papercutpanic
stranger
Reged: 02/05/2009
Posts: 17
Loc: Edinburgh
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Hi,
My bigger half and I have recently bought a flat in a Victorian tenement and are in the process of decorating it. We are having a bit of trouble agreeing on what to do with the original wood doors in the hall (see pics below)
I had hoped to paint the walls a mid/light grey and the wood doors and surrounds an off white to lighten up the hall and create a much more open space.
My bigger half would like to keep the wood doors  and worries that painting them would affect the value of the property (although this is our home and not a flat we are decorating to sell on).
I love original wood and we're certainly not short of it in the flat. We plan to have the original wood flooring throughout the flat sanded and varnished back to its original glory. We also have quite a few pieces of wood furniture.
So...I just wanted to throw it out there and see what other people think as it may help us to get an outsider's perspective.
Finding the right shade of grey is hard enough without considering how it fits with the colour of the wood so if anyone has any references or has done something similar, your thoughts would be greatly appreciated too.
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www.papercutpanic.com
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susan14
Supreme being
Reged: 05/12/2007
Posts: 5321
Loc: in a christmas countdown!
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great doors but I would paint, wooden doors are really dated now (I have some) ...unless of course you have kids when painted doors will tend to get chipped and scuffed too easily....we have compromised with upstairs doors painted because they get less abuse and downstairs left wooden.
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www.cushlab.co.uk
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lindsay
veteran
Reged: 06/09/2007
Posts: 1486
Loc: here or there
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definitely paint them.
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www.somethingsthat.wordpress.com
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Mae
old hand
Reged: 07/03/2008
Posts: 790
Loc: pastures new
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Definately paint them, it will make a huge difference and will show off the flooring rather than compete with it. Painted woodwork and doors will not devalue the property at all.
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Hmmm...work in progress!
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susan14
Supreme being
Reged: 05/12/2007
Posts: 5321
Loc: in a christmas countdown!
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painting them will also lighten and enlarge the space massively......
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www.cushlab.co.uk
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papercutpanic
stranger
Reged: 02/05/2009
Posts: 17
Loc: Edinburgh
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Thanks for all your thoughts.
Susan - we don't have any kids but I'm pretty accident prone so I'm likely to be the one bumping into the doors!
Mae - Completely agree about the wood doors competing with the flooring.
This is definitely building a good case for painting them.
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www.papercutpanic.com
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griffo68
Supreme being
Reged: 13/09/2006
Posts: 8606
Loc: ...in a galaxy far far away
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I would definitely paint them!
It will completely change the space, lighten it up hugely and make it look wider.
Far too much wood and I don't like the fact that the panels look like a darker wood.
I totally agree that they are competing with the floorboards.
I would paint the doors and then see if the door frames and skirting should also be painted.
Good luck! 
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http://www.obsessilicious.blogspot.com/
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MadeGood
addict
Reged: 10/12/2008
Posts: 527
Loc: League of Gentleman Country
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Hi a little photo trickery to help...  
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www.made-good.com
http://members.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=made--good
http://made-good.blogspot.com/
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Queenie
newbie
Reged: 09/08/2007
Posts: 43
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I would definitely paint too. The white paint would look lovely and crisp against the grey. I am SO evious of your flat - what a great space... wide hallways and high ceilings...
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papercutpanic
stranger
Reged: 02/05/2009
Posts: 17
Loc: Edinburgh
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Made Good - it was too good of you to create mock up visuals. Thank you for letting me see a comparison thought. There's such a big different to the overall look.
Qeenie - I look forward to posting many before and after pics of the flat. It is a great space and I hope I can do it justice.
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www.papercutpanic.com
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lbm
stranger
Reged: 04/03/2007
Posts: 14
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In case it wasn't already clear... paint!
My previous home had wood and my current home has paint - the paint is so much more fresh and modern regardless of the age of the home.
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Eames
Supreme being
Reged: 12/06/2007
Posts: 5301
Loc: Once Upon A Time
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Can I be the one voice of dissent here? But with a proviso...
Are the wooden doors varnished or is that the original wood colour? If they are varnished then I would have them dipped to take them back as they look abit orange in the above pics. However, if that IS the bare wood I would paint as it's not a great colour....or possibly stain. Although I love painted doors and skirting to match (ahem, Mr Griffo...!)I think in this case they look lovely as is and once the walls and floor are sorted with the addition of a runner/rug they won't look too overpowering. Seeing MG's mock-up (brilliant idea, MG!) makes me even more certain. There's something abit generic about the white painted finish that takes away from the period feel of the house.
Mind you, they would probably look lovely in something like FB's Downpipe, too....oh dear, not being very helpful, am I? LOL.
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http://humanamusementsathourlyrates.blogspot.com/
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saranextdoor
addict
Reged: 12/06/2009
Posts: 488
Loc: a big comfy chair with choccy!
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Hi, Loving the wood floor, I think paint the doors and leave the frames and skirting bare wood, then it wouldn't be too white, and you wouldn't lose all of the character.
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siane
Carpal \'Tunnel
Reged: 23/11/2006
Posts: 2683
Loc: Waiting for spring
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I think paint. The colour of the doors is just too orange and if you leave the skirting and frames unpainted it will look odd. But I also think don't go for white for the doors - what about a toning or contrasting grey? Or one of the sludgy, toning F&B shades (not too dark) to complement the grey? Or paint them the same colour as the walls, but a different finish - gloss against matt? White doors just remind me of those cheap ready-painted panelled doors you see in B&Q and always find in new-build showhomes.
Edited by siane (06/07/2009 20:21)
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papercutpanic
stranger
Reged: 02/05/2009
Posts: 17
Loc: Edinburgh
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thanks for all your thoughts. I'm now awaiting the delivery of paint samples in a myriad of greys. I'll make sure I post the results when it's done.
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www.papercutpanic.com
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