind of finishes pair the best together? Or for example if I had some black finishes in one part of my house do I have to use black finishes throughout the house or is it ok to use dark brown wood tones in other places?
Absolutely, as long as you have a few pieces in each finish within that area so nothing looks like the sore thumb or the mismatched item in the space! Here’s a post all about mixing and matching furniture so it doesn’t look too matchy-matchy or too hodge-podge: http://www.younghouselove.com/2009/04/email-answer-match-point/
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I like a variety of finishes! Some white, some colorful, some black… depends on the piece and where it is. I don’t think there’s one kind of finish that will stick around as popular for the next decade. I mean, wood is always in but only certain stain colors are “in” at a time.
I hope what survives the test of time is the choice to combine woods in any given room. Dark finishes with grey-washed finishes, etc. Some predict white is already on its way out but I have pieces that I truly love and that’s what matters to me. When all this really comes to bite you is when you get ready to sell your property, down the line. That’s when you might hear words like the need to “update” which could mean storing that lime green coffee table or heaven forbid, hide that golden oak dining table!
I think wood tone furniture will always be timeless. But I have both dark tone furniture and white furniture and I love both. I do think that the white will at some point will be outdated, right along with the washed out pastel colors, but I’m loving them now and I will enjoy them for now. But you can always look at Black & White furniture as timeless too I guess. It’s a similar color that isn’t overstated in anyway. I think I will have my white furniture for awhile. ;-)
So what is Sherry & John’s prediction for the trend?
Hmm, we hate trends so we don’t care. We say just buy what you love! As for us, we love white painted furnishings mixed with deep espresso wood so that’s what we buy. And we like the occasional painted piece with some color- like the soft green bookcase that we have in our living room… just to break things up a bit.
xo,
s
I think despite the fact that I do love the dark wood tones, I think white is really timeless and classic. Just look at kitchen trends. No matter what decade it is, there are always white cabinets somewhere in the mix.
I love a well thought out mix of wood finishes. While it may not be easy to do, I think a tasteful mix will give the most timeless appeal.
Making sure that you collect things you love over time (or at least appearing that way), rather than making everything matchy-matchy is a good rule of thumb while picking out furniture.
I meant to write “It’s a simply color that isn’t overtated in anyway.”
I can’t pick just one, it depends so much on the rest of the room!
I like a variety too. My dining room, for example, has a light color on the wall and light flooring plus a white sideboard and a painted white plant stand. This all makes the dark wood table and table wood/leather parsons chairs just pop. The rest of my house has a variety too.
But I think wood tones are timeless, especially medium and dark. Painted finishes, especially in bright colors, are going to go in and out as tastes change. I have no problem painting furniture to suit my tastes, unless it’s good wood. Then I probably won’t touch it unless it’s been damaged or something. The operative phrase is “my tastes.” I don’t care if the rest of the world thinks it’s out as long as I like it!
I love painted wood – but my boyfriend HATES it. For our new home, I’m redoing a bunch of furniture, but he will only allow painted wood in the spare bedroom. I’m hoping one day I can talk him into a painted cabinet like this one in the photo. WHERE is that from? It’s amazing. I love that it appears a bit off white. It would fit in with our antique style perfectly.
Thanks!
Erin at YAYDIY.com
Hey Erin,
Check out the bottom of the post for the photo credit. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
We’re buying a house and new furniture to go with it, so this is something that has been on our mind. We are going to get a dark coffee table, but will probably get white or even black end tables, and hope it looks okay. I don’t want everything to be so matchy!
I actually think that the dark wood and colors will be out in a few years… but hey i’m no interior designer.
i just refinished a desk i found on the street in a similar way as you refinished the dresser for your nursery! I did the reverse though, The base and drawers were painted white and the desk top was stained a rich medium toned chestnut color. I find that medium toned woods tend to blend together better than dark tones with a medium tone, so i tend to stick to the lighter end of the spectrum! I’ll send over some before and after pics once i put the new hardware on my desk!
