I have a serious confession to make: I actually like paneling. Yep, It’s true. I know what people are saying behind paneling’s back (or maybe in front of its face): “It darkens a room” and “It dates the space” not to mention “It’s hideous.” I wasn’t always a fan. In fact, when I first stepped inside the combination living room/dining room/kitchen of the home I fell in love with, I thought, “This paneling will be the first thing to go.”
The living room paneling, pre-move in.
But after living with it for a few months, I’ve changed my tune a little. Maybe it’s the nature-lover in me. Maybe it’s in my genes (My dad makes live-edge furniture, so I’ve always loved to see wood in its natural state.) All I know is, I no longer shudder when I walk into the room. And since the huge windows give this space tons of light, it doesn’t seem too den-like. (Don’t worry, I’m still not a fan of this kind of paneling.)
Paneling, front and center.
While I don’t want to ditch it completely, I do want to modernize it a bit. Even adding colorful mod furniture and art, like Genifer Sohr did below in her home, creates a “modern cabin” feel that I like.
Photo by Tec Petaja for Design Sponge
However, while I like the visible wood grain, I’m not as big of a fan of the color. I’d love to sand it down to its just-cut state and finish it with a UV-protecting finish to give it a more Scandinavian look, like Swedish architect Per Bornstein did in his knotty pine-happy home in Sweden.
Design by Swedish achitect Per Bornstein; photo by Pia Ulin for Dwell
Natural-hued knotty pine also lends itself well to both modern…
Design by UNI Architects via Remodelista
…and more eclectic furnishings (I’d like to do a mix.)
Design by Blackman Cruz; Photo by Timothy Street-Porter for Elle Decor
What would you do? Paint it, stain it, leave it natural or tear it out completely? Tell me your take.
Read Liz’s previous House Diaries posts here and follow her home inspiration board on Pinterest.
No, It's not for me. Maybe I will feel as if enclosed in a box.
If you decide to tear it out, plz donate the wood to Habitat for Humanity or another charity of choice. Wood needs to be recycled (repurposed), too. It is one of our resources that is hard to replace, considering how long the trees have to grow and the $$ to process it to go for cabinets, etc. This is beautiful wood, but with the ceilings, too, it's just a bit much.
I love pine paneling. Of course, I've always wanted a log house. The paneling that is ugly is that fake stuff they put in manufactured homes that is actually pressboard or laminated photographed stuff. Pine paneling should NEVER be painted over.
I love it but would probably only keep it on a few walls like an accent color. I need and the ability to decorate my home when the whim for change hits me. Definitely find a use for it though, some where in the home. I would replace the tile with it if possible. But then…dogs? What would their nails do to it?
need color*
i like it, i think you can do wonders with it, hhmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, i have pennelling now !!! i don't like to much what i have but your pictures look way better!!
I LOVE the wood!! I wasnt sure if there was a statement about how big the room is. I would probably take 2 walls off and drywall/paint and leave 2 [or how many walls you have...sooo..1/2 the walls I guess] I absolutely LOVE the color of the wood. I, personally wouldnt strip and keep it lighter…I would strip and go a couple shades darker….but…whatever you do..I am sooo sure it will be awesome. And remember like they ALWAYS say…..it is ONLY paint.!!! If you DO take it down…hopefully you wont rip it down and break it, if at all possible..depending if it is glued, and you can maybe use it for flooring somewhere or put it up in another room!!! Good luck….keep me posted!!! oxo Pam
I had paneling for YEARS! LOVED it. But in my case, it did make the rooms “cave like”. I don’t think I would want it throughout my home anymore, but I think I would keep it in some of the rooms. Really like the natural hued knotty pine pictures. Positive to paneling-it’s very forgiving when hanging pictures on the wall! Negative to paneling-wood furniture doesn’t stand out in a room with paneling on the walls.
