Reader Redesign: Paint + Paneling = Pretty
We’re back with a fresh and fabulous living room makeover for next to nothing. Here’s Kelli’s letter:
I have a before and after for you! My husband and I sold our house a couple of months ago without another place lined up. Luckily, his grandmother had an empty apartment above her house (rent-free, yippee!). Turns out it hadn’t been rented for several years and was very dark…
…so our first course of action was to paint the dark paneling in the living room to make it more homey. We used Glidden’s White Fog, which was inspired by several mood boards you’d done recently with pale blue used as the main wall color. My mother-in-law is very creative and was inspired by the huge leaves Jenn (from Design Star) had painted on the wall in the episode with the airplane hangar. This was just the blank canvas she needed. Everything was done on a budget, with items coming from Old Time Pottery, Target, TJ Maxx and JC Penney. We’re super happy with the final result, and I hope you like it, too! – Kelli
Totally fabulous transformaton Kelli- thanks so much for sharing! Isn’t it amazing what a coat of paint can do? Bringing in more cozy furnishings (like the soft textured rug and the table lamp) make it even brighter and more inviting. And painting all that panelling really brings out the gorgeous wood floor that you hardly notice in the first picture!
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Amazing transformation… the wall color is perfect and those painted leaves are fantastic, great job!
Fabulous transformation! I really love the rug – any idea where it’s from?
Paint really does wonders…
That’s one DRASTIC B&A!!!! Wanna bet that Kelli and her crew would say that every bit of elbow grease and every drop of sweat was worth it? Living in the “before” wouldn’t have been good for one’s psyche. Makes me sad to think that some folks wouldn’t have lifted a finger to do a little DIY. It can make SUCH a huge difference! Grandma’s got to be thrilled too!
It really opens up the space. Great job!
Love the leaves painted on the walls! What a transformation!
The rug looks just like one I got at Target–it’s cream-colored shag.
We did the same thing with fake paneling in our basement, and it was like we bought a whole new house! Icky paneling isn’t nearly as bad as people think it is, if you can see the potential of a good paint job. Fabulous job on your space!
Thanks everyone for your nice comments! Yeah, the second I laid eyes on the place, I knew a paint job was in order. Elizabeth, the rug came from Old Time Pottery. It was like $29.
That is incredible! It doesn’t even look like the same space. What a satisfying makeover, congratulations!
Are the drapes in the “after” photo the same drapes as in the “before” photo with a bronze/brown border added at the bottom? If so, GREAT way to be budget-friendly! Either way, they look fabulous. Great job!
Ann Marie, unfortunately they’re different drapes (on sale at JC Penney, though!). The old ones had been up there for years and were so gross we used them as a drop cloth. But I’ll use my new drapes when we have a house, so it wasn’t a total misuse of funds!
Kelli, Thanks for the reply. You really did an amazing job!
It is so bright! That’s awesome.
My mom has panelling in her home and I keep telling her — PAINT IT!!! Is there any trick to painting panelling?? What primer or type of paint is best?
Hey Yvette,
It’s so easy! Just use spackle or putty to fill any holes, then apply one even and thin coat of oil-based primer (with a good quality wool roller). Next apply two coats of latex paint (thin and even once again- applied with a good quality roller, taking care to let each coat dry before going onto the next step).
That’s it!
It really is as simple as painting a wall! And your mom can always drop in on her local Home Depot or Lowe’s if she has any mid-project questions and ask the paint specialist! Happy painting…
xoxo,
Sherry (& John)