Hi Janet, I think you are about to be bombarded with suggestions telling you to lose the wood. I confess I snooped through your ideabook (hope that's okay?) to get a sense of your style. I'd say keep the wood but do a wash or glaze effect in greys/whites. The wood is a nice element. That book case looks super deep, so I'd suggest bumping things forward to make things flush with wall. Perhaps insert glass shelving and some lighting. Are you doing anything with your carpeting? If not I'd just get rid of the patch in your book shelf cubby! Please check out the washes in these photos before ditching your panelling. Good luck!

Jasieson, Thanks! Great idea. We plan to take out all the carpeting (already torn out in some places for some reason) and put in hardwood flooring throughout the first floor. Still trying to come up with that as well... want to keep the home light and airy and not dark feeling, looking. Plan to paint all the pine trim (throughout the house) white as it really dates the place. Lots of work ahead if we ever get it to closing.

Hi Janet, interesting suggestions by Jamieson. I would recommend painting the wood panels / bookshelf first but leaving the trims natural wood becuase it's hard to go back once they are painted. See if it's bright / modern enough for you and go from there.

I've mention this before but people pay a lot of money to get natural wood trims nowadays.

Good Luck.

Hi Janet: I agree with the idea of lighting the bookcases - if you plan on using them for display and minimum books, I agree to change them to glass - otherwise, no.
I would suggest removing the high hearth - it seems quite invasive. A driftwood gray would be a lovely stain on the paneling, but I would possibly do a carrera marble surround on the fireplace from under the fireplace (where the hearth used to be ) up to the height of the bookcase. The idea of the wood floors is stunning and I would go with an ebonized stain - especially if you are going throughout the entire floor. I"m not sure what else is going on and where the rooms feed off - but I get the sense that this can be a wonderful contemporary open concept. Good luck.

Thanks All! Great suggestions. Will try to figure out how to accomplish them!