Posts by Category

Posts by Date

Painting Wood Paneling: It's okay.

Aug 29, 2010

Whitewashing is a big trend right now. In fact, according to the latest House Beautiful lying rumpled and tea-stained on my favorite porch chair, it's one of the top five current trends in home decorating. In all the shelter mags and blogs, we're seeing pale paint looking really good. But there's always a certain chunk of the population who hold fast to the tenet that wood (or even its ersatz equivalent) should never be painted. Here I offer visual evidence to the contrary.

Got paneling? Paint it. Hate your knotty pine? Get out the brush. The time is now, the look is classic. You won't be sorry.

I saw this amazing transformation on the blog of Kansas City designer Jill Tran. She modernized this staid living room while keeping some of the major furnishings. Even in a room like this with rich-looking wood, paint can make all the difference. Read all of the details and see more photos on Jill's blog here.

BEFORE: Dark paneling makes the room look dated.

AFTER: Jill Tran's off-white-and-gray color scheme modernizes the space without losing the traditional look. Drapes are used effectively to visually expand small windows, and symmetry lends focus to the space. Notice how the same sofa looks more expensive in the new space.

BEFORE: An adjacent sitting room looks a little lonely, and the yellow paint is too bright and contrasty to work with this paneling.

AFTER: The softened color scheme and consistent window treatments tie the space to the living room. Check out the refurbished bench and armchairs. You don't always need to start over for a completely different look.

This before-and-after comes from the blog of home stager Judy Heinrich. Look how her recommendations made this knotty pine living room come to life.

BEFORE: Uninviting and monotone.

AFTER: Sunny, fresh, and up to date with a coat of Sherwin-Williams Softer Tan (SW-6141). Less wood on the walls makes the flooring stand out as an asset.

Still hesitant to paint wood paneling or trim in your home? My eDecor Plans contain multiple three-dimensional views of your finished space, so you don't have to wonder if you'll like the result— it's all in front of your eyes before you spend a dime on renovations. Very few online decorators or e-decorating services offer this feature, and those that do come in at a higher price point than Dwelement. Check out some samples to see the level of detail in Dwelement's eDecor Plans. Then email me to get started! eDecor Plans are $50 off for two more days, through August 31, 2010. —Diane

TAGS: painting wood paneling trim white whitewashing pale paint color trends knotty pine oak mahogany fake faux wood panels before and after photos inspiration rooms edecor edecorating e-decorating

  permalink      Comments(0)

Like this post? Please share it:

Post a Comment
Your name:
Your email:
	Note: Your email will not appear anywhere on this site. we only ask in case we need to contact you about your comment.
	To verify that you are a human, enter the number of fingers up.
Comments: