Upgrading your home’s woodwork

Depending on your home’s age and style, you may have wood trim around your windows, doors, baseboards and ceiling. While contemporary-style homes are less likely to have extensive visible trim, some homeowners add trim to rooms for additional distinctive details. Some homeowners are accustomed to painted woodwork, but others prefer stained wood for a natural look. We asked the following experts for advice: Annie Elliott, owner of Annie Elliott Design in Washington, D.C.; and Charlotte Donati, an account manager with Wilderworks, a home services division of Anthony Wilder

Design Build in Cabin John, Maryland. They replied by email, and their responses were edited.

Q: Should you paint stained woodwork? Are there instances when you shouldn’t paint stained woodwork?

Elliott: I disagree when people say, “Under no circumstances should you paint your stained woodwork!” A friend of mine even had two painters refuse to paint her stained ceiling and beams. I don’t think there should be rules about painting or not painting trim, even in older homes. If you like stained woodwork — and/or if you want to remain true to your Victorian or Arts & Crafts house — then fine, leave it alone. But if you purchase a house with dark trim that is depressing you, I absolutely support painting it. (I recommend a highgloss finish.) Remember that not all historic homes have stained woodwork; the trim colors in Colonial Williamsburg are fabulous. In newbuild homes, stained trim absolutely is up for grabs. You don’t have to live with someone else’s selections.

Donati: It’s all contingent on if you’re trying to keep a historical profile. Older homes tend to have a higher quality of stained woodwork; it’s easier to get away with painting woodwork in a newer build.

Q: Does stained woodwork date a home?

Elliott: I believe it can, especially if the house was built in the 1970s or 1980s and the trim isn’t great quality. A skimpy stained chair rail can

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