It looks AMAZING! Thanks so much for sharing! I'm going to go ahead and paint my woodwork too (1940 house) -- it feels so fresh, rather than "old lady" ... and since I'm getting to be (age-wise) an "old lady", I want fresh, light, lively around me, not dowdy, feels-like-my-folks' house. Hard to be brave enough to break the taboo on painting natural wood woodwork. I honor you. I will emulate you!

great job!!

What bothers me is the fact that people don't appreciate wood anymore. This room was a beautiful example of Mid Century style and could have been restored to Magnificence. It is Heather's house and she is allowed to do what ever she wants to it. It is very well done and the color is a great grey. It just kills me to see what appears to be really good quality wood veneer paneling painted over. If you don't want a vintage Mid Century House, don't buy one and destroy it's character. I have nothing against you Heather, you did a nice job with your design, It's just not what I would have thought for that room.

Turn off HGTV Folks and tune int www.retrorenovation.com

It was beautiful until they added that hideous furniture.

I love everything about this renovation! Everything came together so beautifully! You have every reason to be proud of all your hard work!

It's your home and you can do what you please! This makeover gives me some better eyes to see potential in houses. I *hate* paneling. I love the contrast color also. I've yet to see a wood veneer panel home that I liked.

P.S. Disregard all of those mean people who are criticizing your taste. They're just mean spirited.

What is the paint color you used?!?! I love it and would really like to do a room that shade!

Tony, thanks for the explanation! I definitely get what you're saying--and truth be told, I got grief from more than one person (including my own father, haha!) when I decided to paint the maple beams and the wood paneling. It's who I am: I've never been a fan of wood grain. I even painted my grandmother's 1960s Ethan Allen hutch (again, my dad cringed). Lots of people appreciate wood grain, but it doesn't go with my style. I REALLY appreciate it in other's homes, however. I tell myself: if I ever decide to go back to wood someday, I can always strip and refinish the beams! There is still beautiful maple under there.

It's a 1950s home with a LOT of unique mid-mod homes in the area. But the exterior of our home is actually very cottage-like. Yellow siding and white trim with diamond cross-hatch windows, so I feel like the white and gray interior matches it really well. It almost has a New England feel to it. Our home is not mid-mod, and I totally agree with decorating/renovating to match the era and style of your home.

Either way--I totally appreciate and accept that any other person could go in a completely different direction with this home. It's my home and I disliked the wood and knew it wouldn't go well with all my colorful furniture. And my 1950s & 1960s vintage Pyrex collection looks great in it, as well as my other quirky vintage items. I'm actually an antiques/vintage vendor. These photos don't show it, but there's a lot of mid-century in my home still ;-)

P.S. Tony--I really do love vintage! I plan to get a Smeg refrigerator when we re-do the kitchen ;-) The bathroom vanity is going to be a mid-century furniture vanity with a sink added.

@Kasi Rose the paint color was from The Home Depot. Seal Gray by Glidden in satin and Swan White by Glidden in semi-gloss.

Thanks so much! It looks beautiful :)

And yes--curtains are coming--as well as a lot of other changes ;-) Keep in mind, we've only been moved in for a WEEK! I have SO many plans for this home.

Heather I am also a antiques/vintage vendor. I absolutely love what you've accomplished and the way it flows!!! You have brought a dark home back to life. The colrs you chose really give it a cottage feel which adds a ton of character. Everyone has there opinion about whether or not to paint wood. I think you did a wonderful job! KUDDOs,,,

Thanks Michelle!!

Post pictures after you add the window treatments! I love the way it looks!

Wow!! Great job, and it looks fantastic! What color is the blue/gray on the walls in the redo? Thanks!!

I found the color on your blog, thanks!

What a difference!!!! Looks magnificent.

What an amazing difference, love the freshness of the colours together.

Love it. Really opens the room up! Very light & airy! Great job!

Did you re-finish the old floors too? If so, the job was even more massive!

beautiful

I think it is just great. You have the home I will have been dreaming of.

Wow amazing what paint can do! Looks great.

Just having gone through a Reno I appreciate this. So dark, so much wood. A little paint totally new room and mood lifter.

Awesome!!!

looks great!

I do flips... You've done a wonderful job of keeping the charm, while updating the space with modern colors and truly making it a cozy home... Very nice!

Cute renovation! Have you thought about a more substantial sized mantle?

I hope to find a similar style home in Denver & so I love seeing what some sweat equity can do to update a tired space making it fresh and suitable for what is attractive to you. Thanks for sharing.

Heather, trust your eye. You're doing a great job of updating the home which was amazing at the time it was built....you're adding new life to it! Don't apologize for your choices.

Heather... great job! I think you've given this room the updated look that it really needed!
I have a question about the hard wood floors. The original floors look to be red oak, did you refinish them or change them out? Stain color...?
BTW.... I am a huge fan of the color gray and always will be :)

This is so awesome. You should be really proud! Wood people can enjoy their wood, and those of us who need more light and color can enjoy our style too. I think the transformation is beautiful.

Awesome! Good eye and ideas. Renovating is so rewarding and fun!!!!

It is amazing what a coat or two of white paint can do!

@suede57 we refinished the original hardwood, it was a lot of work but I love the original floors! We chose Royal Mahagony by Dura Seal (we got it wholesale through a friend who does hardwood floors for a living and that was the brand he recommended) and water based varnish in semi-gloss.

So fresh looking!! Like the house just took a deep breath and shook off the old, dated decor. Great job!!!

I love the before more. What is done is done and yes, it is the owner's house and not mine. If I am on her shoes, I will improve on the windows and fireplace instead.

That looks really cute! So fresh looking!Great job!!!

Nice job... looks great!

Bravo! Job well done! Great choices!

So fresh and bright! We painted our brick fireplace and woodwork, too. Love it!

What a sweet beautiful happy place! Great job!

Nice job. Glad you painted the orangy 1950's paneling. That stuff was EVERYWHERE when I was growing up. It did not get better with age! Just more orange! Love the gray and white, looks very crisp!

It looks great. Did you refinish the floors yourselves?

New to this site and just wanted to say how much I love it!! So many times a comment will mention a door or a piece of artwork that I didn't even see.. Clearly I have so much to learn/ such attn to detail

@nadinemelind yes we refinished them ourselves. So, they're very imperfect, but they're ours and we love them :-)