Colorful Painted Paneling

To contact us Click HERE
We are engaged in a debate, at the beach house, about painting our paneling.  It would be so simple if our paneling was that fake wood stuff from the seventies.  I've painted that stuff before, and my other half didn't have a problem with it. 

 {source}
Our beach house paneling is a really beautiful cedar.  It's lovely, it's warm, it feels homey.  And it is dark.  During our dark Pacific Northwest winters it can feel oppressive -- not "beachy" at all.  At night, it can make our living area feel like a black hole. 

The plan (well, my plan) all along, was to paint it and lighten things up a bit.  But now my other half is saying "you can't paint wood".  I've heard this from client's husbands many times, and we always come to a workable solution that pleases everyone, but it's harder when it's your own husband.  This is his house, too, and I need him to be on board with this.  I know, if I can help him visualize how the space will look and feel, he will come around.

 {source}
For this moment, we will leave it unpainted, but paint out all the trimwork in white.  Not because I've given in, mind you, but because I don't have time to paint it right now, anyway.

{Traditional Bedroom design by Portland Maine Architect Whitten Architects}For now, I will content myself with images of rooms with painted paneling.  My husband mentioned that the idea of painting paneling white, reminds him of the Portlandia sketch "Put a Bird on It".  I get that.  That's why I'm compiling a collection of colorful painted paneling :)

Traditional Bedroom design by Orange County Interior Designer Wendi Young Design
Doesn't it just make you happy to see all that gorgeous color?  Combined with the texture of the paneling, I think it's just. to. die. for.  Love.

 {source}We also have tongue and groove style paneling on our ceiling that would sure reflect a lot more light if we brighten things up! 

{source}I pretty much love everything about this blue paneled wall....

 {source}This yellow paneling is so cheery -- it would certainly perk things up on those long gray days of winter!

{source}How about chartreuse?  Personally, I adore chartreuse.... not sure if my husband would go for it, though....

{source}These two bedrooms are from Bed of Flowers -- a beautiful vacation rental in The Netherlands.

{source} I love how the blue painted paneling in this kitchen from The Carriage House Chronicles makes the wood floors and countertop pop.  Gorgeous.

Now, tell me what you think!  Would you paint your paneling?