Stain Versus Paint: Custom Furniture Makers Serving Riverside, CA Help You Decide

The great thing about wood furniture is that there are lots of ways to make it unique. You can do this by choosing a specific rare wood type that’s only common in your local area. You can add design features and flourishes that are specific to your style and taste. You also can finish the piece in a way that makes it stand out, whether that’s by choosing a unique paint color or a stain that fits your home’s aesthetic.

Stain and paint are sometimes discussed in general ways that make them seem interchangeable, but they are very different things. They have different functions, they have different effects on the wood they’re applied to, and they have different finished looks. These custom furniture makers serving Riverside, CA can finish your piece with either, but how do you decide which?

Here are some factors to consider as you’re making your decision.

The Basics—What Is Paint? What Is Stain?

You are probably most familiar with paint, and you’ve probably used it at some point or another. In the context of wood furniture, the most important thing to know about paint is that it sits on top of the wood (rather than seeping in) and can come in basically any color you can think of. In order for paint to coat the wood properly, the surface needs to be prepped and primed first, so when you paint furniture, you need two products: paint and primer. Paint also often requires multiple coats.

Stain, on the other hand, is absorbed into the wood and can either be a clear coat that naturally enhances the wood color, or it can have color to it that changes the hue of the wood. For example, you could stain birch wood a darker color so that it more closely resembles walnut. Stain is applied without primer and can usually be done in one coat.

Both give you the option to change the color of the wood, and both come in various finish styles—matte, gloss, semi-gloss, etc. The question really comes down to whether or not you want to enhance the wood of your piece or cover it and change its color entirely. Both can be stunning, and either one could be the right choice for the room.

Which Is More Protective?

This depends a little bit on which products you use and how you apply them. A properly primed and painted surface is going to be protected from UV rays and alsofrom moisture (to an extent). A stained surface isn’t as protected from sunlight and moisture unless it is also sealed with a coat of polyurethane or something similar.

If your furniture is for light indoor use, the protection factor between the two shouldn’t sway you as much unless you know you are putting your piece in direct sunlight. Custom furniture makers generally recommend that you avoid this anyway, so if the piece won’t be hit by UV rays day in and day out, the protective differences between the two are relatively minimal. That said, the one place you might want the extra protection of painted furniture is in a child’s room. We all know that children are going to spill from time to time, and most spills will not penetrate paint and ruin the wood.

Which Is More Attractive?

This is going to come down to personal preference, and it may be wise to seek advice from your custom furniture maker if you’re having a difficult time deciding. Painting furniture a particular color to match the rest of the room makes sense and can be really striking. Spend some time looking at painted furniture online and on social media—you will see some beautiful pieces that really pop in a room.

On the other hand, a stained piece will always be classic and will never go out of style. It’s no big wonder that most of the pieces you find in antique stores are stained. That look is timeless. And you don’t have to try and match a stain color to the other furniture in your home or even in a specific room. Having pieces of different tones can be a beautiful combination and can add some contrast and life into the space.

There is no bad choice here. Both paint and stain are beautiful, and both will protect the wood and help extend the life of your piece. The other piece of good news is that you can change your mind down the road if you don’t like what you’ve done or if you move into a different space and want a different look. It will take some work—you’ll have to strip the wood down to its original, chemical-free state, but it can be done.

If you are struggling to figure out whether staining or painting is the right choice for your custom piece, consult with your custom furniture makers. They are professionals and can help you work through the pros and cons of each.

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