My first 'like' was the washing look, then I saw the bleached look and it is my favorite. If that is real wood paneling a good scrubbing with a product to clean walls before you paint will probably lighten the walls by a couple of shades.

You also mention hardwood floors for a future project; Take another look at the links posted by houssaon above. Those photos show great examples of contrasting wood floors/paneled walls. The key is to keep the flooring rustic and casual like the walls, but in a contrasting finish. For example, if you do paint the walls, have the floors done in pine with a natural wax finish, and if you leave the walls as they are, use a pickled or limed finish on the floors.

As for the open shelving dilemma- food in base cabinets or pantry ( behind closed doors) , and plates and glasses on the open shelves. Yes, you would have to make sure the plates are stacked neatly and all that- but what a great way to display all of the dishes and pretty bowls I'm sure you have somewhere! ; )

Absolutely paint it. We did so for the baby's room and basement. It turned out great! Would recommend it in a heartbeat. See below. (don't mind the rug in the second photo).

We have a cottage up north - so I understand the love affair with wood. Pine deepens over time, so what was once a light filled room ends up looking dark over time. There is always the urge to paint whenever you see darkened pine to freshen and lighten things up, but you do lose the warmth you expect in cottage country, the reason you likely put it in in the first place. My suggestion is to whitewash (lightly) or bleach. They offer a lot of benefits for both scenarios. I would paint the bar bottom in white to match the kitchen cabinets and leave the wood counter natural or whitewashed. I would flank the fireplace in a mantle that is consistent with the white cabinets - and I would take the mantle siding all the way up the wall (or take the brick up the wall) - something to give it some continuity and presence to that fireplace. Look at this example:

For the floors - either you go with a floor that is consistent with your bleached/whitewashed walls, or you go for high contrast. with something darker. Something too in-between will make it look like a lot of brown in the room. Don't know where you live, but stone floors (like slate) with pine looks beautiful. I did it at my cottage:) If you did that though, you would have to clad your fireplace surround in slate (just a bit where the sood doesn't cover) Here's a picture of slate floorss although the walls aren't pine in this picture.

Over the years, the finish (probably shellac) on knotty pine paneling, will age to an over ripe orange color that is dark and depressing. Unless you have big bucks to have it refinished, then I vote to paint it.

The look of whitewash is nice and clean and great on new, unfinished paneling. That was actually my first thought when I read this but if you go to whitewash it, won't all that shiny finish have to be stripped or at the very least, sanded down before the whitewash or pickling will "take"?

I think I would put a coat of Kilz on it and paint it a creamy white color, The bar could be painted the same as the walls or even a different color like a mossy green.

The fireplace would look great with a beefed up mantle or even better than that would be a fireplace surround/mantle in the same color as the walls or just one shade darker or lighter. That would cover part of the brick and would make them look less dated.
Leave the beams in the ceiling and the top of the bar natural wood tone, if you want. Replace some of the country elements, do some upholstery, add some beautiful lamps and your room will be wonderful and inviting.

all are great ideas..love the sheet idea.. I don't like knotty pine , but I have a dinning room with pecky cedar walls and ceiling..of raw wood never painted or treated in any way..it is the room everyone goes to so warm and inviting..how about painting the pennsula same color as your cabnets see how you like it then paint your fireplace this will brighten up your room .. also love the idea of painting you stools like your pottery.

I say paint it! But keep some wood to keep the warmt in the room.

Our basement rec room looked a lot like yours. We got a primer paint especially designed to use with slick, shiny walls. It allowed the regular paint to adhere well to the wood. We used Sherwin Williams "sea oats" - a creamy whitish color for the finish paint. Looks great. Much lighter room - very cottage like. We also painted the fireplace bricks white and painted the mantel and hearth a sagey celadon green shade.

I painted my bar stools. They were great til we started to nick them up. They got nasty looking real quickly. Kids and hubby put their feet on the bottom rungs and scuff them up. I am going to buy new ones and if you want a different color, I would advise anyone to do the same.

