Thursday, August 23, 2012

would you could you wood

We recently met with a darling client who has the cutest 70's style in the woods, a la Frank Lloyd Wright.  We were thrilled to help her hone her design but in the process we came up against a worthy opponent.  Wood panelling.  

Most of us have seen it or lived with it at one point in our life and with panelling comes several schools of thought.  There are the wood purists.  There are the painters.  And then there are the demo'ers.  A complex quandary, debated for ages.

Our client opted to keep the panelling in her den, since it was cozy and woodsy.  When we provided our vision boards and plan, it was a pretty big wake-up call. With new furnishings and crisp new accessories, the wood panels went from cozy and keepers to a bit more confusing.  To paint or to remove or to keep?  

Panelling has been on the uptick all over blogland, many folks adding it to their ceilings, bathrooms or even whole rooms to give texture and architectural interest.  It can really do a lot to enhance a room.  While proving to be a pain, the options are endless and don't have to involve simply painting it white.  It looks great whitewashed, painted gray or any color!

Melanie Turner fave, limed panels.

Our friend, Lauren Leiss, painted her existing panelling white to neutralize her 70's style master bedroom.

While adding panelling to update her kitchen.

Amber also added panelling in her recent bathroom reno.

I've been smitten with this nursery for months now, one of the best reveals I've seen in a while, and they too added the panelling.

Our best blog buddy, Linda, added some panelling to the ceiling of her master during the One Room Challenge.  And we all know I love a good wood panelled ceiling.

A pretty easy fix, if you wanna keep it and play with it.  But sometimes you just can't get past it.



Would you chuck wood?  

-Bethany

If you are looking for help with your home, we'd love to work with you! Contact us for a listing of our services and prices.
Nancy and Bethany

21 comments:

  1. I think the gray wash is a nice choice if you do not want things to be cottage-y.

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  2. I did chuck it, and I've never given it another thought.

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  3. If I could I wood! What great photos ! That fridge is cool...glad I don't have any critical things I have to write on mine anymore! My fav is that orange batik-y rug...love it!

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  4. i adore painted paneling.
    all of these are great looks!!!

    xox

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  5. I'm having the same scenario with a client, and we are going to paint or white wash it. It's old and adds a lot of character.

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  6. I would try not to ever "chuck wood" when there is a can of paint available!! Too easy to transform and it is built-in architecture within a space!

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  7. I love paneling when it is painted. I can't see it ever going out of style bc it just adds so much visual interest!

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  8. Painting it is such a simple solution! I love the texture that the paneling adds to a room. I particularly think it looks great on the ceiling!

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  9. We once considered buying a house which happened to have a wood-lined living room. I saw potential. It ended up not suiting our overall needs but we are friends with the couple who subsequently bought it and painted the wood panelling white - it is gorgeous! I keep wishing I had one such space in my home. I would not get rid of it. It adds texture and character, no doubt.

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  10. It depends on the home, but I think I would always choose paint before chucking. We had a painted white wooden ceiling in our last home and I just loved it!

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  11. It gives such great character to a space, and I've both painted and chucked! Sounds like a fun redo!

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  12. I have a love/hate relationship with mine. It's in my family room painted white. I could never have stained. It would be way too dark for me.

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  13. Here's my two-cents:
    If the home is reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright design then I would definitely keep the wood paneling and try to incorporate it into the design. I think in the long run it will be more classic and never go out of style (it seems painted wood is more popular right now) If the paneling is, however, more like Lauren Leiss' then feel free to paint away! I feel like that kind of paneling is more "dime a dozen" and doesn't have anything special about it....that is, until you paint it! :)

    Good luck with your project!

    Laura
    www.HappyroostBlog.com

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  14. I would, I would or rather , I did, I did!

    http://buhayatbahay.blogspot.com/2012/01/flashback-morton-grove-basementfamily.html

    It really depends on what the space looks like and on the type of wood - if its formica like- chunk it out! If its solid and nicely stained , hmmm, maybe not, or stain lightly. Good luck, I'm sure it will be fab!

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  15. chuck the sucker if you're not going to paint it! there's no use for old school wood paneling in modern design (unless it's a log cabin with adirondack style)! Now, a painted or white washed panel is a different story!

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  16. Hi Bethany and Nancy, I've missed visiting your blog! (Bethany, you know I love your writing style!)

    So, yes I would. I like the texture and interest paneling provides. And actually, as a teenager, I painted the 70s paneling in my room white! I remember asking my mom to buy me the paint! I will say that I'd have a hard time living with dark paneling, but painted or limed, yeah, I love that look.
    Camille

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  17. Not sure how I missed this one? Thanks for the shout out! I don't think this is that simple. Since your client want to keep it...that boat has sailed. Paint it! Let's not miss the fact that tearing it out can be a huge job.

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  18. Wood...wood...wood...how much do I love thee? Dang it...so much!!!

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