“Espresso” finishes look dated to me. I wasn’t a fan to begin with though!
Love this post..and the linked one! I love that you addressing my current design dilemma. We are working on our nursery right now and have a natural honey color finish for the crib and changing table (like you, we were concerned about safety for our little one so my dad built the furniture to pieces we loved at PB Kids and Land of Nod, but finished it with ultra safe products for the little bambino). My question is are there rules as to which wood types go with what? I’d love to incorporate a white bookshelf and/or white frames and shelves to go with our navy/leaf green/white palette. How do you feel about mixing white with wood? Thank you in advance!
Hey Katie,
Here’s a post all about mixing and matching furniture so it doesn’t look too matchy-matchy or too hodge-podge: http://www.younghouselove.com/2009/04/email-answer-match-point/
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I really like a variety of finishes! I think it gives a room character.
Personally, I like medium tones because they are timeless. However, I am also becoming a fan of espresso finishes (though I think they might just be a trend right now). When it comes to white finishes, I think it will never be more than a fad. When I see a person paint beautiful wood like oak or mahogany a terribly sterile white, I cry a little inside. It is just my opinion, but I feel if you are going to paint wood white, use cheap pine that has little character to begin with.
All of my furniture is dark brown or black. I always thought dark brown/espresso was timeless. My mom made business of refinishing furniture. It was a joke for a while that my mom would paint white and shabby chic anything you left lying around. I think that made me want similar looking furniture in my own home, but maybe it is time to buy out of my comfort zone!
BTW, happy birthday Sherry! I saw your husbands very sweet note on Facebook :)
I think the poll is spot on…I voted for deep tones. When I invest in a piece, it’s usually a dark brown color. The casegoods in my common areas are black right now, but only one piece is an investment piece. The rest are items that will one day be passed along or given the charity…or painted to fit whatever style takes over my brain next.
I just love the way light birch wood lights up a room,as I have a dark house.I dont think light wood tones will ever be out of style. And nothing looks so good with orange and yellow and lime and its the compliment of turquoise.To me, light wood tones light up a house and make it glow.
My husband & I mostly gravitate towards the rich espresso look, with some white to break it up.
My question is about the matching window treatments: Sherry (or John) do you think dark espresso bamboo wood binds look too dark with the breezy white Ikea curtain panels? I know your bamboo blinds are much lighter in colour…
Hey Andrea,
No way, they look dramatic and lovely! Definitely go for it!
xo,
s
I love the west elm chairs in this picture. I stalked them when they were in stock, waiting for them to go on sale, and by the time I was ready to pounce they were gone. If anyone has seen a modern ladderback chair in white like these, please let me know!
I’m a fan of the ‘modge podge’ look myself, with lots of different finishes in a room. But, I do also love bright colored pieces, but I can never bring myself to paint real wood unless it is in terrible shape. (Like my kitchen chairs were when I got them), now I have a bright apple green one with green upholstered seat, and a bright red one with pink upholstered seat.
While I like the look of things like bright glossy white or black they don’t fit with my style.
I’m starting to prefer lighter woods with a bit of visible grain again (eek not all the way to oak or knotty pine though!)
Espresso finishes and overly dark wood are beginning to look so dated, so “of a time,” now.
a medium brown with limited red seems to be a quiet classic.
I’m a fan of the dark wood tones. Most of the furniture in our house is a dark espresso or mahogany color. It seems to me that finishes go in and out of style and eventually come back again. I think it just depends on the trends. As for lasting value, if you pick something you love, that’s what matters. We all have different opinions on style.
i choose black painted furniture. yum. i predict that shabby will soon be making an exit. although it has held on for a very long time. and, love the new turquoise but can you say “in one minute out the next?”
