What would you do with the oak panels in my dark hall?

Comments (51)

emmalcmurdoch
8 years ago
We have a similar problem. I have painted all the doors leading from the hall in white eggshell, it has lightened it.
emmalcmurdoch
8 years ago
Have attached some photos. We do have glass in our porch door which lets in light too.
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Oh - those hallways are better finished and decorated than some of the rooms we live in Here goes - floor is flag-stone tiles, set in a diagonal pattern. Lovely to look at - nightmare to clean. Half-painted, half timber panelled walls. A small pillar on which hangs all our holy objects - from holy water font ( Vatican), hand-made St Brigid's cross (school), stained class crucifix (Lourdes), Holy Family brass ornament (Knock), Hannukkah menorah (from north London). A beautiful hand-crafted coat rack, designed and made by my 16yr old for Woodwork exam. Here hangs that one-size-fits-all anorak that ended up in the back of the car some years ago and has never been reclaimed. Everyone can use it so no excuse about getting wet or cold when asked to go out to car or out to bin or bring in/put out cat dishes. A myriad of sets of keys that only each owner knows what they are for. Various school-bags, lunch boxes, kit-bags, boots, helmets, hurley sticks, badminton rackets, wellies, hob-nail boots take up temporary residence in the hall until the house-fairy offers to put them away for their owners ie throw them outside the front door where she can't trip over them (amazing how quickly the owners find a proper home for their goods under the threat of a night outside!) A second-hand side board that currently houses family photographs and trophies etc on top and a motley mix of household bills, badminton subscriptions and accounts, Greeting cards and writing paper and other stationery (no biros tho!) a drawer full of hats, caps, scarves, gloves, hi-vis jackets and dog leads. A lovely print of my home county which has 1920 b+w postcards of my town mounted around it. Then there is the oil PAINTING. It is a version of 3 Spirited Horses in a Storm. It is 6ft wide, 3ft high. Has a distinctive lack of colour - brown, cream + khaki - dust colours. OH dug it out of a skip in London in 1988 + delightedly rushed home to hang it in our abode. Except we lived in a 1-bed flat and didn't have any straight wall long enough to hang it on! Undeterred he hung it on the stair-wall. So no option but to look at it. It has followed us ever since and I am heartedly sick of the sight of it. Cannot get him to part with it. How I wish it could get damaged somehow .... Any suggestions ....?
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Hi we specialise in period detailing and panelling and staircases particularly in oak. I will attempt to give you some suggestions from our point of view. //Panelling// My first thought is to keep all of the panelling but to add a bit more style to it which could easily be achieved by adding a simple mouding around the panel as shown below, you can easily source mouldings from a local hardware shop. You could also add a Dado moulding and run it along the top rail of the panelling that goes up the staircase this would make the panelling look really nice. I would then prime and paint all of the panelling in a light colour to give the entrance a lighter feel. create a coat rack area in the porch with a small bench for taking of shoes and it would look like a really inviting entrance hall! //Staircase// Again I think the staircase would look really good painted or stripped and whitewashed like a scandinavian style pine floor, this would lighten the whole area. I really like it when staircases are painted except the handrail however It would need to be stained and polished to look like a contrasting dark hardwood. If you were thinking of installing a new traditional style staircase there would be a cheaper option which would be to clad the strings and posts and replace the hand rail and turnings for oak versions. However I personally would be painting it or whitewashing it and adding mouldings here and there if you need to. good luck!! Applied panel mouldings White washed staircase A recent project of ours with painted panelling with a dado top moulding
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I'm totally with E D on this one. I actually like the wood, and the pale walls, it has a bit of a Barbican vibe to it. I would consider painting the door at the back a very dark colour such as Railings to shorten the space and install some really good quality LEDs. I would keep it pale, if the pure white is a bit cool then F&B Wimborne White takes the edge off the coolness. You could also put in a really bright vintage runner such as a Moroccan one like this. Etsy has lots of beautiful ones.
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Colourhappy, I was thinking the same as I’ve no concept of how light the space could be if I maximise the light. ED I have the one of the photos in your idea book in mine, below (looks like all white walls with the blue and white tiled floor). I’ve also added a couple of similar examples but with darker terracotta tiles similar to mine. They all seem to have gone with all white or white and very light grey. Perhaps that’s my safest route, but as Colourhappy says if I start with white I can go from there. One thing I did read is that in spaces with little natural light, whites can take on a full grimy appearance rather than opening up the area https://www.houzz.co.uk/magazine/8-hallway-colours-that-arent-white-or-grey-stsetivw-vs~123918666 Also can anyone recommend a light grey with a hint of green (not a yellow green but more a warmer more earthy tone) as I think that would compliment the terracotta and other colours in the floor. Thanks everyone for your input! T. Gray - I had to check the F&B website for Old White as I was expecting something more white, but actually it could be just the job. F&B seems to be the go to paint brand with people on here. Is it worth the extra money? All the internal doors are the original pine doors, although the interior entrance door glass isn’t original and I plan to replace it with something more sympathetic, and to my taste, from a local stained glass specialist. I read that Victorian doors were generally intended to be painted. Clearly mine are not and I’m not sure whether to do so - not easy to undo!
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PRO
Perky Designs
8 years ago
You could paint it a pastel colour and add in mirrors where possible, it will completely change the whole look of the space!
PRO
Amber Jeavons Ltd
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Hello mlane846,

I too like the panelling as it is! :)) If you had to paint it.. then I'd suggest a colour that is in keeping with the look.. So it would be muted or dark colours.. green, grey, blues... Think if you moved the coats and left the stand bare... Might be rather nice.. That way you focus on the lovely hallway.. : ))
crowningfashion
8 years ago
If the panellig is original to the property then you should leave it. Whilst you may or may not like it to the outside eye it looks outstanding and has a true wow factor to your hall. If you live in a period property this really makes a statement that guests have arrived! To brighten it you should go for modern art, a bright rug, maybe a matching blind on the door and a colour above the plate rack. Think modern contemporary, the juxtaposition will work well. If the panelling is faux (as my mum once had in her 1930s semi) and is simply ply wood made to look like wood - rip it out. Don't waste time with faux anything and have a modern bright contemporary hallway.
Ash McGregor
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I like the panelling but I'd be inclined to make other changes to make the hallway look less overwhelmingly brown. Consider changing the colour of the front door, the sideboard and the walls above the panels. I'd put a different floor down too (tiles?). Perhaps use the colours in the stained glass as a starting point
stephfallon
8 years ago
I would pain the panelling grey. Light grey is nice but I think a dark grey would be really striking. The key is to add gold, coppers or bronzes in lamps, frames etc and really give it the wow with vivid paintings or photo prints. Just my humble opinion! I think painting it white might make it look a bit cheap, or even caravanish. I'm trying to add photos. Sorry if I don't manage it!
PRO
Treacle Row Interior Design
8 years ago
I agree with supergirlvintage.

Much bigger rug or different flooring. This will help inject colour. I'd make more space for coats so they are a function not something that happens in the corner, - hallways can be functional!

Co-ordinating colour above the wood to tie in with new much bigger rug ( so it doesn't slip around too much) and a lantern type of pendant .

You could also use a mirror above the side table or a really big one propped up behind it to amplify light and space.

If you aren't minimalist use the shelf around the top for colourful plates or similar, to add another layer of colour and interest. Large art canvases / framed pictures would add colour and the wood is a nice traditional back drop for it.

