apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

In a similar scenario, my mother painted all the walls white and then pickled the floors (a white glaze that does not obscure the grain of the wood). It really transformed the room!
Good luck.

Making this room more modern (to me) is more about dealing with that fireplace than with the paneling.

Another way to modernize the room is to just think of all that wood as color and texture. You have a gold-toned background. A modernist room with a distinct background color would keep the furniture, rugs, and curtains neutral -- probably a distinct gray, with white or off-white, a little black, and one major accent color in the accessories (possibly this year's Moroccan blue).

I'm thinking gray or gray-and-white curtains to the floor and the same for the rug, either or both in the sort of giant stylized floral or damask that's hot lately. (A geometric might "date" less, but damask is pretty classic, too.)

I think you should tackle the fireplace first. Then the bookcase next to it. The rest, you can work around. The floors are nice. The walls maybe you can paint white?

How about painting the fireplace and updating the mantel. I agree, the fireplace is a misfit. Something more dark toned and less busy.

Would work the rest in with some rugs and lighter color furniture.

I agree, the background is gold toned. Only I see red accents.

I would not waste a single minute before rushing out to my nearest paint store for some primer and a creamy white paint to cover all the ugliness in that room, including the fireplace brick.

The wood paneling looks beautiful as is, you might consider painting the fireplace white (several good post on AT on technique). Focus on window coverings, a rug for color, and a modern mirror over the fireplace.

If you use that rug I'd pull out the green and blue for curtains and pillows.

The first thing I'd do would be to lose the window mullions, if they're the fake ones that come off. This would instantly modernize the scenario.

(It would be good to see snaps of the rest of your home in order to keep this room in sync with what you mean by "more modern. . . .")

I would leave paneling as is. Looks very nice to me. But I agree that painting over the brick would help. You have several design options:

1. Library--Picking up the rich tones in the rug you like, go for a cozy room with lots of colorful accent pillows in lush fabrics. I would get floor length curtains to emphasize the height of the room and to add color to the walls. For this scenario you may want to paint the bricks a dark color.

2. Scandinavian retreat-- accent your neutral furniture with white/off white textured pillows, plush carpet with the addition of one simple (red?) accent color. Curtains and fireplace should be white/off white.

Good luck. it's a great room!

I love love love that room just the way it is! But given that you don't I do have to say I really like the rug you're suggesting, and if you have to change anything I'd say I agree-- changing the fireplace could really change the feel of the room.

White painted wood walls are hot right now, you could try that. *shrug* Good luck though!

I love what Wenche Selmer, an outstanding Norwegian architect in the 20th century, does with wood on wood. There is a book out on her work called "Norwegian Wood."

In that regard, I'd paint the fireplace a warm beige and create a pale monochromatic scheme with furnishings and other wooden built ins.. also, if there is some way to open that wall to a garden, I'd go for it..It's a great room, find a way to appreciate it.

quickest solution:keep the natural wood paneling, paint the fireplace bricks a creamy white. books on the shelves to the left of the fireplace, and a large painting above the fireplace will "hide" some of the wood. ivory linen curtains(floor to ceiling), puddling just a bit on the floor, will also take your eyes away from the wood. comfortable couches with natural canvas slipcovers, colorful pillows in cool tones will offset the warmth of the wood. a very large area rug will also "hide" some of the wood floor..........i would choose a rug that incorporated only 2 colors....the natural sisal or wool color as background color, with a geometric or abstract pattern in a grey-blue or grey-green. end/coffee tables in metal with stone table tops.

Paint the walls green. Paint the fireplace cream.

I'd paint the paneling and fireplace -- maybe a creamy white for the paneling, a warm gray for the fireplace, and the green from the rug for the fireplace wall. Use the rug to inspire pillow colors on the beige couch, and maybe add a chair or two in the same colors. I'd be inclined to keep the window treatments simple -- natural linen roman shades or similar, with maybe a band of green along the bottom hem.

I agree the fireplace is the first thing that needs to be changed. Either paint it a light neutral or drywall or tile over the brick for a sleeker modern look. The paneling doesn't look bad in the picture so I wouldn't paint over it. With floor length curtains and a full bookcase the paneling will be minimalized somewhat. I like the rug but not for this room. It's too dark and the lines are too repititious with the lines in the wood flooring and paneling. This room has a lot of potential. Good luck.

I really dislike that rug with that room, especially the stripes with the panelling and floor. I agree with the comments that the rug should be a lighter neutral, and then use shades of grey and other neutrals for a wonderful MCM palette.

HGTV.com has some articles & images on about how to improve a dated brick fireplace. I searched "paint brick fireplace" and came up with these.

