The table and chairs are probably oak, but the wall, ceiling, and beams are pine. Get rid of the stark white walls and paint a color.

One way to live with an older look is too embrace it and go a little vintage - you don't have to go over the top and remake the 60's, but if you can live with cozy cabin, cottage, vintage, or retro, it could be a very sweet home - and it won't get "dated" because your past dated into vintage.

If you want to keep to the style of the home, you might want to look at this website:

https://retrorenovation.com/

The compromise would be to paint window and door trim and wainscot only - leaving doors, ceiling and cabinets wood. This works best with paneled interior doors rather than hollow core. The wood showing in your picture is mostly pine. Very few feel bad about painting pine, but some do feel bad about taking the character out of an older home.

Compromise! Leave the wood for him. Fabrics, textiles, furnishings and paint are all yours! Or give him one story for the wood and you take the other for paint.

Thanks all!

Yep - that's knotty pine paneling, which I happen to love (had the original stuff in a couple of rooms in our previous home, built in 1940). You can really only lighten things up in a space like this by using painted or upholstered furniture instead of wood-tone, if you aren't going to paint the paneling. I think you could create a very cozy and warm space, and still retain the wood in its current state to please your hubby.

Edited: Now that I see the other photos, I understand why your husband doesn't want to paint. That's good quality wood paneling, not the cheap imitation stuff.

You won't hate it if you put a color that goes with pine. Haint blue, green, butter yellow, ect. The white is doing NOTHING for the wood. The red drapes are also not a favorite. You have the real wood, not the rip off fake 60's paneling. Please just try painting the drywall.

I went a little vintage with my oak kitchen - yet it also looks refreshed (to me). Pics in my "my pics" idea book. I also have painted the trim white as well as one vanity, a large bookcase and laundry room cabinets, but not the interior doors, kitchen cabinets, fireplace mantles and other bathroom vanities - all remain wood. I like the white and wood look because it has the brightness of white with the warmth of wood - but I also like many of the original features of your home. This is a hard one:)

These are wonderful! IdaClaire, you are correct, the wood in the house is not imitation. The kitchen cabinets, trim, and interior doors are solid wood (not hollow) and original to the house. Perhaps pine (I couldn't tell one from another; now I know I misspoke when I said oak in the opening paragraph, so thanks for educating me kindly I know) but real wood nonetheless. I do know that pine is soft and cheap and not as valued as oak, maple, etc. which was why I thought we should paint. But there is not a piece of particle board in the house. And JHMarie, I love that website you suggested. My husband (eddie) asked me to research the period as well, as he knows my love of history and felt that I would come to appreciate the style as vintage if I did some research, so thanks for pointing me in that direction.

That’s an awesome Mid Century Modern house. You’re a steward of that for the next generation. Tread very lightly. First, do no harm. Especially to that wood! Live in it without doing anything permanent to its bones for 6-12 months. Research. Watch Mad Men. Fall in love with what it IS.

Encouraging words from Sophie (for a change!) LOL She's usually pretty tough on posters!

Can you compromise, leave the ceilings, paint the wainscoting. I love the kitchen. The porch is the only room that is ALL WOOD and it does date the home, but timeless is timeless!!

I would say that the previous owners taste in furnishing is probably having an effect on how you see this house. When it's empty, you may see it a bit differently instead of it bringing back memories of sitting in an older relatives house (just my opinion and no offense meant).

Hang in there. Get moved in and then post some better photos.

What everyone else said...please no paint on wood, and hopefully you can remove the ugly carpet and find some flooring that fits the period of the home. Furniture and window treatments will be important in making it feel fresh. It's really nice!

What is under the carpet? New flooring,rugs,window treatments, and furniture should go a long way to knocking back the wood.

Here's a Houzz story on someone who embraced the 1950s vibe in her home without remuddling it:

My Houzz: Bold Vintage Color in a 1962 Austin Ranch House · More Info

I think if you paint the walls (not the wood) and freshen up the carpet/flooring and decorate it YOUR style, you will find that the wood behaves itself.

Pine wasn't used here because it is less expensive. It was used because it was a popular look and this house is very stylish! Older pine is also a bit harder than new pine, so don't be ashamed. It's good stuff!

Thank you everyone. Eddie is very happy that I read some articles and asked all of you! I am seeing the wisdom in what all of you have said. I know that on the second floor there are hardwoods under the carpet, which we plan to restore. We are also hoping for hardwoods under the carpet on the main floor as well. I actually love the knotty pine porch! It's darker than the rest of the wood. Mostly for me it was what one poster said, memories of spending time in relatives homes as a child. I am excited to get in it and likely fall in love with it. We are moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan, both of our hometown. Grand Rapids was once well-known for it's furniture industry so we want to find some authentic Grand Rapids Mid-century pieces to put in the home.

Following :)

I painted the walls a soft green and used colorful curtains with a green print I bought a dark wood kitchen table to contrast the lighter wood.

I love it! I actually like the look of wood against white walls (versus colour). For me it leans more Scandanavian, etc whereas once you add colours it starts leaning more traditional or rustic. I think if you go really “light” and simple with the furniture (not more heavy wood or heavy-looking fabrics) You could help this home’s amazing character really shine.

Maybe it is just the shade of white on my screen. A different white might do the trick.

We have discussed using a very light green and very light blue for the walls. We don't move in until the beginning of August, so I have lots of time to research. I will definitely post pictures of what it looks like when we move our own furniture in, and after we paint some walls because this bathroom is just TOO MUCH BURGUNDY and the formal dining room's "accent wall" is too dark. Did they do accent walls in 1961 when my house was built? Did I mention that my husband and I were also "built" in the 1960s?? That is another reason it resonates with both of us.

Keep us in the loop on this thread. I would love to watch the progress and the direction you take the house.

Eddie took a close-up picture of the kitchen cabinet label and looked it up. We are lucky - people are looking for these cabinets in good condition!

We have oak kitchen cabinets, which everyone is painting white. I'm not. These are solid oak, custom built cabinets. So I'm not switching them out because new ones won't be the same quality. I'm appreciating them for what they are.

I'm absolutely positive that when this home is all cleared out you'll have a different perspective. You may not want to go all-out period correct, but you can definitely come up with a style you love while keeping the aesthetic appeal of the house.

When you feel enticed by the gaines-shiplap-gray movement, just come back and we'll save you. :)

I love that last comment!! I laughed hard! These cabinets are birch and the stain used when they were made is still available. Some of them show minimal wear so it was good to know that the original finish can still be located!