What Is It With Men…and Wood?
I’m working on my table today, and Matt and I seem to be having a bit of a difference of opinion. It’s not one that I’m unfamiliar with. In fact, I see it almost every time a client’s husband gets involved in the decorating process. It’s that unspoken (but very evident) opinion that wood is sacred. The more grain that shows, the better. And certainly, you should never, ever, EVER, consider painting wood because paint will cover up that “beautiful” grain.
Uugghhh…
Case in point…our table. Here’s how we differ:
Matt said to me, “What’s the point in having a wood table if you’re just going to cover up the beautiful wood grain?”
I answered, “I DO want SOME of the grain to show. I just don’t want my table looking a zebra died on it.”
(F.Y.I.–There are times when I DO actually like wood grain, but it’s generally with exotic woods, such as…well…zebrawood. Now THAT’S beautiful!)
I remember having a similar conversation when I purchased my unfinished cabinets at Home Depot. The person helping me was a man, and the conversation went something like this:
Him: Oh, these cabinets are going to be really nice once they’re finished. What stain are you going to use on them?
Me: I’m not going to stain them, I’m going to paint them.
Him: Paint!? You’re going to paint these?!
Me: Yep, I sure am.
Him: Oh, I just hate to see you paint these and cover up that beautiful grain in the wood.
Me: Well, yeah…that’s oak…and that a lot of grain. That’s not beautiful to me. I’m going to paint them a beautiful shade of greenish blue in high quality oil-based paint with a satin finish. Now that will be beautiful!
He stood there looking at me as if I’d lost my mind.
Perhaps I have, but I just know what I like, and I know that I do NOT like lots of grain showing in the wood. And right about now, I’m kicking myself for using oak on my table top.
As a side note, you’ll also notice that the grain of the wood is running the width of the table instead of the length. lol…Yep, that’s what happens when you hand the dimensions to the Home Depot wood-cutting guy, and then you wander off into lala land, not paying any attention, and leave the wood-cutting guy to his own devices. Oh well, I’ll make do.
Hope you’re having a great weekend!
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
I have the same problem with my husband!!!
I stumbled across your blog and had to comment…3 years ago my husband and I took the big plunge and built a new home. This was at a custom home-building company and before they ever start building, all the decisions on finishes have to be definite and final. The man (again, a man) who was helping us with the design was going through the checklist…"OK…so you'll be wanting oak cabinnets and woodwork, and" "WAIT!!" I cried…"I don't want oak." He looked at me like I was crazy. I HATE oak…I don't like the woodgrain and it looks cheap. I really threw them for a loop. Out in our rural area, nobody had gotten the clue that there was something other than oak for cabinets. They hesitantly went along with my plan for very dark, cherry cabinets and dark, espresso floors and trim. Someday, I may tire of all that dark wood, but alas…I'll just be like you and whip out my paintbrush and paint right over it!! Your husband will probably eventually get to be like mine…he just lets me make all the design decisions and I let him buy the cars!
Why can't men appreciate a subtle wood grain! I think it looks beautiful the way you like it.
I love to paint wood with bold colors because you can always repaint, but you-know-who doesn't believe you should paint wood at all. I vote for your non-zebra version, if that counts for anything! 😉
Hey, your pic won't load all the way… all I can see is what "Matt likes" — perhaps, it's because I'm a guy… still, the horizontal grain is a bit much. Thanks for your quippy writing, Kristi. Great stuff!
I agree with you 100%. Matt's choice is way too much. I love the darker wood and it makes the direction of the grain not so noticeable. Remind Matt that you are the decorator and do your thing. 🙂
Thanks for the humorous post. It does seem that a number of guys prefer wood grains over painted wood, doesn't it?
Thanks for the humorous post. It does seem that a number of guys prefer wood grains over painted wood, doesn't it?
Hey, your pic won't load all the way… all I can see is what "Matt likes" — perhaps, it's because I'm a guy… still, the horizontal grain is a bit much. Thanks for your quippy writing, Kristi. Great stuff!
I stumbled across your blog and had to comment…3 years ago my husband and I took the big plunge and built a new home. This was at a custom home-building company and before they ever start building, all the decisions on finishes have to be definite and final. The man (again, a man) who was helping us with the design was going through the checklist…"OK…so you'll be wanting oak cabinnets and woodwork, and" "WAIT!!" I cried…"I don't want oak." He looked at me like I was crazy. I HATE oak…I don't like the woodgrain and it looks cheap. I really threw them for a loop. Out in our rural area, nobody had gotten the clue that there was something other than oak for cabinets. They hesitantly went along with my plan for very dark, cherry cabinets and dark, espresso floors and trim. Someday, I may tire of all that dark wood, but alas…I'll just be like you and whip out my paintbrush and paint right over it!! Your husband will probably eventually get to be like mine…he just lets me make all the design decisions and I let him buy the cars!
I have the same problem with my husband!!!