I see in a previous comment that you are also considering cladding the fireplace in another material (wood) thereby possibly changing the look entirely. First, decide upon whether you want a cottage look or an entirely different look. Then, find a suitable palette to work from that reflects both the style you've chosen and your personal preferences regarding hue and value. If you want to retain the warm golds offered by the pine paneling and you want to maintain the cottage look, yet you want to lighten the value of the color reflected by the walls, then pickle or white-wash the paneling and retain the rusticity offered by the knotty pine. If you don’t like the contrast of the pink-red cast of the brick against the yellow-gold of the paneling, but you want to have a peachy color as you background neutral, then, by referencing the color of the existing brick, use a peach or pink-tinted pickling stain. If it’s the texture of the brick that you object to and want to change, then be careful with the notion of cladding it in wood for two reasons: 1) If you build it yourself, be conscious of its flammability. Use the correct offset from the opening. 2) Using too many different woods can cause an undesired busyness to the overall look. An alternative to sheathing the brick with wood, use a stone instead. Your options regarding hue value and texture are wide open. Just bear in mind when selecting it that you have a certain look and color to aim for. Decide firmly upon the style of the room, and the hue and value of the colors that you want for the room – then choose your paints/stains and materials accordingly.

Painting the paneled walls should not be too dificult of a decision. It's only paint and would definitely brighten and update the room. I say its only paint because it can always be stripped or sanded of at a later date, but i think once you see it painted you will never want to go back. I would however paint the ilsand peninsula another accent color. A nuetral tone (light sage or yellow) that would open up the space and make the room feel less divided. Maybe that could be youir starting point. paint the peninsula first and see if the family agrees.

So many great ideas and suggestions! I really appreciate all this input!

I think contrast is missing in this room. I would:
Change the wood barstools to a dark brown metal base and light colored seats.
Change the countertop from wood to a light colored quartz with specks of brown and bronze.
Paint or pickle the fireplace mantle and hearth to a light color in keeping with the countertop color.
Spray paint the wicker chair to a darker brown.

For your new wood floors, I would find a mid range brown that is close in color to the knots. It would be a neutral base that can work with the knotty pine or any paint color.

If you really want to lose the knotty pine, I like the suggestion of changing the bar first to give your family an idea of what it would look like.

For y'all who are recommending bleaching the pine paneling....do I have to strip the varnish/poly off first? Has any of you ever bleached walls?

I would keep the knotty pine. Definitely paint the hearth and mantle a creamy white, and maybe add crown molding in the same color. I like what you put on the mantle. It looks great against the pine. I wouldn't paint the brick. Keep everything else simple and light. Paint the supports for the wood counter in the same creamy white (you might want to change that in time). I would hang some artwork --birds, florals, even sea-themed(framed in creamy white frames). I might also change the hardware on the cabinets to a more rustic iron finish. I would keep the carpet. I think any color hardwood floor would compete with the walls. If you really want to paint the wicker, that's fine, but I would not want to go through the trouble. Just get new solid color seat cushions in a warm, light, earthy tone (cabinet color--mossy green?, or yellow) and some cream colored pillows with a some of the color of the cushions. A new standing lamp might be nice, maybe in the rustic iron with a creamy linen shade. I love the Fiesta pitchers, but the color is too much for me. I would stick to creamy white, rustic iron, the color of the cabinets, and maybe another color like yellow. You can add more creamy white ceramics, some clear glass, and pillar candles in creamy white and your accent colors. A nice throw in an accent color also. A pretty glass cocktail table would look nice. Work with what you have. It's a cute, cozy room...you would be surprised with what you can do with a trip to Homegoods, without any major projects like painting paneling and putting in new floors!

Definitely paint it - you will love it!

Occhi and others.... the Fiesta pitchers are gone. More white items on top of cabinets, cabinets now painted a creamy white with a slight glaze on them. Maybe too much going on in the room? Pictures below taken a few minutes ago. I'm still waivering on painting or not painting. Seems we have a 50/50 split! Painting mantel has been on my list for awhile now....

