Merely painting laminated-wood paneling doesn’t necessarily make it appear modernized. The right color, lighting, care and savvy techniques can make your old striped walls appear chic and contemporary.
Clean It
Scraped or dirty walls not only read as obsolete, but make the house appear poorly kept complete. Wash the painted paneling from ceiling to floor. Fill any gouges or scratches with joint compound, sand them smooth, and touch them up with matching paint.
Fix It
If old paint appears to be lifting off the paneling, it is likely that both walls weren’t sanded to abrade timber laminate’s glossiness or they weren’t primed using an appropriate smooth-surface primer for paint adhesion. In this instance, scrape and sand the compromised areas smooth, before applying primer and a couple coats of fresh paint.
Light It Up
Lighting is paramount to wall colour credibility, and also a well-lit house looks airier, fresher and more contemporary than a dark, dreary house. If the current paint color is off-white using a gray or yellowish tinge, for instance, it might look OK in a bright room, however vintage-gone-wrong under poor lighting. Replace yellowish light bulbs using daylight or full-spectrum bulbs through, and mount draperies wide or blinds high so that when they’re drawn they completely reveal the windows.
Give It Gusto
Play to your own paneling’s vertical grooves using a vertical strie or striped effect; vertical lines make low ceilings appear higher. For translucent stripes, mix about 3-parts glaze with 1-part paint that is two or three shades darker than the walls’ current colour. Roll the coloured glaze on the wall, working in 1- or 2-foot widths. Before the glaze dries, conduct a wide, dry, heavy-bristled paintbrush down the wall, forming the strie effect. Keep a dry rag handy to clean your brush as you operate.
Fill It
If you believe that your walls would appear more contemporary without paneling grooves, fill them with drywall joint compound, bout only if the laminated panels sense stable once you push on them. Paneling that flexes can result in cracked joint compound. If the walls are stable, wash them before filling the grooves with a couple of thin layers of chemical, letting them dry — and also shrink — overnight, between layers. Sand the filled areas smooth, apply drywall primer, and then paint.
Repaint It
In case your painted paneling is OK as-is, but in a color that is obsolete or simply doesn’t work with your decor, then repaint it. A few coats of a impartial silvery-gray, gray-beige, tan or buttery-white paint provides time-savvy style. For a dimly lit area, avoid washed-out or mid-tone paint color, and, instead, complement your decor with a warm, saturated shade — abundant gold, burnt orange, cranberry — to give timeless elegance.