How can I lighten my dark wood paneling walls without painting or wallpapering them?
Asked by Pablo Moya 
3 months ago
Last Updated: October 3, 2024
We’ve got this old house with wood paneling on some walls. Just spent forever peeling off layers of wallpaper. Any tips on how to change the wall color? We want to brighten it up a bit. We were thinking about trying to white wash it with stain, but not sure if that’s a good idea. Should we paint it? Or maybe wallpaper it? Can we even stain wood paneling? Any other suggestions? Not sure what works best on wood paneling. It looks like the picture I attached, but darker. Forgot to take pictures of our own place – it’s a 4-hour drive away.
Interested in painting? Here’s what you do – Wipe down the paneling with acetone to get rid of any residue, then lightly sand it to raise the grain. Prime it with 2 coats of oil-based kill and paint with your preferred latex finish.