How to paint paneling and best colors?

Kathy, you are correct. I have painted paneling in two homes. Both walls were in a basement, which was used as daily living space. I painted mine white, whi h resembled the "shipboard" that is popular today. I would suggest to not use a glossy paint. It did not cover well.

Dianne

We bought a home that was all panels on the inside and even warped. We used calking in all the cracks. Then we painted with aroma-free Kilz primer. Then we painted over that. It turned out beautiful. On the warped wall, we sponge painted 3 shades of the same hue to hide the warp look. It did it! Some rooms we put a wall paper border around the top near the ceiling. Hope this helps! It can be done and look professional~

Make sure the paneling is clean and dry. Prime with a good stain blocking primer like Zinsser 123, BIN or Kilz. Then paint like painting regular walls. Acrilyc latex paint will work. If the paneling has grooves you can fill them with non shrink drywall patching compound. Just put on enough to fill the grooves. Let it dry overnight. Next day use a damp sponge to smooth the patch. Then prime and paint.

Here's a great how-to guide to refer to! https://www.hgtv.com/design/decorating/design-101/painting-wood-paneling

We painted our mobile home panelling a warm cottage white - it is so bright and fresh! The color we chose was Swiss Coffee from Behr. Good luck! :)