Whatever you do, it needs to work with the rest of your home!
Ruth Payot
8 years ago
manhattan 2 storey apartment, long entrance wherein storage of umbrella, coat, candies, lamp and shoe
enmacp
8 years ago
This is your home, and only you know what kind of feeling you want when you enter your home. If you want to change the look of the timber then you could always start with stripping and re polishing the floor, adding a small border in a darker stain around the edge. Then use the that bordered interior space for a lighter shade rug.
Following that, I would look at repainting the ceiling and walls above the plate rail in the one colour. To make a dramatic change to your lighting, install LED strip lighting around the perimeter of your entry hall on the top of your plate rail which will illuminate the entire wall and ceiling area in a soft but consistent even light.
Finally, if you want to pursue a paint job on your panelling, you could consider stripping the current layer of varnish or stain and apply a lime wash. This would brighten the area in a subtle way while still paying homage to the underlying timber.
But whatever you do, please ensure you thoroughly prepare and seal your surfaces before applying your final finish. Nothing looks worse on panelled surfaces than a bad paint job.

Live with that before tackling a paint job on your pan
suburb
8 years ago
I understand the difficult decision! Personally I don't like the hall with all that wood but I think the comments suggesting other changes might be the compromise you and your husband need?
walksy
8 years ago
My hall and stairs had dark panelling and for the best part of forty years I'd longed for a brighter hallway. Then my daughter and her children moved in. Because it was a dark area, the youngest child was frightened to go into the hall and upstairs unless one of us accompanied her. We thought about painting the panelling white, but when the decorator inspected it, he told us it was plywood. So we ripped it out, skimmed the walls and painted the walls white. What a difference, it's light and bright and more importantly my grandchild is no longer frightened.
scott67
8 years ago
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not paint them. If you are lucky enough to have such a beautiful original feature in your home it would far better to make them work. It would be utterly transformed by changing the floor instead to a pale stone, ceramic, or encaustic tile that complements the space, and then painting the wall area above the panelling and the ceiling in a colour that would help balance the overwhelming brown-ness of the space. Re-think the lighting..by adding wall-mounted lights and a well-placed table lamp you would create warm pools of light on the oak panelling..and create a gorgeous, welcoming atmosphere. I think it would be such a shame to lose the life and soul such a beautiful feature brings to a home.
Najeebah
8 years ago
I, personally, would love and work with them. However, I don't live there...
I agree with your husband, don't paint them - that would very likely spoil it. are you finding it too dark, too much wood, too cluttered?
is there any natural light there?
consider staining. is removing/ replacing/ changing parts to appear bulky to you (beams and ridges)?
as a first step, repaint the wall above the panelling. then try a larger rug/ redo the flooring. remove or change the table in the hall to something less-woody. change the frames of the pictures to something larger and lighter, not brown/wood.
marchmain
8 years ago
I know of a house with oak panelling, and not much daylight, and they installed amazing, bright, carpet. Not pink or red but somewhere in between. Looked fabulous. Really did.
verdigrisjane
8 years ago
If the panelling is original and it looks like it, don't paint. Take everything out of the hall and start with a blank canvas. Lighting is most important. Maybe subtle lighting all the way round the top of the panelling would work? You don't seem to have any natural light when the doors off are closed. Work with the panelling - you could have a display of stunning black and white photos which fit neatly into a section of panelling as a display feature. Or you could soften the austere wood by a large bright wall hanging. Your wooden furniture is heavy and just adds to the wood. How about a pale rattan chest and chair to match?The overloaded coat rack doesn't help, but just adds to the weight. Creamy white off sets wood well and as marchmain says a red tone for accessories will lift and brighten and make the space cosy. Good luck.
chalkandbell
8 years ago
I'm with hubby! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't paint it (and especially not grey!)
It's a beautiful original feature and to me, if I were considering buying your house, painting it would devalue your home.
duffyp2
8 years ago
You could keep the oak but strip the varnish off and give it a more natural contemporary twist with something like Osmo natural Polyx oil. It has a bit of white pigmentation to stop the oak going too dark. It would be much brighter but still keep the original feature- a sort of traditional contemporary compromise, also enhancing the beauty of the oak.
jenniwatson
8 years ago
Don't paint the wood walls ! Celebrate their richness by enhancing the colour and light in the room - a huge brilliantly patterned door curtain perhaps containing sunshine yellow, an unpatterned single colour rug to match and a wall light over a golden framed picture will turn this hall into a delight.
Ray Ray
8 years ago
My parents had a panelled hall rather like your. It was French polished very dark oak which made the hall incredibly dark. They had the panels professionally stripped in situ & then waxed. The natural oak looked lovely, but it wasn't cheap!
taralmaguire
8 years ago
The panelling looks great but could do with brightening. This would be a great background to highlight your dark wood furniture. Have attached photo, good luck !
maymay50
8 years ago
I would paint it in Natural Hessian by Dulux it's a beautiful neutral colour and would make the Hallway bigger and brighter.
PRO
Revive Your Space
8 years ago
I like the advice from duffyp2, exactly what I was going to suggest. Strip the wood back and finish it with a light sealant. Also, I would add strip led lighting above the picture rail as this will light the space beautifully. We have then in our kitchen and they plug straight into a mains socket, so as long as you can conceal the wire they're very easy to install yourself. Get colour changing lights so you can adjust the mood to suit. And throwing a mirror into a space is great for reflecting light, giving a bigger feel and checking your look before you leave the house :)
PRO
SJW Design & Build LTD
8 years ago
Hi Mlane846. I agree the paneling does look great and I agree with quite a few of the comments on here. The lighting in the hall way could be the key to transforming the space, along with the relocation of the coat stand
mrsthing
8 years ago
I'd go for painting the door a light colour, having a light coloured rug and painted furniture instead of brown wood. There also some amazing scenic wallpapers which would look great above the picture rail/shelf.
Emmanuelle
8 years ago
Duffyp1 had the best advice! Osmo wax/oil would be stunning!
corakeating2
8 years ago
This hall is beautiful
stillsmiling
8 years ago
please don't paint, if you do it will look like you are hiding something, as if it was fake, MDF stuff. Leave it, and listen to the good advice on lighting and flooring in the comments above.
PRO
Harris Associates
8 years ago
If it's real panelling then keep it. There are too many fake materials out there. If it's fake then it has to go. If its real, go for a darker, richer finish. It exudes glamour.

