Lamps to bring out the cosiness and I agree that white would be nice. Maybe make your curtain rod longer and put a long panel to make it more interesting. A nice area rug to cut up the brown.

I would also suggest white or other light-colored furniture (white can be hard to keep clean!). You can paint the stuff you have that's in the picture.

Assuming you are allowed to make nail holes, some clean, modern framed prints would be nice.

Fabric is a wonderful option. You should be able to hang it or even tack it into the paneling without to much fuss from the Landlords. You can also use 3M poster adhesive to put up wallpaper/newspaper/paper you find attractive. I've used it in my dinning room and it's worked out wonderfully.

I think with that much wood, and it being a rental, I would wait for the next place to go with your preference for modern and for this place embrace the "cabininess" of it - I think Ralph Lauren did some sort of modern-cabin ideas and I love Hudson Bay Blankets - they come in white if you want to keep it light.

http://www.hbc.com/hbcheritage/history/blanket/

There are these great uber-modern homes in upstate new york with a clean-line, minimalist aesthetic that also embrace their woodsy surroundings. I think simple, modern furniture in white (or white and stainless steel?) could be really beautiful with the paneling.

My suggestion would be bringing in bright colors into your room. I can imagine living in the basement would mean not having enough lights, so for your window, use roman shade instead of covering it with fabric curtain. Since you cannot paint the wood panels, you can use wall decals to jazz it up a bit. Oh, and buy or paint the furniture white/cream. For the bookcase, you can buy contact paper at Target (they have modern collections of contact paper) and line the inner part of the bookcase. Hope it helps.

Be of good cheer. I think this room would be lovely with a lot of white furnishings. For inspiration, look at magazines featuring brown walls with white furniture. It's a very sophisticated modern look, and you should be able to adapt it easily.

Besides, with all the tree wallpaper, bird motifs and animal antler decor everyone is featuring these days, this space is practically cutting edge.

Ummmm no. I would be having a WTF were you thinking convo with the FI right about now. I hope the rent is really, really cheap. I am speechless at the thought of having to live there, it just brings up memories of all the midwestern basement "rec" rooms that all of our parents had. The bad carpeting, the knotty pine walls, the tiny window. Kudos to the above suggestions that believe it can be saved.

I'm liking the idea of fabric against the walls secured by a string (there's posts on AT in the archives about creating a wall of fabric - just adjust to your needs). It would give the room texture while not taking up any floor space. Maybe linen?

I think we need to see more of your stuff to give better suggestions.
I am generally against fabric on the walls and the like.
I think with very simple and white furniture it could work--just look at all the Danish modern wood grains.

I like the idea of adding very simple drapery panels/fabric to the back wall- I'd definitely take the drapes across most of the wall. It will dilute the amount of wood panelling, but also will trick the eye into thinking that itty-bitty window is much larger. Good lighting will be key to living in this space, i think. I agree that painted furniture would be better than wood- the dresser shown disappears on the paneling but can be corrected by painting it white or a light color, and maybe replacing the hardware with something a little more modern. A rug is a good idea, though I normally don't like the whole rug on top of carpet thing. I think I'd focus on the other items, first. Good luck, and congrats!

I wouldn't have anything else in the room that is wood-grained. Paint that dresser and the bookshelf whilte to keep it simple, which is what this room probably needs (and which your clean, modern asthetic desires).
If you can't nail things directly to the wall, drop them down from the ceiling using hooks and fishing line/wire.
Good luck!

whilte = white. woops. Though perhaps that should be the name of a color. What would that color look like?

I live in scandinavia - heartland of modern sleek design and wood paneled walls is practically culturally epidemic. The scandinavians love their sleek modern, uncluttered spaces...and they create it wonderfully even in wood paneled rooms. Keep things minimal, loose anything remotely frilly...like the curtains in the photo..go with simple panel curtains. If you love clean modern rooms...place clean modern furniture with clean lines in it. Its not like you are putting an old brown plaid sofa in here..right? In this room its even more important every visible item sends only this statement...clean and modern. The contrast of the wood and some striking furniture will make the piece even more iconic.

I would get those large approx. 75 " high free standing mirrors with simple frames from IKEA and lean three against the wall to open the space up some and to cover a portion of the paneling, they are about 100.00 each but made well. I would loose all the dark furniture and use white simple pieces as suggested. I think malm at IKEA storage piece are nice looking but keeping everything as low height as possible might help in giving you not to feel so closed in. I am not a big fan of IKEA but it seems this might be a temporary place for you no?
The mirrors you can use again and the malm is so simple it could go anywhere and be repainted and reused.

Keep you bed all white add some splashes of color with pillows, flower, a plant and colorful lamps.

