apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

what's the story with that super-cool cabinet/table/counter?

can you find out what kind of wood it is? If it's a veneer, then you may not be able to stain it very well. From the picture it looks like just pine planks to me, in which case you may have a hard time ebonizing it.

Is there a section hidden behind counters that you could expose and play around with?

I sort of like it as is, but I could see it being sort of annoying, too. not all mid-century design is worth keeping.

My friends parents had this in their dining room and they sanded it and stained it. There are all different color stains out there that might look very cool on this.

It's totally in sync with 70s-style rooms, which (to my utter amazement) seem to be making a comeback. Maybe you should just go with it and be ahead of the trend.

I quite like it. The wood seems very current to me. All things 70's seem to be enjoying a stylistic comeback.

Are you using white baseboards throughout? If so, that might be throwing everything off. I'd switch to a nice stained wood baseboard, if you need them, to work more fluidly with your wall. If you want to break up that wall a bit, perhaps use a grouping of pictures or mirrors in nice carved, stained or natural wood frames for a sort of wood frieze effect. Throw in some decorative objects in your room(s) that match the wood color of your wall and, voila, I'm ready to move in now.

p.s.-- These would look great on your kitchen counter:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/glassware-ceramic/celeber-jars-from-ikea-054742

I think they look beautiful as is. I wouldn't change a thing. I would definitely take wig3000's advice about the baseboards though.

I think this wall has great potential. Instead of fighting it, I would incorporate it into the overall design. I would even consider laying hardwood flooring on the same angle, and/ or sparingly use some similarly-angled elements in my furniture.

It looks awesome! Not like most wood panelling. The diagonal lines and variation in tones is great. I would leave it.

I absolutely love that wall. I wouldn't do anything to change it.

Thanks for all the comments!

I'm glad to hear that most people are diggin' my wall as-is. It was one of the reasons that I purchased my condo. I think this weekend I'm just going to give it a good cleaning and see if I can bring some new life out of it.

@redneckmodern, the cabinet/table/counter is custom. I had a friend of the family weld together a steel frame for me and it's butted up against ikea akurum cabinets with grey quartz countertops. It's my sort of breakfast bar area.

@bolder, they are indeed solid wood planks, but I'm not sure what type of wood, i'm thinking cherry just from the pattern and color variation.

@wig3000, i don't have the baseboards up yet, but i like your idea of keeping them the same tone. there is indeed the same wood tone trim framing my full-length mirrored walls (i know, how much more groovy could it get!) in the dining area opposite the wood wall, and my front door is the same color. also, i did see the AT post on the IKEA Celeber Jars and got totally excited--I'm definitely buying those this weekend!

Wow, it totally reminds me of growing up in Orange County in the 70's, when we had Drive-in theaters and Waterbed stores everywhere....if you keep this, get some macrame hangers and some pothos, so they can trail downwards, or a big ol' terrarium. ;-)


Or, just lay over some flat panels of a nice birch plywood, either horizontally or vertically. I've done that before, with 1" pine mouldings in between. Very nice look, very economical.

Either way, enjoy!

I like the wall too. Like any "look" it won't be complete until all you furniture is placed, art hung ect...

It might be cool to tile the wall between the upper and lower cabinets, all the way to the end of the breakfast bar - IE up to the ceiling - straight up from where the baseboard ends. I love the flooring and your cabinets - what kind of flooring tile is it?

I looked at a house to buy that had the same wall and I had all the same thoughts as you - loved it, but feared that it simply may have seen its day..but set against the modern kitchen and with your other modern furnishings it will be great, I can see that now! Great condo!

This is far from tacky 70s paneling. This is great mid century Craftsman work. I love it! Keep it! Gorgeous as is.

I like the wood, i would agree with adding baseboards, and I would add some nicely framed mirrors to lighting the heavy visual feel all that wood gives.

i agree with most that it's actually very nice and not like your typical wood paneling. would probably only give it a nice face lift by potentially refinishing it to make sure it truly shines.

otherwise just a really basic toe kick out of wood where you would normally have baseboards instead of anything that's more invasive than say an inch of height.

whatever you choose to put on the wall, i would make sure it has solid colour blocking to it to make sure that it's not too busy and takes away from the natural beauty of the wood. i wouldn't try to incorporate too many things with similar patterns into the room though just to keep the pattern mostly with the large wall.

I love the wall. It's stunning as is.
If it were mine, I would install metal baseboards, light flooring and employ a very light & neutral color scheme with emphsis on varied textures. I'd keep the room open and minimal (glass top table, furniture w/ super clean lines, etc); no heavy, dark, hulking sofas, overcrowded bookshelves, etc---too much stuff and accent colors will, IMO, compete with the wall and make the room dark and dated. One big, frameless, round, interesting mirror would look great on the wall. Beyond that, I would leave it alone.

Good luck!

Paint the whole thing super-glossy white enamel, then have someone do a big bright Lichtenstein, Klee, Mondrian or even a more obscure Marimekko on it. That would look amazing with the diag. wood as its canvas, and it would be so much more fun and radical than plain old boring safe sleepy stained wood.

Keep it! The wall looks great. I imagine it against a floor of super high gloss white for great contrast and to make it really pop as the focal point.

Have you considered white-washing it?? It would definetely tone down the darkness, yet not be a stark white. With your pops of red and chartreuse, it would sort of look like "beachy meets modern"