Definitely focus on the floor and changing it to something lighter. You have a choice of materials and something functional should spring to mind. A contrasting rug will draw the eye to the floor.

With the limited natural light I would look at rearranging it from one light fitting and spread it out to several fittings. Go for LED fittings or perhaps a Pewter finish/matt black chandelier with LED bulbs. How much light is contained within a space affects its appeal.

Paint the ceiling and frieze area above the wood and drop some pictures that are the same dimensions as the panelling, make them bright pictures. The cornice could be changed to one with a step detail. A mirrored side table and you have a theme entrance.

You will need to think about the heavy coats that make the entrance seem a little lop-sided. Good luck.
stevebrown1939
8 years ago
Maybe you could try placing a bit of white fake panelling in front of the original wood and see how it looks. If you don't like it you haven't ruined your hallway and if you do then at least you know for sure!
paigewells
8 years ago
Bigger budget, change the floor, leave the paneling if it's "real". I like the light toned slate or stone idea, Also you could put lighting all along just above that nice shelf edge at the top, to brighten it above. Light paint up high, to brighten, and something to get you to look up- A bit of a pop with molding in a different shade? fancy chandelier? cool Sconces- what's your style? Smaller budget, a lighter, brighter rug (maybe not practical- kids, dogs? You could have a version for company or not mud season? Or a smaller, mud catching by the door and another further in, centered on the sideboard? Depends on your location and how clean/dirty feet are when coming through that door!) and change the pictures, maybe match/coordinate matting and frames to bring in the light color up top or in the floor/rug? Also depends on your location/climate- You could change it (lamp shades, rug color, possibly even picture matting if you made the frames the easy switch kind) and have 2 palates, (especially if you live where it's cold) a warmer winter one that embraces the warm, close, more formal old English type feel, and then a lighter idea in warmer weather. Coat rack- I also had too many coats, I got a pretty rack for near the door and limit it to 1 per person, and store the rest elsewhere. That way there is room for a guest coat or two!
Ruth Payot
8 years ago
I used to have a mini rented studio with panels vertically aligned, it has lights behind each wood. it can be use as swing
Michael Parker
8 years ago
I would sand it down and paint it with a white wash, that way it retains it original wood grain and lightens up the room.

