Absolutely remove it! Looks like that 70's show, groovy!!! It takes away from anything you will ever do in these spaces, only one big ugly distraction! If you ever put the house on the market it might make a buyer turn away. All that wood going in all directions would make me nuts too as Patricia stated above. So what that it's wood, it's still ugly, so don't let the fact that it's wood make you even consider keeping it for one minute! RIP IT OUT, asap!

I agree to remove the wood. It clashes with your furnishings which are not rustic. Even if you painted it the same color as your walls it maybe could work in the main room but for me it's too overpowering in the bedroom. Good luck!

Above the FP and the portion at the stairs could pass as Danish modern but I wouldn't want to live with the rest of it.

Thank you so much for the advice everybody. I got in touch with a contractor to remove it. I love this site!

Frank I like your walnut flooring idea!

Thank you Oak and Broad!

I'm a big wood fan but when I look at this, it's just fugly. I have seen panel successfully painted - my aunt painted her dark paneled house all white and it was night and day the difference - but with all the directions going on here, I just don't see that working. However, if you are on a budget, it would probably be an improvement over this and with some clever elements - quilts on the wall - could be made to look farmhouse-y.

I love wood.. but not paneling so much ...and really hate over the fire place..

I don't do angles, But I love wood. If it were to stay, what about sanding the wood down and lime washing it where you will still see the grain and it will be lighter and easier on the eye.

I would either leave it as it is but just on that one wall, or whitewash it. If you leave it, I would suggest painting everything else a bright white.

If you can see it is not favorable for your furniture. The antique wood and the rustic furnishings are not good together. REMOVE IT!

I wouldn't mind it if it were all horizontal, but the two different directions really date it. I would remove them.

I love the example Oak & Broad posted by still keeping a great hardwood floor with that taupe color for the walls. I think it would compliment the furniture you already have. Good luck with the renovation!

Remove it and start fresh!

If this paneling were all horizontal or all vertical, then I'd be a strong "Keep".

But the diagonal layout makes it an easy "Rip it out". It just looks discordant, scattered, irrational and paint can't fix that, unfortunately. (Or you could repair the paneling by changing it to all 1 orthogonal orientation. Then you will need to blend the finishes, but the upside is gorgeous wood paneling. You may not need that much new wood either.)

Locate an experienced and qualified interior designer who represents your esthetic to get some ideas (many are for hire on a consulting basis and/or a project basis) ... there are so many exciting things you can do with your space.

Whitewashing gives it a very nice clean look

the easiest fix that would make it brighter and more spacious feeling would be to do a white or gray paint finish over it that would give the walls added texture than just plain plaster walls, and it could be done quickly a lovely gray is the Litchfield gray by Benjamin Moore paints it's is so light and beige white gray it is gorgeous! to dress up the room further you could do large skirting boards along the painted wood in a bright white which would make the space look like the wood was put there to create a look! I think it could be fabulous with the right colour and skirting boards that Emphasizes the height of the rooms, that's my suggestion...

as much as i love wood, i have to agree that it is very dark and dated. i would remove it and drywall it and paint it according to your color plan

Love Romýs comment. I did paint my own mixed direction Wood wall and was quite happy with the result.

The wood looks like flooring on the walls... like the photo is upside down....
I wonder if it's possible to drywall over it??? White washing would look good if the pattern wouldn't come in an angle.... Good luck to you!

I am not a fan of the angled portion, but I think the wood is pretty in the living room. I find the furniture to be more of an issue. the bedroom needs to be redone for sure, though. It's pretty terrible.

You have three choices paint it or stain it in some cool colors( i gue you could sand it and paint it gray if you're into contemporary, or in a cool pattern.)
take it off and create a mantel or table or something really cute or rip it off and sell it.

I see I am in the minority here, but would consider keeping a bit of the wall - the stair area, specifically, as it lends both depth and texture. Your furnishings seem to be transitioning, and I think the accentutation ( I don't think you need to paint it ) could help give things a stronger sense of direction.

As a tie in, consider reusing some pieces on the foyer ceiling.

I would remove it and then paint. I think walnut flooring is a bit too dark.

Remove most of the wood. Having one or two wood walls could add a nice accent (painted wood walls look great) but having that much wood, especially going in different directions, is way to overpowering.

Jinx, SoCal. :)

HI -- I don't understand why people even ask about keeping or doing anything about this type of wall treatment . It's long out of style and won't ever come back . Removing it is the first thing I would have done . Don't even keep any of it . I never even did this at the time it was popular . Don't waste paint on it .

Remove it. The different directions was not a good idea when it was put up.

I would white wash it. You will be surprised at how it turns out. We did a room in our house that was pine. We actually painted it a Malted Milk by Valspar and the trim white. It is by far our favorite room in the house!

I agree, I would try painting it first, much easier fix and then if you don't like it, take it off.

How about putting it on the floor. Drywall the wall and paint.

My question is, what's your style? What style and feel are you going for? I'm not a fan of wood panelling, however, in a contemporary, eclectic or transitional setting, done sparingly it can be lovely. Also, the color of this is really aging it. My guess is that the house leans contemporary, so I'd strategically remove some of the panelling. Any that I kept would be run horizontal and stained a darker more contemporary color.

Romy and Maria, I love your idea. I wouldn't remove it either, as I like the texture. I think painting the wood would look great.

I like Patricia Laursen's idea of using the wood for flooring. I saw a different houzz thread where someone did that, and it came out beautiful.

Take it down. Its quite a job but if you paint it, it will always look like painted panneling

I like the wood panelling. I would keep it and change everything else.

I came across some photos that show what can be done with paneling and paint.

If someone wants to get rid of paneling on a budget, I did just that. I used a putty knife and smeared wood filler into the grooves, let it dry, then sanded it. I then used kiltz primer (oil based) and then a latex paint. You couldn't even tell paneling had ever been there - really! The only additional suggestion I would have is to use a mesh painters tape topped with drywall compound between the panel boards due to slight retraction and expansion of the wood boards with temperature changes, resulting in a hairline crack between panels over time. Just a suggestion to save lots of cash!

I can't tell if the photos are in sheets, or are tongue and groove. If the walls are tongue and groove, and you are absolutely sure you want to remove it, then I would reuse them somewhere else. This type of wood is pretty expensive.

I painted mine and love it. The grooves give it character rather than plain dry wall. If you don't like it, you can always remove.

Penny, that's what I was thinking. There is a lot of wall space in the house. The wood texture would add more interest.

I would leave the wood by the stairway as an accent wall. Paint the bedroom paneling. Remove the paneling in the room with the fireplace. And either paint the wood above the fireplace the color you'll be using in the room or remove it and do a different wall treatment (eg. drywall and then accessorize it)

I would leave a little paneling as an accent wall, maybe distress it or white wash paint it, to add interest and texture, just one or two walls

I think it's beautiful and quite special. Remove it and it will be just another boring house. I would work with wood and change everything else.