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_fireplace_other/article/0,,HGTV_3408_1379658,00.html

before: http://img.hgtv.com/HGTV/2007/04/12/HCLRS108_fireplace_bef2_j.jpg

after: http://img.hgtv.com/HGTV/2007/04/12/HCLRS108_fireplace_aft2_j.jpg

before: http://img.hgtv.com/HGTV/2007/02/16/hdts706_FireplaceLivingRoom_bef_photo_j.jpg

after: http://img.hgtv.com/HGTV/2007/02/16/hdts706_Fireplace_aft_photo_j.jpg

I personally don't like black fireplaces. They look like black holes. http://img.hgtv.com/HGTV/2007/11/15/h24hd403-Bed-Fireplace-before_j.jpg

Hard to see the fireplace in the before pic at the top, but the after pics are neat.
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_design_bedroom/article/0,,HGTV_3366_4155150,00.html

I actually like the paneling - I would paint the fireplace a creamy white as others have suggested...in fact, I might even take it a step further and do the plaster smoothing that was mentioned in an earlier AT post (I'm sorry, I can't recall enough about the exact post to link it! It was detailing how a smooth white wall covering in an NYC store happened). I would ditch the rug above, and go with a plush, cream rug in a shade similar to the fireplace. I'd furnish most of the room with danish wood furniture (I actually think it'd look kind of neat to use a dark wood, but that's pretty debateable).

Leave that paneling alone and make your new look your own! Not an HGTV craft project!

i so agree with the comments about the fireplace! paint that...or do something with it. Paneling isn't bad unless it's the horrid cheap stuff. Yours looks like authentic wood and cozy- cabin-like! a nice rug and light furniture seem like they would be great in here...and some curtains. i say keep it simple and work on bright accent peices...no need to overdo it/ create more work for a room where not much is wrong.

oh no, please don't paint that lovely room. It would be a pity.

But don't go with that rug in the photo because the stripes and colors echo the wood grain and make it look frumpy...

It depends on how "modern" your style is; but you could really make it show off a modern look if you take some inspiration from old industrial settings (warehouses, wrought iron and brick factories). And yes, do peruse Scandinavian interiors and look at Alvar Aalto's work (he did a lot with wood and modern design) for inspiration. I could see it going that way or towards a gritty, decadent vintage gangster film.

It seems a tragedy to paint real paneling (I've begged to paint over the fake stuff in almost every apartment I've had, but the real thing is a whole other story). I would paint the fireplace. But it depends on what you mean by "modern." If you mean Lucite-chair, bright colors, angular furniture modern, that room definitely needs a workover to fit what you like (though those of us who would love the wood would be brokenhearted to see that change). But if you like what is often called "modern organic," I would just hit the whole thing hard with natural materials, play off the warm natural tones of the wood with warm neutrals and lots of texture. I also like fugitiverouge's suggestions of Scandinavian or industrial inspirations.

I don't care for the rug.

I like the walls and the floor. Not a fan of the fireplace. When you're having parties just invite really attractive men over. If you've got really attractive men milling around your place no one will be looking at that fireplace, believe me.

There was a feature in Dwell some time ago with a house in Portland that had dark, 70's wood paneling and wood floors. Instead of tearing out the paneling, the owner put a whitewash finish on the walls. It made everything look modern and fresh, but you could still see the wood grain. That could look great in your space -- it would look bright and clean but still retain some of the character of the old.

I have to say I don't like that rug -- the stripes don't work with the lines of the paneling, and the colors just blend together to make the room muddy.

I would leave the walls and paint the fireplace -- not white or cream, as others have suggested, but a stony, matte dark gray. (Not a shiny black like that one bad example.) Then I'd fill the room with whites or creams (gauzy curtains, white area rug, white sofa and chairs), with a few dark gray items (tables, cushions, lamps, vases) and a bright accent color of your choice -- I'd suggest a light green, and I would extend that to include several plants. Turn that wood to your advantage and make it into a bright, sunny, natural, spa-lodge look. You've got some great light going there, it could look really nice.

Good luck!

Well, I have to comment as I am the only one who does not think that painting the fireplace is a good idea. I think that flat looking paint looks bad on brick. I would tile over it or stain it if you dislike the red brick. Stain would look more natural and would still show variation in the color and would also not but a plastic paint coat over porous texture of the brick.

I like the rug. And I like the stripes with the lines of the paneling.

But if you look at the wood as a neutral, then you can pretty much use anything in the room.

But to make it really modern, I'd introduce a really limited color palette... and no more wood. Cream furniture (wool and leather), cream felted wool rug, a chrome and glass coffee table, for example.

But I'd still focus on the fireplace elevation. Between the brick and the built-ins, that's the least modern wall in the place (or seems to be based on the pic).

And reference the work of Candace Olsen... she is brilliant at updating a rec room vibe while working with, not against, some of the "givens."

Personally...i hate wood paneling, so I'd paint it white (or whitewash) and stain the floors a dark mahagony color.