Mid-Century Design Question
The other day I received a question from reader Mary on the East Coast. Mary purchased a 1970s post-and-beam mid-century in New Jersey and needs some interior design advice from a mid-century expert. Here is her question:
Dear Take Sunset:
Love your website and wondered if you might be able to give me a little advice on a Mid-Century Modern house I recently purchased? We have an early 1970s Mid-Century Modern post and beam Deck House based on a late 1960s design by William Berkes. We are desperate to find someone who can advise on whether painting out the wood tongue and groove ceilings will decrease the value or ruin the historical integrity of the house for future resale. We have looked at all the examples on your site and it seems post and beam ceilings are often painted out, however the key is for the ceiling to flow seamlessly into the eaves of the roof (which in this case is wood.) The interior of the house desperately needs to be lightened up and we would love to paint the ceilings white but we are purists at heart so we don’t want to ruin the place! Oh, one more thing, is it a total architectural faux pas to paint the lower floor out white and leave the main floor with the wooden ceilings?
Here are some ideas we are considering:
1) Paint all the trim, walls & the brick fireplace white and leave the ceilings natural.
2) Do the above but also whitewash the floors to eliminate the “sandwich effect” of the dark floors and dark ceiling.
3) Leave the exposed wood on the upper floor as described above but paint the lower floor’s tongue and groove ceilings white, leaving the beams dark, and putting in a cork floor (the dark beams on the lower floor extend out the window so this would allow the indoor/outdoor aesthetic to be retained but lighten up the lower ceilings).Any additional ideas would be most welcome!
Mary
The ceiling in question:
So I ask you readers, what would you advise to Mary? Please leave your thoughts in the comments section. Thanks!
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15 Responses to “Mid-Century Design Question”
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Although I used to feel it’s a sin to paint over stained wood, I think it’s quite acceptable for mid-century homes. The wood ceiling doesn’t look to be premium wood. Lot of knots and not a clean grain. Meaning, I think that the decision to paint or not to paint was a purely cosmetic decision left to the homeowner and not a design element. I say paint it white – maybe leave the beams dark.
Thanks for your response! I am happy to hear you think painting the ceiling out white is the right way to go as that is the way we have been leaning. What do you think about painting the brick fireplace– leave it natural or paint it white as well? Thanks again!
I’ll play Devil’s Advocate on the ceiling. I would not paint it. EVER. I think painting your ceilings white is going to cause a disconnect between your indoor/outdoor flow. You have a nice, elegant post and beam from the exterior photo I’ve seen with some great organic assets: natural wood ceilings, wood siding. Painting your ceiling out will create an inorganic (higher maintenance, less environmentally friendly) surface, and even if you painted your exterior underhangs the same color it’d still create I believe I ‘cheaper’ look. I think it would be a bit glaring in what looks like a beautiful, natural setting.
Here are a few options to lighten things up without hiding what looks like a big material and design feature of your house, natural wood tongue and groove ceilings:
1. Paint Your Fireplace – The brick is a little Ye Olde, and is not laid in a modern style. Your room would lighten up a lot painting it out a light-ish, yet not glaringly light, color both inside and outside.
2. Paint Your Casement Windows – I noticed you have what looks like wooden casement windows. Painting just the casement windows a crisp white, but leaving the framing dark brown would create visual accents on the exterior, and from inside would visually open up your views.
3. De-Lacquer Your Tongue and Groove Ceiling – It looks like it has a high gloss sheen, which can communicate country cottage more than mid-century modern. You could have your ceilings de-lacquered to create a matte, natural finish. And, when it’s free of sheen, you could leave it plain, seal it with a clear matte (environmentally friendly water-based finish), or stain it with a semi-transparent stain to lighten the wood yet still leaving it beautifully organic with visible woodgrain. There are a range of great semi-transparent stains. Just remember, whatever you do on your interior ceilings, should happen outside as well.
I have to say I disagree with the previous comment’s downplay of knotty pine not being premium. I’ve seen a lot of ‘premium’ woods with witch I’d never want to live. Knotty pine can be beautiful. Just because it’s a fast growing, less expensive wood does not void of it any aesthetic value. In my humble opinion, you have a real asset in your ceilings never having been painted. I’d like for you to stick with them.
Cheers.
Oh, the humanity! The unique ceiling is gorgeous as is!!
I would not paint white. Would strip and stain an off-white, therefore lightening and softening. The ceiling color would then pick up the color of the grout in the fireplace creating a smooth downward flow. I am a decorator who specializes in traditional design concepts and can therefore not claim this to be authentic for mid-century. However, it would be beautiful and have a natural feeling.
At all costs, avoid anything chalk-white.
Thanks for all the great responses. You have given us a lot of food for thought!
