Last Updated on February 29, 2020 by Ecorf
Wood paneling was the rave of the moment in the mid 20th century and continued calling the shots in the home décor industry until the tables turned at the onset of the 21st century. Newer forms of decorating the home debuted at the time, and many homeowners that wouldn’t want to take the back seat began to switch to the latest models.
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Making Wood Paneling Look Modern
Despite falling out of favor in the home décor industry for many decades, it seems wood paneling is gradually winning back the hearts of homeowners. This time, it is not reclining on the glories of the past years, but taking the bull by the horns with the use of sophisticated and modern approaches.
Now that wood paneling is back, many people that are warming up to it have begun to throw in many smart ways to make the most out of it. It’s now possible to use it in a variety of forms, such as light colors, sleek geometry, and other styles of creative styling. Whichever aspect that thrills you the most, you can be sure that learning how to make wood paneling look modern is a venture that you wouldn’t regret.
So, read on to discover some of the several ways you can use to bring wood paneling into your modern home creatively.
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Paint It Anew
There might be times when you feel obligated not to rip off the old wood paneling in your home. Understandably, your friends and colleagues have since “moved on to bigger things” by bringing more modern looks into their homes. You seem to be the only one stuck in the middle.
Instead of ripping off your treasured wood paneling, you may want to repaint it. The secret to achieving this is to paint the new color in a way that it coordinates or rhymes with the other designs in the home.
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Turn Your Wood Panels into Regular Walls
Wood panels make the rooms of your home look radiant. They can also double as walls if you know how to go about it. So, instead of getting rid of them or wondering about the next trick to use in keeping them attractive, you may want to convert your wood panels into regular walls.
The rule of thumb in that regard is to use some drywall compounds to cover the cracks and lines of your old wood paneling. Afterward, sand, prime, and paint the hitherto old wood panels into any new color you desire.
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Place Shelves and Curtains Over the Paneling
The truth is nobody would have all the time in the world to focus on your wood panels when some other things can distract their attention. If the wood panels are wearing on badly and you don’t have plans to change them soon, then the perfect thing to do is placing curtains and bookshelves over them.
On the one hand, placing the curtains demand to hang them from the top of the wood panels to the down to create a distracted look. On the other hand, using bookshelf/bookshelves require to place them intermittently at different spots on the wood panels.
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Embrace Your Wood Panels
There might not be a need to shy away from your almost antique wood paneling. Why pretend that the rusts are not there when you can make something better out of it? You can embrace them using nonwood colors. Otherwise, alternative colors like tan and black could be the perfect way to bring out the shine in the hitherto old wood paneling.
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Dress Up With Marbles
Indeed, those lines and cracks wouldn’t be ideal on your wood panels. They can also create an embarrassing sight. So, you may want to cover or dress up these cracks and lines using marbles. The rule here is to make the dressing using the marbles at those points where the cracks and lines are visible.
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Make it into a Work of Art
If you’re an art lover, then you might have to suspend buying the next art collections and using your wood panels instead. You can stay ahead of the wood panel comeback when you recreate the walls with a display of lighting and wood. As a rule of thumb, ensure that the illumination extends down to the wood panel so that the beauty of the panels could be highlighted in the process.
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Space the Panels
You don’t have to pack the wood panels in the same place. In this time, when you need to upgrade to a modern look, you can’t afford to jam-pack the entire panels. Instead, space them out or install a few of the panels at dedicated spacing, which helps to create the modern look you desire.
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Whitewash the Wood Panels
This concept is ideal for homeowners that are looking for cost-effective ways to get rid of the faded texture on the panels. To do that, you need to water down the paint before brushing and wiping out the faded surfaces.
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Add Stripes to the Panels
Painting the wood panels is a good venture, but you can always take the notch higher. In this instance, the focus should be on the addition or integration of stripes into the panels. The idea here is to create diversified looks in your wood panels.’
When painting, you have to ensure that the paneling slats and the paneling grooves are separated. That can be achieved by painting the panel grooves differently from the paneling slats. Note that the stripes should be tiny for a more elegant look.
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Keep the Wood Panels to the Ceiling
Removing the wood panels can be an arduous task. That is why homeowners are advised to use the upgraded wood panels on the ceiling instead of using the same on the walls.
Make Wood Paneling Look Modern
You can now see that creating a more classic or modern look to your wood paneling wouldn’t be an arduous task anyway. So, use any of the ideas above to make the most out of it.
Now, which of the ideas do you like best? Tell us in the comment section!