You have the knotty pine paneling in your basement, just like what I have in my family room. I thought about painting it before we moved into our house but I'm glad I did not because I now love it and so do the rest of my family. If you do not love the paneling like I do, the fastest and most economical way of changing the paneling would be to paint it.

If you're planning to completely renovate the entire space, I would suggest removing the paneling and drywalling. If you're planning to just do minor cosmetic updates to make the space more visually appealing, I would whitewash or paint the paneling.

Hello

If your budget allows I would drywall over the paneling.

You could also sand it and then do a nice wash on the paneling to lighten things up.

On the fireplace you can cover it or add drywall and totally change the face with a different stone or paint.


Great nice space to have though.

Best of luck !

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I think I will paint the paneling first and then drywall when I have the time 1 or 2 wall.

Do you think the 2 tone look like the last picture will work in my space? Thanks

Yes! The two toned walls would look great! People do that all of the time even when they are not painting over paneling.

Before covering up the fireplace, try a steam or chemical cleaning of the stone to brighten it up. Perhaps replace the hearth stones with a single slab of granite or other stone for a more modern feel, and add a hefty mantel.

Painting would be the easiest solution. Wash with TSP, or sand it down a bit for the paint to adhere. You will either need to prime with 2 coats of Kilz, and then apply paint. Or you can spend more $ and less time and buy milk/chalk paint like "Annie Sloan." You can do two lighter tones that don't contrast much, as in the photo above or keep one color. Why would you remove or change the stone? People pay big buck$ for stone or stone "looking" fireplace surrounds. I agree about washing if it needs to be cleaned and I would add a big chunky mantle. I would not suggest painting the bar base. It gives the space some personality. Good luck!

To paint my knotty pine paneling:
Sanding: Liquid sanded with product from Home Depot to soften shellac,
Caulk all joints with bathroom silicone caulk, it has more elasticity than white lightening! Moves with the wood.
Primed with a special wood primer from Benjamin Moore, dries slower, adheres better to the wood and covers knots well.
2 coats of semi gloss paint. The semi gloss sheen calms with age and give the wood a nice feel and shows off the texture.

got to prime to covet knots or they bleed through later.

I would take down the paneling above the bar.

Here's my take...it sounds like you want to completely re-do the space as time and budget allows.

Before I touched the panelling? I'd paint that awful floor. That will almost instantly take you out of the 60's/70's time-warp that basement is in. Don't pick too weird or too dark a colour.

The paint will be a quick-fix until you figure out what your grand plan is for the space.

Then paint all the panelling white. You don't really need colour, just paint. Then when you have time and money? Rip it all out and drywall. Start with a fresh slate. Then you can bring it up to 2016, instead of being in a time-warp. Drywall allows you more options. Paneling is limiting.

Looking at the height of your ceiling and the amount of paneling? I would not do two-tone paint in there. It will make your room look and feel smaller. Wainscoting doesn't usually take-up that amount of wall-space, which is why the two-tone look can sometimes work.

Also, that paneling trim above the bar on the short wall at ceiling? Cringe. That is definitely an old idea for walls!

I'd keep the paneling only on the bar. But sand and stain it darker when the time comes. Dark walnut or similar. Replace the bar top with something else. That would be a great time to use your personality and creative side. Google bar tops for ideas.

That aluminum or metal siding in your inspiration pic. is awesome! The black ceiling works in that space because of the height of the ceiling. It may not work as well in your space.

The grey room looks a bit "middle-aged" in comparison. I like it except for the grey and the wainscoting and the too many photos...I would rather see it with white/light walls and darker stained wainscoting and beams like the darker doors. But that's just me.

I'm not a fan of wainscoting in general. I like naked walls, lol.

Good luck with your space. Happy decorating/renovating!

Ok, I don't like either, but just to say knotty pine and cork are back in fashion. Yup, the 70s are back and the young uns think its cool...

Faint...