Now that the cabinets are white, I would not paint the walls. You need the contrast with the cabinets. Definitely paint the mantel too. It's coming along. Not sure what the backsplash is? could do something with that. It looks more orange than the pine wall. A little too much clutter. Maybe just a plant in a ceramic container on the top of the fridge. One thing on the cocktail table--and no runner. Nothing on top of the stove. I would use pillar candles instead of candlesticks on the fireplace mantle. When you have knick knacks everywhere, your eyes don't know what to focus on. Better to use just a few larger items. White place mats on the bar stool island might pull together well with the newly-painted cabinets. Since you have green elsewhere, maybe some green plates and pretty casual goblets as place setting. Clear everything else off the counters so the focus is on the place settings. You want to try to balance your colors in the room so that it flows. Maybe creamy linen pillows instead of the orange & floral. Might consider a solid jute rug in the kitchen--go darker than the living area.

I think the majority is for painting and I strongly agree.

I think lightening the walls and integrating them with the freshly painted cabinets is the way to go. A reduced color palate will make the area feel lighter, cleaner, more spacious and less cluttered.

I'd start in a small or somewhat hidden area (such as the front of the bar) and do a semi-transparent wash with an off-while following these instructions :

http://www.ehow.com/how_12137492_make-white-wash-painted-walls.html

If you don't like the look you can literally wash it off even after it dries.. If you want a more opaque look you simply add more washes or just paint..

(Pickling or bleaching require complete removal of existing surface.)

Good Luck and let us know what you do !!!

We had a very similar look when we purchased our home. We sanded and painted all the pine walls cloud white by benjamin moore and it was one of the best remodel decisions we ever made. we love it- wonderful, open cottage feel and tons of light with airy feeling. going from pine to white completely transformed our home!

Def paint. we did only some of the walls in our cabin and it brightened the whole room and even made it appear larger. We did a creamy white and a "weird" green under the kitchen cabinets.

I would recommend painting the walls as well. It will brighten and give a fresh look to the space. The texture of the painted paneling will look great!

It depends on what type of look you want for your room. Myself, I would definitely keep the knotty pine walls...they're rustic and cozy. To break up the knotty pine a little bit I would invest in doing a different base to your counter and doing a rustic rocky look to your fireplace to contrast the walls. When I look at the picture it's not the walls that I think need to be changed it's things such as the counter & base, fireplace or flooring. It is a very cozy and quaint living space, but you have to think what type of look do you want your living space to have...right now I see a cottage-like, rustic and cozy look.

This was interesting reading. I just got done painting a half wall of knotty pine in our family room and am SO HAPPY with the results. I think people that like it, like it. If you want to paint it, paint it! When we purchased our house (7 years ago) I thought to myself, "that knotty pine has to go!" It looks lovely now. I did use a good primer, oil based for glossy surfaces and it hid the black knots perfectly with two coats. This is all just a personal decision -- and if you think you want it gone, having people tell you it's a shame to paint over perfectly good wood just have a different opinion of what looks good. Have faith in yourself! I'm so happy I took that big step and painted ours. Good luck.

Fireplace painted.....and I L.O.V.E. it!

Hurrah! It looks fabulous!

I think that the white cabinets and the white fireplace look great. Love your arrangement on the mantle.

Now you're happy and the rest of your family is too!

Crisp white sheers on the windows in both rooms will bring the whole look up a notch.

houssaon: white sheers are next! (and maybe removing items on top of cabinets!) Thanks so much for your input!

Like the fireplace-

-However, since you painted it, you might find it difficult to keep the hearth clean and fresh looking. I had that problem several years ago and wished I had placed a flat piece of iron roughly 12 inches front to back and 24 inches wide to catch the soot, ash and misc which come from regular use and cleaning.

-Still favor paint on the walls starting with a light wash (one which would allow the knots to show) as described in my earlier comment.

Good luck and keep us posted!
.

