Dytecture Hi antclipg, are you allowed to hang art / pictures on the walls ? I would have something that is large in scale to cover as much of the paneling as possible. I think the floor tiles goes with the wood paneling, but that isn't saying much. I would invest in floor rugs instead so you can take it with you when moving.

antclipg Thank you do you have any suggestions for how to set up the furniture in there?

karen paul interiors You should take a photo of the other end of your room..opposite the kitchen.

antclipg that is where the fire place is

littlemissk Hi Antclipg!

What a very dark space, but I see lots of potential!! Because the wood and brick make the room very busy, I'd stick to light colors with classic lines, similar to the table and chairs Dytecture is showing above and agree with him on the large scale art. I love that shag area rug too.

Here's a Houzz write-up that gives some good pointers on what to do with dark paneling. They use allot of creamy beiges and whites combined with texture in their furniture and lamp shades, with pops of color in side chairs, draperies, and pillows to help balance all the wood.




and here are a few links which may prove helpful if you've room for wall fabric "over" some of the paneling, if you haven't thought about carpet squares (softens and can brighten the look and many are commercial grade, wear well and you can pop them up and replace them if they get stained -- some are washable), and a very large poster site that has vintage art, photography, fine art ... whatever floats your boat:

http://www.ehow.com/how_7929009_decorate-already-wooden-wall-paneling.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_2109737_cover-wall-fabric.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_6372289_cover-decorate-wood-paneling-fabric.html
http://www.flor.com/shop-categories
http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-install-carpet-squares/index.html
http://www.allposters.com/

Cheers!

antclipg wow thank you!

puzzlebird You might think about putting a light colored posterboard at the back of the shelves by the fireplace. It's quick and inexpensive (and not permanent).

laurielynne Wow all that wood is oppressive. I agree with the first poster - lots of big pictures and rugs and also with puzzlebird about the posterboard. It would also be nice if you could so something similar to the backsplash in the kitchen, just to relieve the monotony of all that dark wood - maybe some heavy peelable wallpaper? A series of small pictures? Another thing that might help the kitchen is taking off the cupboard hardware (put it back when you move) and replacing it with something like brushed nickle or something else that you like that is brighter and catches the light, just to bring some life to that space.

Susan Mills Design I wouldn't worry so much about the floors, you could do low cost sisal rugs to cover most of them but concentrate on good lighting. You could always take that down when you move. Also how about removing and storing the upper cabinet doors in the kitchen if the inside is in good condition. White dishes and glass jars of goods would look brighter and add more to the room then the dark doors.

White slipcovered furniture and lighter drapes would also lighten up the room. Add lots of interesting cushions and art in a collected look and I am sure your place will look quite the little charmer:) Or if you already have a sofa in a darker colour, position white bookcases behind the sofa to create the contrast ( I love bookcases behind sofas, so inviting) The second picture shows a lighter room but imagine this grouping, the sisal rug and all the interesting things against the panelling. I think it would be very interesting space.

Susan Mills

Susan Mills Design The bookcases would have to be on the shallow side as I think you just have one wall to run them and the sofa against if you did that. How long is that wall as you don't want to impede the door beside the fireplace.

karen paul interiors I asked you what was on the opposite end of the room? Lord, I'm loosin' it! Well, I'm going to take a different tact here. Surprisingly, when you try to put lipstick on a pig, it looks like lipstick on the pig. I've found when you work against what is, it becomes the immovable object that becomes even more relentless with every attempt to rid yourself of it. The room is very dark and you need light. You are not going to invest in ceiling lights because you rent. You can however, have a good supply of lamps around the room. The quality of your light coming from the windows will always be distorted by the panelling, so you can't count on that either. Don't use your overhead fan/light as it will always have this other-worldly quality to it. So....lamps around the room for starters. Next you need to embrace the panelling. There's no amount of art or covering that will make it go away. So think in terms of rich, warm, inviting and friendly rather than dark, dank, dreary and depressing. That's your first step. Obviously the best answer is to utilize warm and enveloping colors. First question you should ask yourself is...what is my favorite color. Everything goes with this type of panelling. I can't think of any color you can name that won't work. Of course, you could always come up with some odd ball thing that will make a liar of me.