I have the same type of house Mary. My deckhouse was built in the late 70s and it looks extremely similar to yours, I’m in Pa. Our layout, unlike most I find online, has the fireplace in the front rather than the middle of the house. We love our ceilings and where I did briefly consider painting them I think I’ve gotten over it. I agree with the person that said it would ruin the indoor/outdoor flow. It’s really hard to disconnect the inside with the outside in these houses.
Good luck!
-Jenn
Mary,
Please call or email us – we can email you a copy of the suggested paint and stain guide for you Deck House.
We also sell replacement parts for Deck House’s too.
Does anyone know what type of wood is normally used in MCM wood ceilings? Or is it free reign as long as it’s tongue and groove? Also, any recommendations on where to buy?
In the Pacific Northwest you will typically find western red cedar used for MCM wood ceilings. You can find the material at any of your local lumber yards.
John
Please don’t paint the ceiling. I long for a special home with wood work. White ceilings are for cheap condos and apartments (like where I live).
Hi There… Just stumbled on this while checking out the “renewed” Deck house firm. (I knew Bill Berkes, and he did an addition on a Techbuilt I owned, and have owned other Decks too.)
Re: painting your ceiling…(which I’m sure you might have done by now), my thoughts are as follows: From the period of 1967 to 1995, I visited well over 200 Deck houses as part of my affiliation with corporate transferees. They are quite common in my area.
I can only recall one that had the ceiling painted, and it was rather a disaster, probably due to the fact that the thick T & G cedar decking (NOT knotty pine…at least back then!) was bleeding through on so many of the knots typical in this structural decking.
However, I did see a handful that used what I believe to be a white-washed transparent stain finish which I found quite attractive. The decision is ultimately yours, but personally, I would NEVER purchase a Deck house that had the ceiling decking…or the beautiful mahogany woodwork painted over.
One mans’ opinion
Dear Mr. Gaumont, et al.,
Completely agree with Mr. Gaumont regarding Mary’s ceilings, but am interested in knowing what decision you made, Mary, and how it turned out.
We own a 1970s Deck House in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. I find myself “thinking” more about what needs to be done rather than “doing” what needs done because, like you, I don’t want to ruin its architectural integrity.
First, our ceilings (even in our sheds!) are T&G cedar (NOT knotty pine, which I understand was not used in Berkes’ homes). Love ‘em!
Second, I’ve played with the idea to “lighten” the feel of our home, primarily on the walk-out ground level, but was and remain loathed to ruin our natural setting by changing the color of the beams that extend outside. Did you try painting your brick fireplace (which I assume you have on both levels)? We haven’t, but I have considered having it refaced in stone indigenous to this area.
Third, to help lighten up our place I had considered lacquering our ceilings so they would reflect light instead of absorbing light, but appreciate the perspective of Martin-Dillenger, who wrote above that it tends toward the “country cottage” look stead of mid-century modern. Glad I have read that! Will avoid at all costs.
One thing we have done is used olive oil on our ceilings when they begin looking a little “dry.” I hope that’s sound. And we’ve learned to “wash” the outdoor woodwork with paint thinner on cheese clothe. NOTHING else would clean bird yuck off our dark-brown stain.
One question for Mr. Gaumont: Martin-Dillenger suggested painting the window casements a lighter color. Our exterior is a slate-blue T&G cedar with dark brown wooden casement windows and dark brown extended beams. Truly, I hate the overall “drab” effect.
It’s time for us to paint and I would like to lighten the exterior (except for the cross beams) with some two-tone monochromatic scheme: maybe in the light moss/darker moss greens or even add a smidge of sandy-yellow. Are there rules when it comes to exterior color schemes for Deck Houses? (I do NOT want it to look like a color scheme from the Acorn line, for what that’s worth.)
I have seen some recent exterior work of mid-century, non-Deck Houses in which a dark greenish/grayish hue on house is paired with something in the mellow-yellow family on trim surrounding white vinyl-clad windows. But I’ve seen nothing like that juxtaposed with dark beams paired with wood casement windows.
We are getting older very fast and need to cut down on the high maintenance associated with keeping up this home … which we adore except for its maintenance sweat and costs. :~)
Thoughts? (Anyone?)
Again, glad to have found this site.
~K.M. McIntyre
Painting those ceilings will absolutely and without question reduce the value of the house! I would suggest constructing some lightweight wood and canvas panels that could be hung from the ceiling. They would add a layer of texture and depth, could be painted white or left natural linen color, and could be the start of a really cool interior lighting project. You could re-paint these as often as you like, preserve the architectural integrity, and give the next owner the option of reviving the wood finish.
I am looking at purchasing a similar house and was wondering about the ceilings, too. They are one of my favorite features of the house, and yet it makes overhead lighting impossible. I love William C’s solution, which could be implemented for just certain rooms in the house, as well. I wonder if you have any photos to reference of how it would look?