Should I paint my wood panelled walls?

16 years ago

Hi everyone! I would love to upgrade the carpeting in my living room to hardwood flooring, but I currently have wood panelling in that room. I'm afraid having both would cause an overwhelming wooden look if that makes sense? Here are some pics of my panelling, the room that I would like to update, and the hardwood flooring that we have in the dining room and hallway. I would most likely want to match it.

[IMG]http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff304/layla575/woodpaneling003.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff304/layla575/woodpics001.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff304/layla575/woodpics004.jpg[/IMG]

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

daisyadair
16 years ago
A friend of mine, (a.k.a. my sister's 3rd husband) just bought a house with wood paneling in the living room. He took it off and found drywall underneath. I've never heard of this before, but I think it would be worth checking out before painting the paneling. That being said, I think a lot of people here have had really good results with painted paneling. I agree that a room can get too "woody" .
msrose
16 years ago
I was a little disappointed with mine at first because it didn't turn out the color I had in mind. I still like it better though, because it felt so dark and depressing before.

{{!gwi}}

If you really like you're paneling the way it is, then maybe there is a floor that would work with it. It seems like I've heard people mention that it shouldn't we the same color, but that may just be in the kitchen.

Laurie
Related Discussions
Too much wood...should I paint the ceiling, the window wall or ....?
Q
Comments (13)
Wow, looks like the Ponderosa Ranch on the old show Bonanza! Time for a change. I would start with painting all the wood panelled walls and window frames (advice given above re. primer 1st is key) One of the nice thing about wood walls is that you can hang a painting anywhere you like. Change the lighting to something modern and brighter. See how you like it at that point. Personally I would paint everything as the beams look too small to be interesting and the wood panelling isn't that interesting.I would go for a rustic Swedish country look which would be not that much of a stretch with your great rustic house. The furniture layout looks like it could be tweaked a bit as well. And just curious about the stair railing? Is there glass in between the posts or is it really empty space?
...See More
White washed wood walls. Should I paint the trims & doors too?
Q
Comments (2)
IMO I would do all white.
...See More
Should I paint my wood stained trim in my 1957 mid century modern hous
Q
Comments (1)
As an MCM homeowner and enthusiast, I say no. But it would help if we could see what you’re dealing with.
...See More
Should I paint my ceilings the same color as my walls?
Q
Comments (5)
I like some ceilings painted the same as the walls. I have several rooms like that. The exception to that is the kitchen, dining and living room, which I like white ceilings for some reason. I dont like the window casings all painted the same color as the walls. All trim should be the same color throughout the house, including the baseboards.
...See More
HomeMaker
16 years ago
Here are the photos, you need to use the HTML code to post them here.

Is the floor you want the one in the picture, close to the panelling colour?

I would do the floor and leave the panelling for a while to see how you like it. It looks like good quality panelling in the photo, not the kind I would say "paint it" to very easily.

You will likely have an area rug or two in what seems to be a large space, that will also change the feeling of the space.

Good luck.
layla512
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you for the responses! mrose, I think your painted paneling is beautiful! I got excited when I saw it. Thank you for posting the pics for me! :-)
layla512
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you for reposting my pics. :-)
johnmari
16 years ago
Mmmmm, I love that panelling, it appears to be very good quality, and I would definitely keep it as is. It appears that you have plenty of light to keep the room from being dark. Wood-panelled walls along with wood flooring was a staple of the bungalows of the early 20th century as well as for hundreds and hundreds of years in Europe! Personally, I think having some contrast between the floor and the wall panelling is a good idea; using an inlaid border is a great way to transition from one color of wood flooring to another. Area rugs, window treatments, upholstery (get some more color in there besides the brown leather), and artwork will add color and break up the wood tones.
johnatemp
16 years ago
I would not paint your paneling. It looks very nice to me.

I would embrace the "English Library" look for you great room. You already have a big leather sofa, your fireplace is light brick. I think wood floors with rugs would be beautiful. It looks like you get nice light in your room. Maybe some roman shades on your french doors in a lighter linen trimmed in a fringe that ties to your sofa color.

Smiles:)