Personally, I like to mix my furniture finishes. I think it looks like it has been collected over time (and most of mine has) but I prefer that look – kind of a pared down version of English countryside. If the furniture is blah or the finish is in bad shape, I paint it. Usually go with a black but more of a satin finish instead of glossy. That being said, I am thinking of painting an old piece with a pop of pale turquoise to make it stand out in my sunroom. Most everything in there is off white but I use red, black and the pale turquoise in the accessories so I think one small piece that color will look OK. If I tire of it, it will go black. I agree with you guys, if you love the piece then it really doesn’t matter.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHERRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think sometimes the style dates something faster than the color. But after 10 years I’m thinking my bedroom furniture (that I thought was timeless) is starting to feel “dated”. It is that knotty pine Fontana furniture from Broyhill. I like it okay still, but I can see where someone might think it is “dated”.
I absolutely love wood stained dark (or painted a dark tone) but I decided to refinish a pair of vintage side tables bright white for my living room which I receive a lot of comments on but I’m sure in 10 years the color will be outdated. I am hoping dark woods will always stays in style but am excited to see what would be considered in style in the future.
My dad and I recently got into a little “discussion” about this. I’ve been painting some old pieces of furniture they passed down to me, and he’s been bristling at the thought of painted wood. (I believe he even went so far as to recommend such painting be deemed a crime!) :) Tastes will always be different, be it the individual or the generation. I agree with Sherry & John — just do what you love. You’re the one who lives there!
Happy Birthday Sherry!
My thought is that white will stick around for quite some time, but that the really dark stains that are popular today (along with the exotic woods, like zebrawood) will become dated much faster.
Black lacquer should never see the light of day again
I love dark woods, and have a lot of it. But a fresh coat of white paint also does me in! I think wood will always be in style, but what one generation loves, may not appeal to another… and of course what appeals in one area of the world, may not in another! But so much is ‘acceptable’ now, and with the internet tastes are becoming so much more universal it’s hard to guess what might not be so en vogue in a decade. If I had to, I’d put money on whitewashing and light tints being the first to fall to the wayside.
We are drawn to the darker woods – espresso-colored furniture is in our bedroom and living room. However, our daughter’s room has white furniture, and our dining room table/chairs/hutch set is traditional and cherry (and a family heirloom). I love the mix!
I vote for medium wood tones that highlight the grain of the wood for being the most timeless. But I do have a variety of tones of wood in my house – most of it falls in the “medium” category rather than light or dark.
I have coffee-stained oak floors in my house and its amazing how much the stain brings out the grain in the wood – when the light hits it, it almost glimmers.
Happy Birthday Sherry!
Hi Guys-
Love your blog by the way! I have to say that I’m totally into the really glossy/lacquered look right now, which I consider to be somewhat Hollywood Regency-ish. I don’t really think that this will ever go OUT of style, but I think that the most staying power resides with antiqued finishes. People love antiques, myself included, and with the go-green movement everyone has really jumped on board with repurposing. I think that movement is here to stay.
~Rachel~
This is a tough one! I noticed we can choose more than one in the poll!
I actually am finding myself drawn to the birch/bamboo color. Not sure how that’s going to pan out, as I haven’t actually BOUGHT anything that color…. We just put down hardwood floors ourselves, and went with a color called “merlot oak” b/c it was heavily discounted. I am wishing we’d gone with the light color – partly b/c of my growing love for it, but mostly b/c these dark floors show every puppy pawprint!
Grey has been my fav color since middle school so I do have that grey console from Ikea.
I think the shabby chic look is out just b/c the trends seem to be leaning towards clean, modern lines.
I’m always very behind the times and what’s more, am having a hard time convincing Beloved Husband that our pine has to go (or get painted) in favor of darker tones. He hates dark wood and I’m worried that if I push hard for it, I will find it’s out of date within a couple of years and he’ll be doing that told you so thing with his eyebrows :)
Happy Birthday, Sherry! The coming year will bring quite a few changes for you!
I wanted to add that, no matter what, having quality solid wood furniture allows you to change with the looks just by refinishing your own stuff. I bought a coffee table when I was in high school b/c I LOVED it. That thing was with me for 12 years and always was a different color.