My hubby and I purchased an older home a little over a year ago. It was built in 1943. We renovated it ourselves, but decided to keep the one wall paneled. As most, I wasn't a big fan of wood paneling either, but do love it in our home! Check out the link below.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.31006568…
Wow, your living room looks great with just the one wall — so much brighter than when it's on every wall. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much for your response. I'm glad you like it! That is also a new front door that I purchased that just about matches the wood paneling (with the knots in it) and believe that helps tie everything altogether. Thanks again!
I love the knotty pine wood. It's not the same as the cheap sheets of ugly paneling. Add some pops of bright color with furniture, rugs or other accessories and you can make it really modern and beautiful. KEEP IT!
We have paneling in our rustic livingroon, we live in an old farmhouse, husband has fish and deer heads on the wall. We have exposed the hand huded beams love the look, play with color , I change my drape and curtiand withe the seasons, slip covers for furniture can change a look too, same with e decorations. Do what you like, your the one livng there!!
Good argument, but I'd have to rip it out. I lean toward cleaner lines, and wood paneling just doesn't invoke clean lines for me.
To swing the pendulum in the opposite direction, JericaSugartoes' burned wood sounds interesting. I'd love to see some photos.
Hey Lori,
I was curious about burnt wood too, so I found this burnt wood explainer on Houzz that also shows several different types of burnt wood siding. Very cool!
I like the original shade better. I love wood too and in the darker tones/shades. Won't go as dark as espresso (brown-black); I strive to find a strong warm real brown. Can't stand the natural tone–looks unfinished (uncomfortable/splinter-rough) to my eye.
I see your point about paneling but having all the walls entirely covered with it is too much.
I would NOT paint it
Use it as wainscotting, then chair rail/trim, then paint above
Or reverse the idea: paint bottom 1/3rd, chair rail/trim, the paneling above
Agree about seeing the grain. Do not like the orange hue. would sand down for Scandinavian look
We have one wall of thin pine paneling in a honey-tone in our 32 year old home, and we love it because it complements our shaker style furnishings. The other walls are a spice color Sturbridge check wallpaper, also 30 years old. IT WORKS FOR US! We get nothing but compliments on our home!
That sounds lovely! Do you have a photo of the room?
I really like the wood. There isn't enough of this around. Thanks for the picture. Depending on what your goal is, the other items can be changed out. I agree with you that you may want to update it a bit. I like the wood border around the ceiling in the picture below. I would put tin squares on the ceiling, and possibly change out the flooring to a more rustic color. Could you get a couple of wall sconces instead of the floor lamp. And the clock could be replaced with an Indian artifact like an apache Indian face with paint and hair. A nice big area rug, and the blinds, ewww! Narrow skinny horizontal gives this a dated look. How about some new inside mount faux wood blinds.
I totally agree with the white-washed or pickled look! It will brighten up the room and give you a fresh palette to do whatever you chose, and you can change your accessories whenever you like and not have to worry about color depth or shade. It all looks good! Of course, I'm from the east coast so I am partial to the cottage look.
I have been so surprised to read how many would tear this paneling out. NO, keep it. I like the lighter colored paneling and the clean, modern Scandinavian look. Lighten this paneling up. Love the tin ceiling idea David suggested. Do something with the window treatment [so the sun keeps shining in]. For me, that carpet would have to go. Once you do these things, fill it in with some modern furniture and it'll be beautiful. Can't wait to see the results. Thanks for sharing.
Yes, hoping the Scandinavian look works. The tin ceiling is an interesting idea, and the window treatments and flooring are definitely getting a makeover, as well.
I think you should paint it, or a pickled finish would be nice.
I'd paint it. My family room had ugly paneling that I painted a nice neutral color and it looks awesome. The seams in the paneling give the room a nice verticle touch. My paneling had crown molding and tall baseboards that I painted white for contrast. Love it!
Dont paint it! Real wood paneling is gorgeous and expensive. I want to put real wood paneling in my family room and run it on the ceiling. To update the look tear out the carpet, update the furniture, add color with pillows, rugs, and curtains, and new art work. But do TEAR out the old looking window shutter and that little clock on the wall.