There was an apartment in this spring's Small Spaces contest that successfully melded modern in a pine-paneled space by using lots of bright colors and clean-lined furnishings.

I'd consider canceling the wedding. ;)

I'd embrace modern cabin-in-the-mountains chic...

P.S. - I didn't know we HAD basements in LA let alone basements that look like they're in the heartland!

Also, you could take the Traby series 31 1/2" wide maybe three and run them along the wall - wall with the window and then take the mirrors and place them ontop of these to lean against the wall. So this creates storage, a low surface to lean the mirrors on and place some small lamps on the tops of the cubes to reflect some light.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10105068
These are not half bad looking, you can add doors and legs to them to create a mini sideboard. My friend has these in her midcentury home in a long hallway they look great.

Is the lease month to month?

Wow. Really. Just ... wow.

You could always embrace the whole 1960s in the Canadian Rockies thing: red plaid blankets, lots of antlers, Nelson Eddy and Jeanette McDonald on the turntable, faithful Husky dog on a hand-woven rag rug.

Oh, and dress your fiance in a Mountie outfit and make him stand in the corner. Seriously, this is all his fault.

Use the spray on fabric starch idea. Spray it on the walls and then put up fabric in block colour, no patterns, and spray more starch over the top. It peels right off when you want, just wash the walls with sugar soap afterwards. Be really careful when you pull it off though, just in case. Maybe do 3 white walls and 1 coloured wall? Nice white bedspread and a couple of lamps... perfect.

Also just a thought... if you put up the fabric (maybe calico?) you could either pretend the grooves of the wood joins were not there... or you could follow the contours for a textured look...; could be interesting and you can always change it if you don't like it.

GOOD LUCK! :D

Keep your eyes closed.

ask the landlords what the heck they are thinking! tell them you'll willingly paint over the wood panelling... maybe if you did it with a milky white so its only semi-opaque, they'll see eye to eye with you?

I agree with painting your wood furniture (maybe even a light gray) and using colorful accents, and I'd loose the plastic storage and the cottage looking dresser.

I would use low profile (like the malm 6 drawer dresser) furniture: the dresser on the wall across from the bed with a large rectangular mirror above it, on the wall with the window, I would put a little seating area with a pair of Danish looking chairs and a cute little table. Assuming your closet is on the opposite wall of the window, I would experiment with swapping the bed and the bookcase, paint the bookcase, and get a really gorgeous headboard and simple bed linens.

You could install the Kvadrant (Ikea) panel system on the wall with the window. Hang it the entire width of the wall....
Hang a nice large print opposite the bed...
If you cannot paint you could introduce some color to the backs of the bookcase by cutting foam core to fit into the back of the bookcase then paint those what ever color you like. You could even paint a different color on each side when you feel like a change.
I like the white ideas.... how about clean white linens with a punch of color here & there?
It'll be great and.... it will be the first of many projects that you two do together! Since it's your bedroom, make it romantic!

I lived in a basement apartment for several years. Granted, with bright white walls.

Suggestions:

1. Definately, consider the above idea of getting a few huge mirrors and leaning them against the walls. This wold be a great solution for the wall with the window. In addition, if you can get a seriously large piece of art that is predominately in light colors, prop that against a wall. If not, go buy some large unfinished canvases and make your own art (if nothing else stencil a white-on-white pattern on them), or just hang them unfinished on the blocks of walls that need relief.

2. Definately consider lining one wall with an expanse of white fabric. Be careful not to hide your one little window, you'll come to treasure it.

3. I think the furniture could work with an eclectic mix of styles, but keep everything white. Don't go with grey or steel. It will not look good in basement light. However, go with pieces of furniture you really love.

4. Bring in a lot of lamps or you'll feel like you're in a cave.

Here's one more example.

Laure, your example is of an above ground space with big windows, high ceilings, and some walls that aren't paneled--so it doesn't quite hit the mark. I'd BEG to lighten the paneling, maybe with a water-based stain in a non-woody color. The grain underneath the color of the stain would give the walls notable interest, but the place would feel airier. To make my begging seem somewhat less ingratiating, I'd bring pictures of such walls to the owners so they could know what to expect--and if I owned the place, I'd expect that the tenants would pay professionals to do the transformation. I echo the above comments about keeping furniture white, or at least all the same color, and for the record, I'd never want to move into subterranean environs...just don't think I could handle that.

Floor to ceiling bookcases, wardrobes, etc will completely cover the wall without painting or nailing anything up that could damage the walls.

