Paint the yellow wall a neutral. Maybe BM Edgecomb Gray or a white. Maybe change out your dining table to a lighter wood tone.

Take pictures IN DAYLIGHT.

Be prepared to hear the wall treatment is very decades ago.

Show all the angles.......all the spaces

Be prepared to hear that a serious de clutter would enhance the view we can not SEE?: )

along with perhaps some paint.

Yes, I realize you only asked about the walls.

" but I would redesign this space in 3d first "

Eazy Interior, what would this accomplish?

I think it is hard to tell why hubby loves the dark wall IMO it makes the whole space look dark and dreary. The best time to take pics is in bright daylight BTW. I do find the space very cluttered but I am minimalist .I find all the dark paint on the other walls actually worse than the wood so maybe start by painting those a really pale sage green I mean just a hint of color then maybe the cedar wall will not need to be touched.. BTW I never find 3 d good to work with

I'm afraid you're likely stuck with the diagonal wood walls.

Paint the walls a lighter color.

You need much better lighting in this room.

Get rid of the torchiere floor lamp. They provide a lot of light but the quality of the light is harsh and terrible.

Your sense of style for the home seems a bit random. You can't just dump a bunch of stuff in a house and think that works. It's as important to say no as it is to say yes to items.

Pick a new location for all those random small pieces of art and select large items that takes your attention away from the wood walls.

I understand why your husband likes it. He feels comfortable with the wood and it represents something special and unique. Perhaps he would be open to keeping some of it but replacing, for example, the wood along the stairway with drywall and a soft color. My dad wanted everything done at once and then never touched-he didn’t like change. He didn’t care that a style was outdated-he was comfortable with the first choices he and my mom had made. Other people are uncomfortable with the chaos the comes with renovations-the work crews, the dust, the upheaval. Some people cannot imagine how the renovations will look. Not everyone can survive a remodel! Perhaps you can help him “see” what removing some of the wood would do for your home by tacking up a painter’s drop cloth over some of the wood. I just saw Beverly’s color change and I think that gives you a good direction to start. That bright yellow is overwhelming, too.

Just here to say that having grown up in Alaska, I get warm and fuzzies when looking at the walls. Normally I’d say paint them, but it’s such a traditional Alaskan element. As a kid, I had so many friends with walls like those. And yours don’t look cheap. Definitely try painting that gold accent wall either light to brighten it or dark green or deep grey to lean into the moody. Good luck, whatever you do.

The OP wrote: "he dark diagonal cedar walls are dated and dark but my husband likes it. Ideas that will satisfy both of us?"

Yes, it is dark, especially at your latitude in winter. I suggest you install additional LED track lighting or linear LED strip lighting that will light up the wood panelled walls. Pick one wall to start. The track heads in your fixture over the staircase are doing a great job of illuminating the wall and artwork.

LEDdrop® Lighting | LED Strip Lights + Aluminum Channels · More Info

Modern New Home - Ground Up · More Info

I love the walls, and wouldnt change any of them. They look to be good quality too. I do not like all the small art pieces all over the place, it makes it look cluttered. Replace and add new lighting, and I agree, your furnishings, dont all go together. It can be a beautiful room, without a whole lot of effort. I should have added, switch your light bulbs, to led daylight type bulbs, 3500-4000 and it will also help brighten up that room, and the gold wall, isnt helping at all. It needs to be painted a light and bright color.

I like the wood walls. Maybe remove all the small art pieces and use a larger ones. It would look much cleaner.

Better lighting will be essential no matter what changes you make. Nothing makes a room light except light.

That said, light needs something to reflect off of rather than be absorbed. Dark colors absorb light, so you will need to have some lighter surfaces.

I understand why your husband loves the wood. Wood has a warmth and charm that no other surface can replicate, but more isn't always better. Rooms that have too much wood don't allow the wood to be special. It is just a lot of the same thing. (Think how salt can bring a dish to life, but too much makes it just salty.)

In your space, give some thought about where the wood could stay and where you can add contrast so that the wood has the opportunity to be the star of the room. You get light and bright and your husband gets to keep his beloved wood - just not all of it.

I love the wood walls. I feel like the lack of proper lighting is really the problem. Invest in that.

Do you have any pictures from the day time that show the whole room? It's really hard to tell what is going on here.

Thanks for making all the suggestions! It is starting good conversations in our household. The wood is a red cedar. I like a certain amount of warmth that it gives and the classic Alaskana feel but agree it would be better as a highlight. Decluttering - absolutely, that is just the story of our life. I like to make art, especially colorful probably my haphazard solution to dark walls and dark winters.… here are some daytime pics…still darkish. I agree with a large statement piece on the large wall on stairwell…I always laugh that people give Alaska art for weddings frequently but we live here with these views so not necessarily needed on our walls!

I wasn’t going to post but seeing your daylight pics I just had to say that your views are gorgeous ! I definitely get the warm and fuzzies with the wood. 🫠 I do also understand why you are also feeling a need to lighten. See if you can go large and light in your art for the wall above the stairs. Shop your existing art for the lighter hues. Try grouping your lighter, smaller pieces in front of your windows and removing those darker pieces altogether. Table cloths can be a nuisance, but a light toned one could break up the dominance of wood in your furnishings. There might be another covering that provides a lighter finish here. That, with the color change on the strong mustard wall and rethinking lighting , might help create the lighteners you are craving.

Have been thinking about your lighting. I see you have two of the up lights. Some aren’t fans but they have their uses. Try some repositioning, the one at the corner of the couch is in a good position however the second could work well between the front windows and side door. With the walls repainted to a lighter color, it will help illuminate without having to have the overhead light on. To illuminate the middle section of the room, see if you can find a tall or mid height lamp with a cream shade that will throw light gently around. These ones caught my eye…

Better lighting for sure and IMO a much lighter actuall wall color then see about the wood