Kenzie you have the perfect kitchen for hand-painting kitchen cabinets. You are going to be amazed at the improvement if you follow Christopher's directions. Just don't skip any steps and take your time :). You will see a little grain since your cabinets are oak, but that helps eliminate the look of brush marks also. I am one of those people who don't mind seeing the grain of oak - at least they look like real wood. I have one question for Christoper: How does the BM Impervo and Advance compare to SW Pro-Classic as far as ease of applying?? My reason for asking is that I have used the Pro-Classic on a vanity and was very impressed with the quality of the finished product - just would like to know for future projects.

Hey Bobsmyuncle I was hoping you'd come to the rescue. You gave me lots of info. to refinish a desk awhile back. I failed to complete it because I'm too chicken to use a harsh stripper. The top was the only part I got done. I'd love to take a hands on refinishing class but there's nothing like that around here. Anyhow, If I use a stripper to remove the existing finish do I need to take down the stairs? (I'm hoping you say no.) What about ventilation? Can I just open some windows and use fans? As for painting, I know my Dad took all of the stair pieces to his work and sprayed a clear coat. I don't know what it was but could find out. Just clean and 'scuff' not completely strip the protective clear coat? Thanks for the BIN suggestions. I'll use that if I ever get brave enough to try this. With the BIN after you sand, prime, is there a chance you would need to lightly sand and prime again or should one coat do it? I'm assuming there are directions on the stuff but was curious.

Gorgeous door. I had painted wood banister and woodwork in my last house. It does show scuffs. And mine was the old oil based paint so much more durable than modern. This is how I feel about painting wood - if it has great grain and looks really good, then don't paint. I don't see either situation for your woodwork, but I also like wood and am really lazy so I would not paint. As far as bang for your buck, a new window is relatively inexpensive compared to all the years of joy it could bring you. As far as dark, your dark green carpeting is not doing you any favors. I had carpeting on my stairs at my last house and stuck with it because it makes the stairs seem less dangerous if I fell down them. But I would definitely go with an indoor/outdoor close weave kind of carpet, made for heavy traffic areas. Just do the treads if you need to save money. I love the idea of wall lights, sort of like what pot lights can do only appropriate for the style of your home. Gorgeous home details, BTW. Not sure how much your budget is and how much you want to tackle. I can't see how painting your woodwork will go with the style of your house and it doesn't seem like you want that much of a redo on everything else. Why do you have your entry way rug taped down? I could see adding a larger lighter rug there to tone down the dark of that groovy floor tile.

Based on your photos it looks like you have a mish mash of some original woodwork and for whatever reason, newer, poorly scaled and installed trim. For example, in your second photo, the baseboard along the long wall to the right looks to be #2 common pine that's been stained. It looks like the door leading to the basement (which appears to have been altered in height and/or replaced at some point) was trimmed with simple 1x flat stock that has no profile whatsoever. Same goes for the window at the bottom of the stairs except it looks like someone straight cut a piece of Big Box colonial casing and nailed it on for the apron. Given all that, I think your idea is solid to paint the woodwork and leave portions of the staircase stained. You might even consider replacing the door and window trim with paint grade moldings that are appropriate for your house and are properly proportioned and installed. The newell post, balusters, railings, and skirt boards of the staircase look like untouched originals and would look terrific kept stained. If you go that route, I would recommend you wipe on your polyurethane rather than applying it with a brush. Its easier, faster and produces a finish that looks sprayed. If your desire is a satin finish, make sure your base coats are gloss and only use satin for the final layer(s). The reason being is that gloss is not only a harder and more durable finish, but it remains clear as multiple coats are applied. A finish will get muddy looking through multiple coats of satin due to the additives which dull the sheen. You can learn more about wiping on a poly finish from the website The Wood Whisperer. That's where I learned to make my own wipe on poly (easy - regular oil based poly diluted with mineral spirits - and much cheaper than buying ready mixed wipe on in a can). Back to your question. Since the baseboards in around your room appear to be mix of old and a poorly selected species for staining (pine) I'd paint them all. You won't be devaluing your home. Someone already did that when they hacked into the original trim. What you'll be doing is repairing someone else's attempts at "remuddling" and adding value. The first picture that posted by Sina would work. Depending upon their condition and how much repair they might need, I might also suggest you consider painting the stair risers (NOT treads) as well. That's a personal choice but it's a classic look and can lighten the look of the stairs. As for the door to the basement, it looks like it's been significantly altered or the original was replaced with a door that was too small. My first choice would be to replace it with a better fitting door. If that's not in the budget, and it doesn't have nice grain or is in good shape, I'd paint. It's a judgement call without seeing it in person.