BILLY bookcase comes in several colors:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/83688210

And has doors:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/range/10364/11686/

Another bookcase option with doors in red or white:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10136687

Fun and funky IKEA PS items (the horizontal locker one is popular):
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/collections/12041/

Glowing orbs are always cool:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70096377

They are. Really. Alec said so years ago.
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/lighting/ikea-fado-lamps-008387

And today's apartment lesson:
http://mrsblandings.blogspot.com/2008/01/making-lemonade-with-salvador-dali.html

Hey guys,
Thanks so much for the suggestions! This is actually in Utah, which explains the style. The landlord told me that they just gutted it "to the studs" and when my Fi sent me photos, I just about died. I mean, my parents home has wood paneling so I'm no stranger or hater of it, but this is shiny and ugly and ugh. I couldn't believe someone would willing put this in a newly remolded apartment. (side note: This is in LA AT b/c there is no AT closer. . . which is one of the many reasons why the day he graduates we are getting the heck outta the state!)
The furniture is NOT ours. The apt came semi-furnished with perhaps the worst furniture known to man. You should see the couch/kitchen table in the living area that I'm expected to use for a year. I think we are going to put most of everything in storage, except the bed. My parents are giving us this cool dresser/headboard/shelf thing from the early 80's (aka, retro, cool and sweet!) that is currently a dark mahogany color but I am going to use your suggestions and paint it white as soon as it gets to Utah (I'm in Texas).
My Fi has been reprimanded, altho he does get brownie points because it has a totally new kitchen with a wonderful full gas-range and bath that has been redone beautifully in clean black and white. I won't be calling off the wedding because of his lack of style, altho he might get a few nights on the plaid love-seat because of it. :-)
I will have a meeting with the landlord next week when I'm in Utah, and will try to bring some visual representation of what I want to do, and the promise that my carpenter father would do it.
Any more suggestions are really really loved and welcomed!
Thanks!
-Sab

Your photos reminded me of Lauren Hutton's cabin/house, featured in InStyle, several years ago. (Sorry, I couldn't find any pictures). She had wood paneling, white upholestry and burgundy/tan rugs/throws. It fit with the architecture and the surroundings, without looking like a lodge in Yellowstone. Good luck!

Move ASAP, don't waste money to cover up the walls. Just tolerate it until you find what you need or like. This might sound negative but from my own experience all the wall coverings and attempts to distract will fail in the end especially in a basement. The money and effort you'll spend to "pretend" those dark knotty panels are not there will be better put to finding another place. More so since your landlord doesn't want the paneling painted or damaged.

Don't let your significant other ever shop without you. Good luck.

Since it's rental - and sooo ugly IMO, I'd just pick up a bunch of drywall and paint that - then figure out how to adhese it temporarily to the walls. (someone suggested poster adhesive?)

The stuff comes in 3/4 inch thick (maybe even smaller), that way you don't waste a bunch of space.

Dont know if it's feasible, but sure would look a hell of a lot better!!

I second all of TRUEBLUE'S ideas. I, of course, agree with everyone's suggestion about white furniture, but that room can't handle anymore "extra" stuff. I would get rid of the white dresser and convert everything to white IKEA cube-shaped bookcases. Don't go floor to ceiling with them or it'll make the room feel smaller. Instead, have them come 1/2 to 2/3 of the way up and have beautifully mounted items above it (see old apartment therapy tutorial on how to hang an eclectic assortment of frames.
On the wall across from the shot *with the curtain, above the cube-inspired white bookcases, hang white picture frames with white mountings and something colorful in the center. Have the glowing orbs they mentioned in a corner and two small, white plastic chairs underneath it. On the wall to the left of the shot, in the space above the bookcases, hang a very large, lovely white framed mirror. Put white contact/wallpaper in the back of that bookshelf (to brighten it up and give contrast to whatever you put on the shelf) and put colorful books on the bookshelf. The mirror will bounce that color back to your eye and give life to that left wall. In front of the bookshelf, place two small (so they don't obstruct the bookshelf too much and they don't clutter the small room) white plastic chairs and a tiny table so that you have a bookshelf "reading area." On the table, place one small (the operative word is small so you can still use the table) colorful object (whatever you want your small accent color to be). Beside that object, put one or two "to read" books. Glowing orbs or small contemporary chandeliers in clusters would look incredible over the reading area and in the corners of the the room. And most importantly, get a bright bedspread with a white background and oversized graphic. Think white bedspread with a HUGE magnolia graphic or pink rose representation on it. Something clean that makes a contemporary statement. Nothing too "patterny" like damask, though.

We have a room just like that and I've been struggling with it for months. It's finally looking really good. Good luck and happy coupledom!!!

You can find much more modern wall panels there:

http://www.dayorisgroup.com

But these look nice tough.