Sherry, I’m with you. Who cares about trends; just buy (or create!) the things that you love. I recently refinished a china cabinet in shiny white, which was sort of blasphemous in my family, but we’re happy with the results (well, mostly…).
http://rookiemistakesandbeginnersluck.wordpress.com/2010/02/26/transforming-the-china-cabinet/
Happy birthday, Sherry!
As much as I love dark wood stains, I think they’ll cycle out of popularity over the next decade, as everything seems to come and go.
I’m always drawn to darker, more dramatic looks in my wood. My bedroom is a deep, dark espresso finish and my living room has all black furniture (coffee table, desk, tv stand, etc). I tend to go light on bedding and fabric choices (curtians, sofa color) so I like the darker wood for a balance.
While I love dark stained furniture, I also love white, colored, and weathered soft grays and other muted colors. I guess it depends on the room. I don’t really like medium tones, but then again it depends. This is a hard question!
I am drawn to many shades but they mostly fall in the dark espresso, white, and bold painted pops of color. I like the layered look in a house so I am not wedded to any one look in particular. I hope this bodes well for me as styles change overtime. My opinion, however, is that dark espresso wood is a fad and will fall out of favor at some point (does that mean I will regret my dark wood choices? Probably not; I like it!). I just don’t see white going out of style at any time. It’s truly a classic. I predict cherry stained wood will never be a trend but will always be timeless.
Only 9% on the bold and beautiful?
I think I am definitely a combination of three. I like the crisp, clean white or an antigue white or cream with darker contrasts. But then I also need an accent color.
So really, I’m just indecisive.
Hi Sherry and John! I have a burning question (burning!!) but not sure where to ask it, so I’m going to ask here in the comments! Maybe you can help me…
I have fallen in love with the Peridot bedding at Serena and Lily. (Here’s a link with a picture: http://www.serenaandlily.com/Bedding/Bedding-Luxe-Peridot-Collection )
I love the blue/green colors, the geometric and yet kind of floral shapes, and the tiny bit of gold metallic accent.
But… No way can we afford it!
So my burning question is this: How can I find something very similar that’s within my budget?
I’d love it if you have any suggestions on how to find a brand with a similar style, or even a very specific suggestion that you’ve seen somewhere. So far I’m just browsing online for the last few weeks and mourning that I can’t afford the very, very pretty Serena and Lily stuff.
Thanks for your help, and have a good weekend!
Amanda
Hey Amanda,
We would try Pinecone Hill or The Company Store or even eBay. And places like Marshalls and Home Goods might work too. Anyone else have any ideas? Of course you could always buy similar fabric and sew something yourself. Happy hunting…
xo,
s
What’s in, out, or timeless is immaterial to me. What is important is that you can’t see the dust! Hence, I tend to like light colored finishes with wood texture. My absolute favorite is antique Swedish pine.
Hi! I personally have a lot of dark wood and some white/cream pieces, which I love. I think dark brown, black and white pieces are so popular because they can be affordable.
But it seems to me that more “investment” items should be a mid-tone brown stain, for longevity’s sake. I see so many trends, but a “traditional” home with antique sideboards, end tables, etc. will never look dated to me. Just unattainable.:)
And you guys hate trends, really? That surprises me. In this line of work, you’re so immersed in trends/decorating/shopping that it’s hard to avoid some osmosis there.
I’d like my personal style to be timeless (for me) but trends will always sneak in there a little bit.
Hey Kim,
We’re definitely influenced by changing design trends and styles but we’re never ones to get rid of something because it’s “so done” or snatch something up because it’s “so in.” Does that make sense? I think it comes from not having any formal interior design training. We just want everyone to buy what they love and what speaks to them- because that’s what we did to accidentally and semi-effortlessly end up in our dream home. There was nothing studied or formal about it. We sort of have a learn as we go approach. Hope it helps!
xo,
s