The Magic of Paint - For Wood Paneling

After: Light and AiryCoastal Living

Are you still stuck in this man’s world?

google

Do you still have walls or ceilings in your home with wood paneling?Before:

Before: Outdated Living Room

Are you still afraid to paint over?After:

After: Polished and Modern

Today it is actually very easy to paint over the wood.

Before: Distracting Elements

A fresh coat of white paint ( and a downsized fireplace):

After: Simplistic View

Pretty amazing what paint can do.

Space-saving Kitchen: Before

Space-saving Kitchen: AfterCoastal Living

So, you decided you like the clean, white surrounding instead of the dreary, dark wood background.  Look how easy the steps are today:1)  Clean. You MUST clean the paneling well first.  It is not a waste of time, you never know what is layered on that old wood!  TSP is a good product I use that cleans surfaces in preparation for painting.  It removes grease, oil, sooty dirt and prepares painted surfaces for repainting.

Homeowner’s used to want to fill in the cracks of paneling with compound and then sand it down to get that smooth finished wall.  It is a very time consuming job plus it runs the risk of cracking in the future.  My advice is to leave the cracks and wood defects alone!  I would simply paint the paneling for a look of added depth and texture.2)  Prime.  Another step you can not skip. (that’s right, I know who you are).  The primer is important because it helps to cover the wall's imperfections, provides a better surface for the paint to stick to and keeps fresh paint from soaking into patched areas.  My top choice for primer is ‘Stix’.

stix

“STIX Bonding Primer A waterborne urethane acrylic bonding primer that strongly bonds to hard, glossy paints and other challenging substrates such as PVC, vinyl, fiberglass, glazed block, tile, pre-coated siding, and galvanized metals. It levels to a smooth film to dramatically improve the topcoat appearance. May be topcoated with latex, alkyd, epoxy, urethane, or lacquer coatings. May be used in interior or exterior applications.” (company ad)3) Paint.  Which color looks best?  My favorite painted paneling I have seen in homes and decor magazines are white or cream. To help you narrow down your choices be sure to look at the undertones of your flooring.

apartment therapy

source

via

Look how beautiful this entry is:

Now do you think it’s time?

via

It makes the room look so much brighter, cleaner, and full of life.  Don’t you agree?  Comments?

If you would like to see more photos of painted paneling, visit my Pinterest board here.

If you need help updating your home, contact me today!