Thanks Chindowny...It's a gas fireplace so we shouldn't have too much trouble. The hearth is wood and easily painted.
Seriously considering whitewashing or pickling the walls. (probably in the fall)

- Thanx for the info on the fireplace.

-Pickling installed wood on the wall is difficult and creates "one mell of a hess." Whitewashing is simple, cheap, easy, and reversible.

Chindowney .... Where can I find good instructions on how to whitewash?

Hi Cheri. The fireplace looks amazing! I hope you'll keep posting the changes. This has been a lot of fun to follow. Lots of good information and interesting ideas.

One place to find whitewashing instructions is here:

http://www.ehow.com/how_12137492_make-white-wash-painted-walls.html

(I included the link and other tips in my original comments to you six days ago.)

must have missed the link....see it now!

Oh Cheri, this is my same issue right now too. I am having a hard time to find pictures which to show my family to get them on board. Please post pictures if you make the plunge. And the fireplace is wonderful!!!

I think I would paint the fireplace brick white and then the island wood a fun color! I think you are right about breaking up all the wood look - so this is another option. It is very cute though - lovely place. Enjoy!

I lived with this same paneling for 30 years because I was afraid the knots would show thru and everybody said, "you don't want to cover that real wood." But I had it painted light beige with white trim and I love it. It lightened the room tremendously and I love it. No regrets.

trudeaudog ... walls still aren't painted. I've been watching trends and it seems that these knotty pine walls are coming back in style (doesn't everything after awhile?) I added white sheers on windows and adding wood floors this fall. Light colored wood floors.

I agree the knotty pine walls are definitely making a come back, but I guess it's the type of room you want. If you're looking for a rustic, cottage-like look the knotty pine walls are it! If you're looking for a more up to date traditional look then painting them and getting rid of the knots would be the thing to do. It all comes down to what kind of look you want your room to have.

Hello Cheri!

Before you start any paint project, you want to ensure that the surface is clean, dry, and dull. When painting over finished paneling, prep is a very important first step. First, rough up the surface of the paneling with a pole sander that has been fitted with a sanding screen (rather than paper). Next, apply an interior oil-based undercoat primer like KILZ Original. It is important not to use a latex base because it would allow moisture to get underneath the paint, causing the paneling to swell and mildew to grow. For the grooves in the paneling, use spackle to fill in gaps and allow it to dry about two hours before sanding. Finish the wall with another coat of oil-based sealer and allow it to dry.
Now the surface can be treated like drywall so you can proceed with applying your preferred top coat.

If you live in an area where products that contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as solvents and alkyds, are banned you will have to find a substitute. We would recommend our newest product KILZ MAX as a substitute to an oil-based primer. It is a water-based primer, sealer and stainblocker developed with new technology that’s formulated to perform like an oil-based product. Currently, KILZ MAX Primer can be found at The Home Depot and Lowe’s stores in California and The Home Depot in Philadelphia, PA.

We hope this helps! Please let us know how it goes, we always love to see before and after photos.

I really like what you did. It brightened and contemporized the room. Have you considered changing the bar stools out to a lighter color that coordinates with the white? Perhaps you can paint or whitewash these. I think it would help to visually bridge the white from the fireplace into the white on the kitchen cupboards.

I painted knotty paneling basement in a mushroom color. It is stunning

Can you send photos of the mushroom color?

Honestly, I liked it better before you started painting everything. Now it just looks like every other house you see now. I know that sound mean, but I think you are only going to hear from people who agree with you. I don't like trendy. White is "in" right now, but that too going to be old and dated in few years and you will never be able to unpaint your brick fireplace or your gorgeous paneling.

This post is 5 years old…..

WHY THE HELL WOOD U ENTERTAIN SUCH AN IDEA?! What a way to ruin beautiful woodwork!!! I am with the rest of your family don’t do it!!! I guess all those shows on TV where they trash perfectly beautiful old homes, and paint all the woodwork white..... I find very disturbing. Good luck with your decision

I painted them white and it was a great decision -- maybe not everyone's choice, but I'm not trying to please everyone!

no regrets on the white walls!