I can Refinish the Panels to light or dork or any color 951 471 5777 cell310 433 6666
vinceswoodfinishing.com
It really depends on the paneling and the space. I moved into a house with a converted garage with one tiny window and dark paneling – from the 1970's. It made it a cave, and I often called it that. But in the late 1970's I lived in an apartment with dark paneling and one window but I liked it, because of it not being 100% paneled and the tiled floor.
I recently remodeled a shed into a craft space, and because of cost considerations I went with a white washed paneling, on the walls that you see the most of. And plain white for the wall covered in shelves and ceiling. Saved at least an inch in each direction of space that would've been taken by drywall, critically needed in such a small space.
I'm amazed at the comments. I've had solid knotty pine paneling in the living room in a rental property that I've owned for 25 years and have had a love hate relationship with it….I've seen what other people have done with theirs and I go round and round with changing it but always end up with the final decision that its solid wood and in nice shape with hefty crown moulding and three walls only (as I did open up one wall to the dining room) and to leave it alone. I have white 2" blinds that remain and a large wood framed mirror which reflects lots of light. It does have a warmth that, especially at X-mass time is unbeatable. but it still looks so 1945……It's near the shore in CT. and lots of houses have it…and what I have is nicer than some with the mouldings but still think someday I may change it…. after 25 years, still can"t make up my mind! When I rent it people either love it or they don't…seems there no in between.
I love knotty pine in just that shade and I like how it looks sanded down as well. I think I would go with sanding it down for a fresh modern and Scandinavian look, then add lots of textured color to the furnishings. Different shades of blue in summer, and warmer shades in the winter for the pillows and throws would be easy. I have dark cherry paneling in my house, in every room, and have added light colored textiles and big colorful graphic art posters.
I love painted paneling…. I love the rich texture you get , (but don't forget to insist on the BEST of primer !)..especially painted a really pale/ creamy ivory-white /or even a white-wash over… it is somewhat "nostalgic" …as long as you bring in other pieces of nature to accent with..ie,limestone, natural stone, travertine etc…maybe some brick pavers or even a washed/brick wall on an opposite side in room,..leave the exposed rafters/beams natural and stain them a dark walnut to chocolate for a real POP…if you have concrete floors, stain them for the color and then huge/oversized wool rugs for color and comfort…I would LOVE to dig in to this one,LOL, would be so much fun(had one full of paneling 10-12 yrs ago down in southern Louisiana I re-did..and I can't tell you how many people were in awe,especially the ones who yelled YUCK-Paneling, spit choke gag, haha)…so KEEP the paneling if it is well in tact and in good condition!!…I sold that house to the 1st showing at full price and had back-ups offering more $$
We moved from Maui to Northern California one year ago. We have huge old trees all around the property so The house can be pretty dark. Our family room is all natural cedar. We ripped out the dark blue 1990's carpet and put down a beautiful maple floor. It looks great with the walls and ceiling. We put in large skylights. We have debated changing the walls but just can't bring ourselves to do it. I love the warm golden wood. With the floor to ceiling stone fireplace burning, looking out the floor to ceiling windows at the forest, the cedar paneling is perfect. I think it would be criminal to remove or cover it. Let it snow!
You're right. I think you would regret it some day soon! Just because its out of style doesn't mean you have to rip it out!
My den is board and batten cedar paneling, and I absolutely hate it. I want to paint it but my husband of 45 years says absolutely not. Of course all of his male friends agree with him. They say to paint the room would just ruin it, or the paneling is what gives the room that lodge look. It is NMS, and I do not plan to turn my house into a hunting lodge. Will I ever be able to convince him?
I am in the same boat as you Carolyn only the whole house is board and batten with built in dressers. Depressing and it is hard to hang artwork on to boot. I am here looking for ideas to lessen some of the woody feel. Thankfully I am able to paint the woodwork and the built-ins so that gives me some room to move. Here are some ideas I have come up with to take away from the wood without painting or removing it. All the floor except the kitchen are hardwood too!!!!!
