Monday, May 18, 2009

Paneling Plans

It's not on my goal list....but I really would love to add faux paneling to our dining room. Then I saw a photo that really pushed my urge over the edge. Check it out:


Look at all the purtiness! Yes ma'am. It's cozier than siamese triplets in a sleeping bag! But as much as I wanna wrap myself up in that rouched quilt and lean back on that greige ornate headboard, the center of my attention is that faux paneled wall. The white on white paneling is just so stately and classy and well, hotter than "the Rachel" in '95.


In my twisted mind, the perfect place for faux paneling is in our room dedicated to eating bacon. Currently, we have the trim painted in Benjamin Moore's Pastel white base. Above the chair rail is Valspar's Dusty Trail. Below is Olympic's Stony Creek. Yes, I am playing a little menage a trois on paint brands...they understand, I just can't be tied down.


Bada boom bada bing. Here you go - the photoshopped version of what my dining room could look like with some non-silicone enhancements. What do you think? If I added some trim and painted it all white to make it look like paneling on the lower half of the room, is it too contrast-y? Eventually I want to stain the buffet to match the table - so take that into account when you make your decision. Is it too light, too white, too bright, too (quick, what rhymes with ite?) - I really would love all twenty of you guys to give your input...and I quite possibly think that this decision could change my life. And yes - it is the bacon that makes me melodramatic :)

60 comments:

Ros said...

I love it! I think it's just the finishing touch the room needs to take it from fab to out of this world. It's definitely lighter and brighter, but still feels grounded and cozy.

Laura said...

I say go for it! My husband refuses to let me do that in our house so I'll have to live vicariously through you :-)

Jen said...

Go for it! If you want to try it before you buy it, just paint the lower half of the wall white and see how you like it. If you don't like it, no harm no foul, just paint it back. If you do like it, go ahead and add the trim, caulk and give it another coat. Bonus: You've done a couple of coats without the trim, which will be quicker and easier than doing it with the trim up. It's win-win all round!

Sarah said...

I think it's be a great addition to your bacon room. But then I'm a bit biased, I love me a bit-o-panelling!

Unknown said...

I think the faux paneling would look great. My sister-in-law has it in her dining room and it looks really luxe!

Holly said...

I love it!! My parents have old panel doors painted white set all around the lower half of their living and dining areas - the result is fabulous!!! I definitely say go for it!

Shannon said...

Do it!

I have no adjectives to describe what it would look like except for reeeeal niiiice. (Said in my best cousin Eddie from National Lampoon's voice).

Katie @ Loves of Life said...

I like it! My parents just did this to their dining room. I am going to send you a picture of their room via my iPhone...so look for it. It will be coming from katieballa@gmail.com

Love your blog ;)

Katieballa.blogspot.com

Megan said...

I love the idea of creating faux paneling! I think it would look great!

Ashley B said...

I would get say that if you go for it, you should paint above the chair rail a darker color. Perhaps the color that's underneath the chair rail currently? I think that would make the walls pop a little more.

Lynsey said...

I love it! Go for it. It really gives a clean and finished look.

Sarah said...

I absolutely love it! It think it looks bright and cozy. I would definitely want to eat in there (especially if you're having bacon)!

NEPD said...

Do it!

Unknown said...

I think it would look fantastic! I say go for it QUICK. Before you change your mind.

Laurel @ Ducks in a Row said...

We did this in our dining room - dark paint on top, white on bottom. My husband put up the moldings. It looks awesome - we get tons of comments on it. We wished we had used a chunkier molding, but oh well.

Suzanne said...

This dining room pleases my sight.
Your photoshopped room is so bright!
I would like to eat there with all my might!
If I saw the room in your home I would say, "That's tight!"
If you don't do this, I will put up a fight.
But be sure the panelling is at the right height.
I'll come help you tomorrow night.
When we're done we can have a bite.
Sounds good, right?

yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay rhyming!

Rebecca said...

Definitely go for it! We have the chair rail molding in our dining room and we're going to add some trim to the bottom, too.

Jessica said...

I think it looks beautiful with the white paneling! Go for it!

Tracey said...

hi...long time reader, first time commenter.
As an interior designer in good ol' Australia i would like to add my two bob, and (as i am prone to do) i would like to go against the flow of the rest of the comments..... Personally i think that the idea of the panelling is great and adds a new dimension to the space - but making it a lighter colour would not be something i would advise my clients. I think it gives the effect of the room almost closing in on you.
Anyway...on a perkier note - love your blog and 98% of your tastes ;)

Erin said...

I dig it. You should do it.

Emily said...

I love love love paneling in dining rooms. So traditionally elegant (as long as it's white on white - when you're painting the raised mouldings other colors, it starts to look a little country). Go for it!

LA said...

