Fake Wood Paneling Makeover Ideas

Caulk and Wallpaper

Wallpaper is a fantastic substitute for painting over imitation wood paneling if you’d rather avoid it. The problem is that wallpaper by itself is not sufficiently thick to completely hide the grooves underneath. This issue can be quickly fixed by caulking the grooves. When it has dry, sand it and then hang wallpaper on the other walls of your house as usual.

Paint it Pink

Few things can’t be made better with a coat of coral pink paint. Warm pink paint was used to coat this adorable and quaint bookshelf, giving it a cottage-chic feel.

To really grab attention and have your paneling function as an accent wall, think about deviating from white and painting it a bold color.

Paint The Wood Paneling

What is one of the simplest, fastest ways to transform wood paneling? According to Bee Heinemann, marketing director for Vänt Wall Panels and an expert in interior design, “a fresh coat of white paint.”

Add many coats of a bright white paint after using a suitable primer to cover the panel and wood grain. Heinemann claims that it “brightens a room and offers it a rustic, cottagelike style.”

Paint Over It

This bunkroom by Identitè Collective is the perfect choice if you love both color and wood paneling.

Create a Paneled Accent Wall

A paneled accent wall is finer still than a painted one, for sure. If you want an accent wall with a lot of personality, consider adding a wood paneling accent wall to an expansive master bathroom or behind a bed.

Turn The Wood Panels Into Regular Walls

Pick up some drywall compound at your neighborhood home improvement center, then use it to cover up the wood paneling’s recognizable lines and fissures. Sand, prime, and paint the wood in whichever color you choose after that.

According to Heinemann, the finished product should resemble a conventional painted wall.

Paneling? Which panels?

Go Bold With Color

Just because your walls are made of wood doesn’t mean you can’t paint them all a cheerful hue or try out textured paints. Wall paneling or no wall paneling, cover the entire room with a bright lacquer from floor to ceiling for a dramatic effect.

DIY a Built-In

A built-in unit can significantly improve a space and give it an upscale, premium feel. For a bookcase or desk for your home office, you can DIY the style with floating shelves and wood paneling. To add some color, paint it mint green.

Add Stripes On The Panels

Perhaps you have been viewing those wood grooves incorrectly.

Heinemann advises painting the grooves of the paneling a different color than the paneling slats to “produce stripes or lines in the panel walls for a whole distinct look.”

Some patterns may even resemble pine, oak, or other kinds of wall paneling.

Cover Them in Black

Is this the most seductive restroom ever? In our opinion, yes. Smaller spaces can occasionally feel both larger and more personal when painted in a darker shade. It also works well to cover over paneling that you don’t like.

Decorate Behind the Bed

What’s common among the areas behind your couch, TV, and bed? All of them could be challenging to embellish. Consider installing a contemporary wood-paneled wall in the uncomfortable space behind your bed if you’re having trouble finding a solution.

Hide The Wood Paneling Under Art

You can distract attention from your paneling in the same way that a skilled magician might act as though he were to saw his assistant in half so she could slip away via a trap door.

According to Felicia Feaster, managing editor of Scripps Lifestyle Studios & HGTV, “A gallery wall, with art displayed salon-style or the addition of giant mirrors and sculptures, can all distract from a paneled wall of boards.”

Spread Panels Out

Paneling is deliberately painted a deep slate gray, which creates a lovely border around the lighter painted areas of the wall. It makes a geometric design and detracts from the prominence of the ridges.

Go for a Geometric Look

It’s not required for wood paneling to be vertical. Instead, think about going for a more modern, geometric paneling style. For a splash of color that won’t overpower a minimalist area, paint it a soft blush.

Embrace The Wood In A New Color

Why not embrace your wood panels rather than attempting to pretend they don’t exist and never have? Put them in a new, challenging color.

Disguise Panels With a Bookshelf

Paneling can be hidden by built-in bookcases, which can also be decorated with cute items as a backdrop. However, if you really detest those lines, then pile books in front of them until nothing is visible.

Go for Earthy Colors

A bathroom with beadboard paneling is really charming, but you can easily remodel it without ruining the vintage appearance. Choose subtle, earthy hues that offer a hint of interest without coming across as overtly trendy or out of place.

Shellac-Based Primer and Paint

No spackling or sanding is required when covering faux wood paneling with a primer made of shellac. Though slightly more expensive than standard primers, you get what you pay for because it conceals grooves better and dries in under an hour. The project will take a day or less to complete if you use this type of primer, even if you intend to add additional coats of paint.

Cover Panels in White Paint

White paneling instantly brightens a room and gives the boards a charming, cottage feel. (And we are confident that Joanna Gaines would agree.)

Go Narrower

Go thinner if broad wood planks aren’t your thing. The aesthetic of narrower wood paneling can be strikingly contemporary. This is a fantastic way to help define the zones in a home with an open floor plan while yet maintaining a light and airy appearance.