What can I do to lighten up dark brown paneling on my walls?
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I just got thru stripping wallpaper off of mine, but knew it was dark brown underneath. After doing research, I'm going to clean it, use two coats of tinted primer, and two top coats. I may even use built-in primer. All my research said be prepared for several coats of whatever you use. I know from stripping the wallpaper, that the wood soaks up anything with moisture in it. It will tend to leave an uneven finish within proper cleaning and number of coats
You can paint it, or whitewash it, or you can even fill in the grooves and paint if you want it to look like a flat wall, here are links on these:
http://www.hgtv.com/design/decorating/design-101/painting-wood-paneling
http://www.craftaholicsanonymous.net/how-to-update-wood-paneling
https://annieselke.com/its-a-wash
https://www.todayshomeowner.com/video/how-to-fill-grooves-in-paneling-before-painting/
I had knotty pine paneling and I painted it with a good grade of interior latex paint in a satin finish. Make sure you scrub it really well and get all the oil and dirt off before painting. Use a good covering agent, like KILZ, and let it dry completely before applying paint. It should only take one coat if you use the KILZ first. And as Dysko said, you can fill in the grooves if you want it to look like a flat wall.
Give your panels a good cleaning, then decide on a paint color. You will be amazed at what a difference a lighter color paint will make in your room. And the grooves will actually add a nice texture to your room and look entirely different than the paneling does now. Some people have taken the time to fill in the grooves, but I rather like the vertical lines. If you're really brave and want to add some pizazz you could vary the shades of paint used and use the vertical lines as separation points. Maybe do this on just one wall to tie your decor colors together.
Paint with primer & paint in one. I used Killz on mine. Be sure there is adequate ventilatio.
Paint it or remove it.