I vote YES! I think it looks fab! Oh, by the way, this is my first post. The more I read about you the more I discover that we have SO MUCH in common! I'll write again soon...gotta go let the handyman in...we're getting new counter tops today! Yippee-skippee!

Katie said...

Hey Ya'll - loving the feedback...definitely the biggest decision of my life here...so thank you for your input!

Hi Holly - those doors sound fantastic!

Hey Katie - I just got the photo - man...did they install it themselves? Because it looks great.

Dear Ash B - I was afraid to darken the upper color because I don't want to create a cavernous effect. It would be bad if I was eating bacon in there and all of a sudden felt like the ceiling was coming down on me...it would ruin the pork experience :) So you are thinking that it wouldn't feel that way?

Suzanne - your rhyme is a delight! heehee!

Hi Tracey - yeah, see that was exactly what I was afraid of. Maybe I need to research more photos to get a better feel for this idea...the Lily&Serena photo doesn't really show EXACTLY what I wanna do...just gives me inspiration :) Thanks for the wake-up call!

XO - Katie

Familyoffoxes said...

But if you did that, wouldn't you have to ask the guy for more untinted base! That *could* be a hassle! ;) But if it's worth the hassle... :)
Looks good to me! Go for it!

Anonymous said...

I agree with several that have said go darker on top if you go with the paneling.

While all this remodeling talk is nice, I prefer info on the nitty gritty. Is your house really as clean as it is in the pictures or is it secretly messy?? Do you make your bed everyday? What about Sherry from TYH? Do you think her house is ever messy or does she make her bed while she's still in it? : )

Katie said...

Dearest Emily - funny thing is, I googled the different colored mouldings and the first one I found WAS country...countryliving.com to be exact!

See: http://www.countryliving.com/cm/countryliving/images/Faux-Bathroom-Paneling-Green-RENO0407-de.jpg

Hi Family of Foxes - you are right....better make sure I have on my Erin Brokovich outfit!

XO - Katie

Katie said...

Hi Anon - man, you missed the opportunity the other day to ask anything you wanted about Sherry! Bummer...but no worries...I talked to her directly and she said that her house does gets messy at times too. Not like mine though because I am a packrat & she is a minimalist. And I will have to get back to ya on the bed-making-while-still-in-it question.

My lovely boyfriend makes our bed everyday...he also cleans our house and works fulltime. Yeah...he's bionic.

XO - Katie

Liz said...

Love it, and love your color combo - it will look fab! I've been dying to do this in my dining room, so I can't wait to see how it turns out. Keep us posted!

Rachel said...

I love the original color combination, but think this adds even more spice to your life. I love how the panels mimic(sp?) the lines/shapes to your mirrors.

Lovely!

Anonymous said...

I loooooove the paneling. DO IT!

lets-do-diy said...

Hi,

I would say go for it as well.

I think it looks good. I do however believe the room looks good even if you decide against the change.

Amy said...

go for it! i think it would look great!

Anonymous said...

I always look forward to your posts in my RSS feeder! Love, love your blog.

Okay, I got to go against the flow a leetle beet myself here. I love, LOVE the paneling! Really want to do that in our master suite eventually. BUT, I think the white is bit too bright in there. I really love your green on green going on right now (but then, I'm always a sucker for COLOR). I would like to see you do the paneling for sure, but paint it the same Olympic's Stony Creek green as you have on the lower half currently. It'd be quick and easy to just paint the trim with any leftover paint to start. You could try it and then always cover it all white eventually!

But then to brighten the room, I would like to see the buffet go white instead of matching the table! It'd make that POP from behind the table. :)

OR!! Option B:

Go ahead with the white paneling below, and paint the buffet in green. Maybe lightly distressing the edges? That would really look interesting! Either way, I like the idea of not matching the buffet and table for the added interest.

So that's my two cents! :) Can't wait to see what you do!

www.TamaraAndTim.blogspot.com

Mrs. McB said...

To be honest, I like it the way it is. Not that the photoshop version doesn't look amazing, but I like they look you have. However, I say go for it. :)

Ashley B said...

I don't think it'd feel like the walls closing in on you (and now I'm thinking of Star Wars and a trash compactor!)... obviously don't paint black on the walls. I just think something darker than what you currently have on the upper portion would make it stand out more. It doesn't necessarily have to be as dark as the current lower portion. If you leave the upper, and go with white/cream/light color on the bottom, it's all light walls and dark furniture, light accents. I think a darker upper wall, even if just slightly darker, would help even out the space.

Carry Grace said...

I think you should do it. I love the way it brightens up the space.

Jen @ RamblingRenovators said...

Too light, too white, too brigt? Nope - just right! I think it looks fab.

Ashley said...

Hmm. I'm undecided. I think your living room looks gorge before but I think the 2nd look is pretty snazzy too!