So, before you do anything else, name your color. You need to make this a home that feels like your own with colors that you love. Don't let the dark panelling lead you astray. If you can give me that one color or even several you like, we all can come up with some really groovy looks utilizing what you love. Give it a try! :)

Marie Hebson's interiorsBYDESIGN Inc. FAbulous - Stay neutral with big sofa in tans, creams - but no more dark browns, you have enough with the walls, go to silvers, whites in your side tables/coffee tables etc. You need to bounce the light around the room - making it feel lighter brighter by bringing in lots of white in furniture, drapery and accessories. Use uplights, floor lamps and table lamps even some flex lighting around a simple piece of art can bring in some much needed unique lighting. Use LED flex lighting - and/or tables with ambient light in them. Good Luck!

momof5x It is so dark and rather depressing, all wood throughout too but it would look great with the right accessories. That Mantel piece especially will work wonders if you add the right stuff like a large picture or mirror to reflect more light, Family pics, candles or flowers. I wouldn't cover wood though-not at all. I would get extra lighting though. I think Dytecture ideas are very good-those items will uplift the place. In kitchen buy colourful accessories.

antclipg Wow thank you for all the responses. I have a red couch that I was going to try and work off of, so I guess that is my color Karen. I was thinking of buying kitchen knobs from Anthropologie to put in the kitchen. I like the idea of taking down the top cabinets. I have a large mirror that is dark wood that could go over the mantel. Should I go with that or with a large white mirror? All of my other furniture is dark cherry wood and a dark tan/green couch&love seat(hard to describe) set, so I think I am going to put that in the front room (it does not have paneling and has nice wood floors). So in this room I am more open. I have the red couch and a dinnette set that has a glass top and brown leather chairs I thought could possibly work by the kitchen. I am having a hard time visualing how this would all go in there as well and what other pieces I will need to purchase. I am at work at the moment, but I will post more pictures of the furniture I have tonight. Thank you all I am less afraid of the kitchen/family room, now that I have some ideas to work off of.

Dar Sitting area
Here's another approach to the dark wood...try to create a cabin feel to the room. Note all the earthy elements such as stone, fur, leather, plants etc.
Keep the color palate warm and value medium with some light values. Too much white and very light completes with the dark making the white look stark like the kitchen.
Lake Country Builders

michigammemom Came across this inspiration photo with a red sofa and thought of your knotty pine dilemma. I agree with previous posters that bright color and adequate lighting will help to add life to this dark space. Also consider replacing the "tulip" globes on your ceiling fan for an updated look. Inexpensive replacement globes are available at any home improvement store.

John Walsh Lot's of great suggestions. You can brighten up the room with a great well placed mirror to reflect light. I'd also suggest pads cut to the size of the openings between the shelves on your bookcase. They are easy to make with some fabric, foam board and a little spray mount. Also a great gallery wall of art with white matting would do a lot to brighten up the walls and then light the space well with lamps.
Good luck!

pcmom1 Yes that light/fan needs some updating. Besides replacing the glass, you can purchase covers for the blades. I have seen these in catalogs. Maybe also in home improvement stores? That will help a lot whether you go with light and bright or cozy cabin!
Also, get as much natural light in as possible: take off window screens, be relentless in washing windows, trimming back outside shrubs and go with very sheer window treatments (unlined natural linen would be good).

karen paul interiors I would suggest an inspiration piece such as a rug. There are so many styles, sizes, colors and price ranges for machine-made Oriental style rugs. You can pick up something at yard sales, antique malls, estate sales and even Home Depot when they have a tent sale. I've posted a sample of what I'm referring to. http://www.rugs-direct.com/ShopDetail/Details/120840/Karastan/EnglishManor2120/WilliamMorris/Red00510

kmlloyd What about panel curtains like these from IKEA on each of the long walls?

karen paul interiors To answer your question about placing a mirror over the fireplace, you might want to consider a painting instead. I say this because your reflection will be of the kitchen and ceiling light. Whenever you place a mirror, it's important to consider what the image is that will be reflected. In the kitchen, you might want to consider some sort of curtains that can incorporate the color of your drapery, some red and perhaps several other colors such as green or a yellow-gold. You could place a floral arrangement on the right side of the bar, which will create a visual barrier for the stove. You could could consider a sizeable basket atop your refrigerator. The lighter weaves to create a contrast with the paneling would be good. On your counter under the outlet you could even do something fun like a red toaster. There are many red kitchen accessories and small appliances, but be careful not to over do it! As for your overhead light, you could possibly consider a Tiffany style with the look of stained glass, again picking up your colors in both areas. If you could have an electrician come in and put the light on a dimmer, that will certainly help with the overall ambiance when the light is on. For a coffee table, you might want to consider something with a glass top to allow light to reflect. If you have young children, then I would not recommend glass. As for the back of your bookcases, you could find a fabric in a small pattern that works well with your other items and either glue or staple it to a pre-cut poster board or a similar material that you can push into the corners, as your cuts will need something forgiving. These are just a few things to add and are quite simple to implement. Hope this helps.

furrytoes Examples of up lights to bounce light off of white ceiling; both are from Ikea.