the people saying don't paint, need to take more risks.
Alison Heppell
8 years ago
It's oak ,people would give there eye teeth for it !dont touch it do something on surrounds to lighten it
evamaryellen
8 years ago
Paint paint paint. For years I lived in a dark paneled sitting room. Very depressing. Everybody said don't paint. I painted it white. Cheerful, sunny instantly more cheerful. However, I don't have a partner. White wash does seem a good compromise.
User
8 years ago
Looks like this is real 'marmite' thread. All comments are based on purely personal taste but for me I would say that it's how your property makes you feel that's important and I certainly wouldn't agree that painting it would devalue, in fact the opposite would apply if I were a potential buyer because Id want it to be light! Slightly off piste, but my hubby bought a floor to ceiling antique display cabinet years ago as a 'treat' which I hated from the get go and thought I'd have to live with forever, but once it had gone, the whole room came alive and he saw the error of his ways! I think dark panelling is OK in Stately Homes but it's overwhelming in our more modest Standard Homes. Just my humble opinion......
Viridiana Ford
8 years ago
I won't. I would probably change the table and add a beautiful chandelier
ruby who
8 years ago
My friend had the same and painted them a cream colour and they look fab
maria galvano
8 years ago
I totally agree with supergirlvintage it is so lovely brighten it up with some modern abstract paintings with light frames and beautiful lighting in light shades to contrast with all that presence and glow the beautiful wood speaks for itself. Personally would not dream of painting this orginal feature work with it stunning
mgm17
7 years ago
Hi,

I've just come across this thread and it's exactly the dilemma I'm having! What did you do in the end and do you regret it? I don't want to paint mine but I'm worried it's too dark!
Jonathan
7 years ago
Painting it looks great
Tess Wijy
7 years ago
please don't paint them lovely panels, instead maybe change some of the furniture in the hallway and the rug! lighten it up with some lighting and you'll see a big difference.
Najeebah
7 years ago
old post, and the op seems to have disappeared unfortunately
Doe Stewart
7 years ago
We have the same type of panelling in our hall and it was oak the same as yours with an oak floor. It just started to feel quite dark and drab but we hesitated to to do anything for fear of messing it up. In the end we painted all the panelling in Farrows French grey, left the doors and floors wood and painted the sides of our staircase and the spindles in Farrows clunch but left the newel posts and the bannister rail as wood - looks like a different hallway - I have never regretted painting it
Annie Shaw
7 years ago
I'd paint the woodwork a dull colour - light mustard yellow, or greyish eggshell blue. Then keep the rest (plasterwork above) a nice bright white. This will make the hallway seem taller and lighter.
Annie Shaw
7 years ago
Lor Mac
7 years ago
What did you do original poster? I've just come across this dilemma lol. PS Love your idea Annie Shaw
diane90
6 years ago
Another idea is to hang from the rail LARGE colourful paintings and canvases with down lights to highlight the the colours without painting over them. Canvases are easy to source and can be quite cheap and easily re arranged or reflect seasonal changes. Just make the oversized. The down lights from IKEA are easy to install.

Please don't paint the wood.
Najeebah
6 years ago
old post. 2015

United Kingdom

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What would you do with the oak panels in my dark hall?

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