PS Had bacon with my breakfast.. it was Uh-mazing!

Girlymominaboysworld said...

Hey Katie. I say JUST DO IT!! But, I agree...paint the top a little bit darker for contrast. It's going to be beautiful. We just did our dining room walls in a deep gold and the wainscoting in white and it's stunning. I can't wait to see it!!!

Monogramchick said...

I LOVE the insipration room and the paneling....go for it!! Definately not to contrasty-contrasterson!

Brandy said...

Your so funny! I love it! Go for it girl! I have it in my dining room and LOVE it.

BTW, I re-did my dining room table, I posted some before and afters on site! Check it out and let me know what you think.

Also, I need help with the upholstery suggestions!

claire @ a peachtree city life said...

i think that would look great - i've been looking into this recently and it seems like such an easy thing to do to make a room more personalized. i personally like it lighter the way you show it.

also, speaking of bacon - i ran across this today and thought of you! www.baconnaise.com

Anonymous said...

I love the paneling. I have pictures of paneled dining rooms in my "house ideas" folder for later.

aimy said...

the paneling is cool. i'm just writing to say that i love bacon, too. i like it when it's super crispy, but the grease somehow is suspended in there. when you bite... mmmm.... crispy goodness. ok... i think i've gone too far. love the blog!

Katie said...

So much to think about...my head quite possibly could explode. I see most of you are Nike gals & saying "JUST DO IT!". Maybe the best approach is to do this changeroonie in stages and let you guys say YAY or NAY. Or maybe I should try to find one of those 8balls with the floaters...hee, I said floaters :)

XO - Katie

p.s. Claire - you are a genious. I gotta get some of that.

pxlgirl said...

DO IT!

LyndsAU said...

ohhhh i like it. that's kind of like what we have in our HUGE extra room that you are gonna graciously help me figure out what the CRAP to do with :) ha!

bagfashionista said...

i love it! I'm wanting to have panelling done in our basement family room...but since that room technically really isn't a room yet (it's still unfinished) and it usually takes the hubby a thousand years to finish a project, it'll be 2 thousand years before i'll have it. Unless i can figure out how to dump baby onto an unsuspecting "Babysitter" and just do it all myself...sorry, i'm getting sidetracked...=p

Emma said...

That is fantasteriffic! I appreciate (don't I sound like an Iron Chef judge?) the contrast between white and the color above the "Phantom Paneling". It lends itself to a much more cozy yet traditional feel. After you've stained the buffet, you will be cooking with gas, girl!

angela said...

Love you, love your blog. I just found you last week and I will never be the same again.
YES- you should do it! The room looks really nice as is, but I think this would be an upgrade.
Thanks for asking.

Katie said...

Bagfashionista - try to find a grandma...they love babies...even if they aren't related to them. And I hear ya on those unfinished basements - they are so easy to imagine but so hard to finish :)

Hi Emma - I always cook with gas....oh wait, nevermind. And I love the Iron Chef shoutout...they certainly appreciate more than I do :)

XO - Katie

JOSH AND LAURA said...

LOVE the paneled/white "after"! Definitely a "DO." And while I may not love white as much as a certain Sherry we are all familiar with, I think it looks perfect in your dining rooom - totally classy!!

slip4 said...

I love it with the panelling! Go for it. And it looks like you have more than 20 people following you now!

Luuvely said...

hheeey..my frist time commenting! lol cool! i really love the paneling! you should go for it...

but my BIGGER question is..where is the pink quilting bedding from??

Katie said...

Hi Luuvely - welcome to the commenting world...believe me, it gets more fun :) The bedding and everything else in that photo is from Lily & Serena...it's kinda like Pottery Barn Kids but more romantic, right? Click on the photo and it should take you directly to the site.

Hey Slip4 - it must be a fluke...and you don't know it yet, but I am related to every single commenter...even you. What's your name again? :)

XO - Katie

southern gal said...

GOrgeous - go for it!

Katherine said...

love it! i actually like it better than the current color. very pretty! if you do it, please post about it! i'd like to know how you do it!

Thrifty Decor Chick said...

I do all the molding in our house and YES you should do it! But no, you don't have to paint out the bottom in white. You could just do white molding with the darker color and it will look great with the chair rail! Good luck!

Kim @ NewlyWoodwards said...

Do you know that you KILL me???? KILLin me with this.... I already covet your dining room (Forgive me) and you are going to do this?? If I show up at your door and insist that I see your Dining Room in person, do not be surprised.

millsmom said...

What's to decide? It's perfect and will make your room fabtastic! I love it. BTW, I'm a here by way of TYH, and I have to say you're such a cutie patootie! I now read 2 blogs- TYH and yours :) Love from another southern girl (Mobile, AL)!