When it comes to home decorating, do you feel like you are a minimalist or are just the opposite and prefer to have everything painted with lots of cheerful colors all over your house? If you are the latter, you may want to skip the remainder of this page because this is about clear finished wood all over your house. Yes. all over the house if you like the look and feel of the warm, cozy heartpine that was used on all exposed wood of 100 or more years ago. You rarely can see that anymore because the varnish they used would turn darker and darker until it was black.

At that time, almost everyone would paint everything to keep it looking neat. The heartpine was not usually exposed to the sunlight for a long enough period for the hard grain to develop the burnt-red beauty that happens with no other wood. Painting stops the process! Our house is a prime example. It was built in the late 1800's (with everything painted except the floors) totally of heartpine. We bought it as a condemned house and restored it. All the painted wood is the interior of the house was removed from the house. It was then stripped of all paint and replaced in its original location. When I say all the painted wood, I mean all! It was then stained and refinished in a natural pine color. It's beautiful and we love it; however, it can't compare with what we can do today. The walls were then all painted white with the idea that we would over paint each room with whatever color we thought would look best.  That has never happened. We have been very happy with the natural heartpine on all he wood and contrasting white walls so we haven't done anything more in 20 years.

Well, we have hung a few pictures and mirrors, but as I said, we are minimalist when it comes to decorating. The natural wood everywhere with a contrasting color on the walls does the trick! If you are not ready to do an entire house, maybe you might do a den or perhaps just a floor or ceiling. The old beaded board ceilings are making a comeback.If you are interested in the old heartpine look for anything, give us a call.