1. Adding some tasteful colorful patterned material to the dining room chair cushions.
2. Painting some of the interior doors with freehand art work, like a tree of life or something like that. (I am not an artist by any means).
3. Painting the floor in the kitchen. The linoleum needs to come up so I thought why not??
So far that is what I have come up with. Good Luck and I would love to know what you end up doing…
I have a 15 x 30 great room that has a vaulted ceiling and one entire wall is glass, floor to ceiling. The rest of the room is paneled and it is a dark color. I've opted to remove the paneling from the two short walls and leave it on the long wall opposite the glass. I love it.
I love my honey oak paneling – it's not dark so the room feels cozy and the wood grain is beautiful. It took 20 yrs before I could even put a nail in it to hang a picture – it is so beautiful by itself that I felt guilty. I'm glad I did because adding the art was a nice touch and went well with the recent room updates. It's not modern but it doesn't look like a dark cabin either – it looks nice in the family great room.
What I wanted to get rid of is the fabric covered walls – a horrible mess to remove with millions of stables & glue! Wallpaper would have been just a nice and easier to replace. What were they thinking?
sorry, staples not stables….
[...] be, you say? I’ve showed you my 5 least favorite home features. I’ve lamented about my completely paneled room. But none of those things made the first project list. Why? Because right now, our master bedroom [...]
Hey Anne,
I was entering to win the HGTV Dream home and saw this article and thought of you!
We had paneling in the 2-story entry. The windows gave the area plenty of light and the paneling was easy to care for when people came in with wet coats from a snowy or rainy day. People who painted their entry in the same style house constantly had to deal with repainting etc, we just conditioned the wood occasionally (with Liquid Gold) and it looked great for 50 years. Hope the new owners still enjoy it.
I love paneling and a rustic cabin look .Knotty pine is a big favorite,especially new,not a fan of aged stained or yellowed paneling.Wood paneling isn't ugly it is a work of nature.
I will be remodeling my kitchen and when we bought the house it has ugly laminate paneling in all the kitchen, I guess the previous owner did catering out of the kitchen. I want to restore the kitchen to it's original state but do not know how to remove the paneling. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
We have wood paneling upstairs in our house in the stairway, sitting room and spare bedroom. Tongue and groove, knotty pine that was stained a warm honey color that was installed in 1969 by the previous owner. It was actually something we really liked about our house when we saw it. Its makes the sitting room very cozy. Yes it gives it a "cabiny" feel, but we feel it goes with the charm of our house! We installed new berber carpeting with flecks of browns and golds, and we decorated the sitting room with black chairs, and accents in red and blue. Its one of our favorite rooms. I say embrace it!
Don't you dare paint over or destroy this beautiful paneling. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find something of this quality. They don't make it like this anymore. It would be a crime against wood to change it. People who call this dated or hideous are tasteless snobs. Please listen to your heart which should be saying leave it exactly like it is.
signed,
a professional carpenter
I love the paneling in your home. It is really expensive now, and it gives your home a wonderful vibe, I think. Who cares if your friends don't care for it anyhow? It's YOUR home!
We still live in our house that was built in the 70's. One of our living rooms has a cathedral ceiling with cedar beams and wood paneling. One wall is wainscotted. When updating our house, the children, grandchildren and husband did not want to remove the paneling. It is very good paneling that we paid about $30.00 a sheet in the late 70's. We updated with a slight shade lighter stained carved trim at the top of the paneling. We added beautiful stained baseboards, stained rosettes and trim around the doors and corner pieces in each corner. We then added a beautiful new ceiling fan and victorian tracking lighting with amber shades in the room. The room is so beautiful now. I am glad I let my family talk me into keeping the paneling.
Interesting post. Would love to find more resources like this. I will have a look at your blogroll – hope you have one!
On my own point of view I would prefer to have it painted to have a more dramatic makeover on the conventional wood panel wall – Naples interior design service