I was hoping that the sight of that particular finished panelling would never again materialize. When we purchased our 1876 colonial farm house every wall had been clad with that shiny caramel color panel. I elected to remove every single piece except the ones in one of the 3 bathrooms. I painted them and also cut them down to rail chair panelling height. Used Oak wood moulding all around. One word of advise is to apply thin coats each one after letting it all dry, otherwise will scratch easily.

I wouldn't even think twice about painting it and it will certainly have a lot more character than drywall at a fraction of the expense of tearing out and installing new.

I would paint it.

Paint it?? Why would you! It's perfect the way it is, with that ultra fabulous floor. I'm in love with that floor. Put up a big wide curtain rod, as wide as possible and hang light colored curtains on the window wall, then hang lots of big art on the walls. Big colorful travel posters, or anything you like as long as it's big. Your parents are right- once you paint it, it is no longer maintenance free.

What about painting the ceiling instead in the darker red-ish tone from the floor? Love the paneling!

HI -- So what if it's real wood ... it's old and it's done it's time and it is safer taking it out -nothing lost . You have to check and up date the old wiring and probably add more sockets and check for black mold and add more or some insulation . The wood could be re-moved carefully and used else where . Perhaps as a feature somewhere installed on the horizontal . Before you disturb anything , especially the floor tiles and ceiling too , you have to test for " Asbestos ". Homes from that time could very well have asbestos . Pretty sure the floors tiles do. Take it all out ( not the floor tiles) , put up new drywall and paint it all one color , walls and ceiling too and put a new floor down (over the old ) so as not to disturb the tiles , just in case . You are young -- so make the house young again.

Paint it.

ya to avoid all of the above. paint it.

Paint.

Yes you could paint it, but I think with light floors, some funky art, mirrors and furniture could look awesome, if anything maybe make window larger less hassle than painting everything and that wood does look lovely, I believe it's what you put in a space

Some ideas, I love that deer art and that chandelier is awesome.

I'm not trying to poo-poo the idea of painting the real wood paneling, because that's always an option that works - BUT - it is something that most likely can never be undone without removing and stripping the paneling in the future. Or sticking with paint forever. I'm an older guy who loves real wood, and I am in the middle of a current remodel with a Mid Century Modern Ranch (BEFORE pictures attached) covered in real wood paneling. We've decided to work with it by coordinating other areas with paint colors, textures, art, rugs, etc., instead of painting it, covering it, or ripping it out. Although I can't show finished pictures yet, I am confident we made the right choice in our home. Considering the real wood, I just suggest thinking long and hard about hiding it behind paint. Styles change. You would never have thought that the style of an old home built in 1958 would come back into vogue, but it has. Mid Century Modern...well, I never!

I love knotty pine so I am prejudiced here, but first try painting the ceiling the creamy color in the floor - which I also love by the way. I think the color will tie everything together then decorate using neutrals and touches of the red from the floor. It's a cheap, easy fix that you might like.

I see you are not thinking of painting, but of ripping it out and dry walling. Hope you live with it a while first, give it a chance...

IF you like a rustic look, I would keep one wall, rip out the remainder, and repurpose into built in bookcases along the kept wall. Grandparents had a gas fireplace on a wall surrounded by knotty pine built ins, including the shelves. This preserves the character without being overwhelming.

It all depends on your taste and decor that you have in mind , if you like the chalet look keep it , if you like Shabby Chic paint it , if you are modern remove it .

Unless you can reuse some of the wood for decorative projects around the house I would prime and paint all but maybe one accent wall. You can strip that to lighten or change the color of the wood if desired. Painted paneling adds a certain charm to any space.

You know what else is made of Real Wood? pencils. You can't be trapped by the taste of previous generations -- make it free fresh and youthful, not old and stuffy. Sorry, Men of a Certain Age (and boyfriend's parents), but that's how this reads.

I think sunny and fun will make you want to spend lots of time up here, not just late nights in your man cave. :) (I do agree, though, that there's some merit in having somebody look to see how the insulation is behind these walls. It can be blown in now without breaking the bank, and sometimes this stuff is practically up against the house studs.)

Original finishes are better than a lot of diy's I have seen. That is what concerns me most, seeing older stuff ripped out and replaced with unprofessional workmanship, etc. But If they can end up with finishes like the above photos, great.

I love painted paneling. Painting the paneling would definitely brighten & freshen the room. It could be a real showplace! Make sure to use a good stain-killing primer, two coats at least.

That Pickwick paneling must be coming back in style. I'm seeing it in magazines more frequently, painted, and it looks wonderful. In fact, I'm having white painted Pickwick paneling installed in my FR!

I love the suggestion from Bird of Wood above, cut down the paneling to wainscotting height. Also I love the vintage floors-use area rugs where you need them, should be a lot more fun than anything you can replace them with. And I would then paint the walls and ceiling the same color-maybe a nice buff that goes with the wood and floor. Enjoy the warm vintage feeling you've got going on there already, and make the most of it!!

And if we could see a photo of the room without the zebra print and the random trash can, etc, but I think the owners are over it! Hello owners!?

What a great hang out room. Do something really funky in here.

Don't let it look like the rest of the house, have fun with it.

Keep the paneling the way it is. Get black or dark gray leather sofas, change out the floor. Keep the walls and ceiling white. Add a fun area rug to the floor. Some great Art on the walls. Popcorn machine in the corner. Hang that flat screen t.v. on the wall and enjoy!

