Wednesday, November 3, 2010

I've Got Problems


I've got problems.

Every house does. One of our problems is 1976 is still alive and well. In our foyer.

No windows, a dark wood door (also windowless) and vast amount of wood paneling. Ack!

My thinking is that I will fill the top half of the paneling in and paint it (maybe the color of our tv wall in the living room?), put a chair rail around the middle, and paint the bottom half white. Kind of like wainscoting? Well thats the thought anyways. Except, I can't figure out how to fill in those little groves of the paneling without it looking like, well...like wood paneling that got filled in. Any suggestions for products?!

Then I could paint the cabinet (currently housing pullups) a fun color, 


and add a row of hooks for the children's backpacks under the "H" frame. 



What I'd really love is a new front door. With a window! Ooo, the possibilities!

Of course, the thought of installing a new front door ourselves scares me to death. What if we do a shabby job and the bad guys can just push it over and get in!? Or the snow. That would be bad as well.

If anyone has experience with covering wood paneling or installing front doors so bad guys and snow can't get in, share the knowledge!

5 comments:

  1. I love the idea. as well I could help Adam with the front door.

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  2. The previous owners in our house cut the paneling at chair height, took out the top half, and put a chair rail along the top of the left over paneling. Since then, we have painted the paneling and chair rail the same color and the non-paneled part a different color. It looks decent, but we suggest taking all the paneling out. Pending on what is underneath, you will probably only have to patch parts of the drywall. Then, you are free to paint it however you like!

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  3. Not a bad idea, but a lot of work for an unknown outcome. I painted paneling in a different house and it looked good. just trim it out top and bottom then all the grooves, then you can roll and it will go fast. Don't skip the primer.
    Pottery Barn has a mudroom or two with paneling in the mudroom, it looks really good!

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  4. Plan B is in the works involving chair rails, liquid nails, and thin sheets of wood (luon? sp?)...oh and loooooots of primer!

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  5. I have done wallpaper over paneling. I used a sizer paper first and it went across, then did regular wallpaper over it. I haven't shopped wallpaper for years but ther used to be paper that was textured to put over such things. Also, you could possibly mud over it and paint, as if you were doing drywall. If you paint paneling, buff it up abit so that the primer or paint will stick.

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