Please tell me that is not a cork floor?? It looks like it is battleship linoleum to me.

Tribs? I will never like that paneling, lol. I'm all panelled out for my lifetime...20 years of cedar paneling was more than plenty in childhood home, lol.

Well, macrame, caramel leather, dark green, terracotta, exposed brick, are all back in too!

oh, and the '80s as well!

I would strip the knotty pine & then clear coat it. It will take all the orange out & look more modern. Painted knotty pine looks goofy with all the knots. Area rug...you need one. Pick one. Probably 8x 10 or so. Light color. Linen-ish color. Then paint the upper dry walled are & your dropped ceiling panels (best to spray them) all the same dark gray color called Grizzle Gray. SW DURATION home, with a kilz primer. It will make tour ceilings look a lot taller. And the gray will compliment the floor.

I think I would paint the stairs & the trim black. Semi gloss for trim, flat for wall/ceiling color. Love the floor!!! Keep all the hardware & lights. Very cool

The floor is actualy osb thats was cut into small planks and clear coated. A lot of time and effort was put by previous owner in this room! Stripping the paneling is out of the questions with all the grooves that would take forever and be messy and awful job.

I did not plan to cover the fireplace but I will look into ideas for mantle like you said and wondering what to install on the wall on top.

The top trim piece above paneling is actualy about 6 inches deep. From what I understand I should paint the paneling and wall the same color. It needs to fit with yellow floor color.

May I ask what is that over the tv? And in the corner beside the fireplace?

Over the tv is a cork panel and to the left of the fireplace that a 18in subwoofer and right is fireplace stuff

Then really you have already answered your own questions and solved your own problems. :-)

Cheers.

No, it was all me, I did it, that will be $50,000 please. Unless it doesn't work out, in which case it was Luvourhome's idea.

Lol. Yep. Blame me. I get blamed for everything, lol.

I can only please people on days that end in y. Today's not your day, and tomorrow's not looking too good either.

At least give him instructions for how to macrame, Tribble. Come on, what kind of designer are you?? His plants won't be the same without a groovy hanger!

I did do macramé back in the day. I did it with creamy white kitchen string with an assortment of macramé stitches to make a wall hanging. It looked like lace.

I never did do macrame. It wouldn't be too hard to learn. Some of it is really neat.

Speaking of lace...my Mom used to make crochet lace, tatted lace, and incredibly, Bobbin lace. (Among all her other crafts/sewing/quilting/cake decorating/baking/gardening, etc., etc.)

I could probably sell (not that I ever would) a Bobbin Lace bookmark for $100.

She used to make altar linens and edgings as well. Beautiful stuff.

I'm not surprised that macrame is back though. Nor all the tops and skirts with fringe trim.

I'm looking for a pair of leather gladiator sandals that lace-up to the calves. I wanted a pair of those as a kid, lol. Now they are in again, and I'm going to splurge. They're so fun. I have long enough legs to pull them off. Otherwise they can make legs look shorter, like an elf, lol. (Or was it a Hobbit?) I forget what the sales girl said the other day...

We removed it from a wall in our home and it came off easily, with very few nail holes to repair. No new drywall was needed. It may be less work than cleaning, priming and painting the wood.

Here are the after pics if you wanted to see them

Looking good!

Big improvement! Are you happy with the result? Any tips for people who might want to do the same?

Oh wow, what a huge difference with the paint! It looks great! I like how you kept the railing as is. It is a nice contrast and works to tie the floor in.

Where's the dart board going to go?? ;-)

Thanks for posting the after shots.

That looks great!! Really brightens it up down there. I think it would look nice if you just got some more stone like that on the fireplace wall and just finish it on up to the ceiling. You should be able to find some like that. Then take that trim piece down and put up a nice mantle over it. That would make it look complete. Great job!!! Thanks for showing us the after pictures.

Suggestions on how to do this bar and wall to get rid of orange and with top of bar a different color to go with the floor.