Here is some inspiration.

The floor gives this room a retro look ,if you decide on painting the paneling together they will look great ,the only thing that really could and should be done is to move the vent that is in the middle of the floor to the side . Whatever you decide never cover vents of any sort.

I love wood. Having said that, painting this wood will improve the feel of the space so much I would do it in a heartbeat. My parents had a dark paneled den we lived with for years because my Dad refused to paint the wood. Finally he relented, and the transformation was incredible.

To me, the proportion of the panels are rather unlucky.
The dimension of the redwood is more like of a floor panel than that for a wall. The height (4.60 ft.?) and the massive look will give them the character of a palisade of an ancient war. This image is increased by the undefined line of joints. The structure of the wood "sucks" the shadow of the joints, which usually lessen the massive image.

The best deal is to make it "light" and strengthen the vertical direction (will optically lift the roof up). This could be done by painting the joints white. This goes hand with the removing of the panels on the gable side. You will recognise, the room will get brighter.

If you like, you can add a base rail (will optically separate and define the wall from the floor) and a rail where wall and roof meets.

This will lead to some effects: the roof will seems to be lifted and getting taller. The dark ancient cave-look will get a modern touch and the compactness will fade away.

If the wood is in good condition, use the panels for another furniture, a bank or a table, they seem massive enough for that. Ask a good carpenter what to do with.

So, ancient and modern will meet, have fun with the decoration.

Many of our old 1876 home walls were T&G hand planned boards in not the best of shapes after 130 years. I kept as much as possible electing to apply a solid paint finish to some and semi transparent to others, those which turned out to be Chestnut Oak. It didn't break the bank and people who visit don't usually run out screaming in horror.

@Bird of Wood, I'd love to know what finishing steps you used on the lower left.

Forgot to mention that our home's original T&G had been clad with the 50's varnished fancy board we are here debating about. So, removal was a must to bring back some interior sense.

Now can they paint over that varnish?

If this were my room, I would remove that wood, and repurpose it somewhere else. I would drywall the room and install engineered hardwood floors. You are a young couple, make it feel modern and cozy, not old and stuffy. I have painted wood panelled rooms before, and the sanding, priming and painting is a Huge amount of work. Dry walling and mudding is far easier, in my opinion. Whatever you decide, enjoy, this is a great space.

Varnish painting question raised.

My experience:
I found that years of soot had been deposited on the surface...run a damp light color cloth to test, because you will need to clean the surface well before applying a primer and finishing color. I did sand the surface, just to get the paint to grab better.

Elaine, the semitransparent finish was achieved by light washes using an oil based product (minwax). I used a brush, applied a coat and wiped it off with a cloth. It was Oak wood, so the absorption wasn't as quick as it would have been with pine wood. Just don't let it sit for more than a few seconds, if you desire that much of a transparency (wash).

I love wood, and I probably qualify as a guy of a certain age, but I wouldn't hesitate for a minute to paint it out here. To me it just looks depressing as is.

Leave unpainted. Dark ceiling; leather; plaid. English/Scottish pub.

There are a few things you can do. Prime and paint it or rip it off and put drywall up. Priming and painting it is the easiest option. You can restain it as wellif you like the wood color.


Good luck:)

Thanks for all the input! The pictures you've been sharing and the "things to consider" have been especially helpful.

Can anyone tell us what costs are associated with removing the paneling to drywall vs painting? I've been told it's significantly more expensive to take it down and drywall, but I'm not entirely sure why or what kind of cost that means.

Painting costs will include the cost of sanding materials and a can or two of paint and some brushes, probably $100 - $150. With drywalling, you still have to paint, so start with that in mind and if you headed to a HomeDepot for example with the square footage, they would be able to calculate how much dry wall you need/cost, but also advise any additional items you will require (tape, etc) and will new insullation be needed once you remove the panelling?

I would never paint it. It looks like nice wood instead of the cheap stuff. You can brighten it up with better lighting and accents like bright colored overstuffed furniture. Concentrate on lighting! some sconces would really help.

One easier way would be to apply any newer surface of your choice, so long it is a solid material, right over the old, thus preserving the old stuff just in case you change your mind in the future just make sure most of the nailing/screws are placed along the crown moulding and base moulding and just a few well spaced screws/ nails on centre. Should save you hassle and time.

Chip and Johanna can go shiplap else where!

We chose to prime & paint :)

This still needs to be completed. But, it looks so much larger, newer & brighter.

Ha! I have a painter at my house right now painting over caramel colored solid wood paneling. I inherited the house I grew up in and the family room was paneled. Made room dated and dark. My brother and the painter were both appalled that I chose to paint the paneling but my sister applauded me for doing it. It completely updated not just the room but the whole house. Bright and airy! I think it's a man thing!

Looks great! We had paneling painted a soft white in a previous home. Could not believe the improvement.

The paneling was a bit shiny, but real wood is real wood...I think painting it was the best thing to do. And the floor looks good, too.

Paint the wood. You won’t regret it!

We had “nice wood” paneling our entire beach house. Looked out of place and depressingly dark—like a log cabin in South Carolina. We painted the entire house of “nice wood” with a semi gloss paint and now it is light, bright, beautiful, and durable. I would paint the wood over drywall.