Honestly, I would paint the whole thing. Eventually. It’s probably going to take a good quality primer followed by two coats of hood paint. It’s definitely easier to paint it when empty, but at 38 weeks pregnant that’s quite the big job :). So I think I’d paint the kitchen and dining area, and reassess at that point whether you want to keep going. Congratulations on the house and the little one!

Some peel and stick "tile" would go great for your backsplash and be easier to clean than paint. We have wood paneling we kept in our living room but put up large art with lots of white space and a large mirror it helped to keep the room from looking too dark. Best of luck and congrats on the baby, you will certainly back on this time fondly despite the current hectic time frame! Be sure to post an update :)

Hey Kelly, that’s a cool idea. Can you share any pics of your living room with the pictures and mirror?

I'd paint it all, and my first question would be, "What am I doing with flooring? Which would come after a full assessment of the kitchen and it's too snug clearances. : ) Seems paint might be the least of the issues.

I agree - paint the whole darn thing.

Paint it but try and keep it light color it will look bigger and be brighter. Paint can do wonders and be inspiring as to how to proceed.

I would definitely paint it all. You can’t go wrong with B. Moore Decorator’s White.

Given the layout, I think you have to paint the entire space. With having just moved in and the baby due at any time, can you live with this area for now? If it were me, I‘d settle in for the baby as you will have enough on your hands. Exciting tImes.

It won’t be hard to move things into centre of room down the road when you paint and then you will have more time to consider/research colors. I also find when a room is painted, one thing leads to another. Have a plan first.

If going ahead, at least save yourself some stress and tackle the bedrooms down the road. Give yourself time to consider paint colors and how you want to coordinate with decor and I’m sure you will happy you waited.

I would definitely paint all the paneling. Might tile the backsplash. However, thru the wall HVAC will standout against a light color. Perhaps a cutwork grill surrounding it to blend in? Keep walls same color as kitchen cabinets which should blend with carpet and tile flooring. Bring in color with art. I have successfully painted this type of paneling in 2 houses. Make sure panels are clean before painting. A primer such as Kilz or a SW product of similar adhesions followed by 2 coats of high quality latex should last for years. Mine has!

For sure paint it. Possibly remove some of it... it’s a lot of paneling. There’s a lot of thing you can do to this space. Eventually,not necessarily now. But I would consider removing the kitchen wall blocking off the DR as soon as you can. There is so much potential in this space. Can’t wait to see it transform

I agree, I would paint all the paneling too. It will definitely brighten it all up.

I am not a lover of pannelling except for maybe real wood in library type setting. I think it would be best to remove the pannelling and do drywall all over where it is now. I also think waiting to do much is a good idea in a new home, you need to wait to see how the spaces function for you before doing anything major and that includes painting. BTW painter panels always look like painted panels and IMO not an attractive look . I think the flooring and the ceilings need a big amount of work so just spend some time living there and seeing how it works . I will sya 70s materials were not great so to keep anyo of them to honor the ers would not be at the top of my list. Waht I see in your ideas books is not hwta this space is right now so spend the next 3 months planning what needs doing .

It looks like everything has been well cared for. I would just move in for now and get better lighting. It’s very livable and will give you time to plan rather than having to redo.

I'm not home to take any shots but here was some of my pinterest inspiration!

My last house had a family room with painted paneling that looks very similar to yours. I would recommend removing the paneling and replacing with drywall as @Patricia Colwell Consulting suggests. There may be drywall underneath the paneling but the paneling is likely glued up so removing the paneling will damage the drywall underneath. Smooth drywall will look better than painted drywall.

Thanks for the advice. As much as I’d like to paint the whole thing, the cost right now is beyond our means. I’d do it myself but the pregnancy is a bit of an obstacle at the moment lol. Totally agree Jan that the kitchen clearances are too snug, but we’ll have to live with that for now. Ultimately replacing all the drywall would be amazing but don’t have the time to do it.

I do think I’d like to go forward with doing the dining room and kitchen. Are there warm whites that you like? Someone mentioned matching it to the cabinets (however the cabinets are cheap and will at sometime be replaced later down the road). Keep the white theme for the backsplash too?

The problem with painting dining room is where to stop. If it were me, I’d update the window treatment, add a nice chandelier and some art on the back wall fir now.

In regards to kitchen, if matching the cabinets...you will have a creamy counter, sharp white appliances and off white walls and cabinets - could all clash. I‘d chose a backsplash that had warm colors and a wall color that is complimentary to it and the adjoining wood panelling Vs going too stark - the rooms should connect given the space is pretty open.