Transforming a living room

A fresh coat of white paint and new light fixtures create a blank canvas for the homeowners to showcase their mid-century style.

The decision to paint the rough-sawn redwood paneling white was a difficult one—although beautiful, it had to go. The homeowners were determined to have hardwood flooring and knew they wanted to keep the pine ceiling in tact—three large surfacing of varying wood types and finishes would have made the space feel dark and dated, thus, the walls had to give. Instead of mounting sheetrock to the panels, we opted for several coats (four if we’re being precise) of paint to brighten the dark wood walls while preserving the texture the wood provides to the massive, 20 ft tall wall.

Next, the beams were painted Glidden “Deep Onyx” to create a more modern look, new light fixtures and a new ceiling fan were installed, and the hardwood floor went in. For the furniture, we were able to mix in some of the homeowners’ existing pieces, while sourcing new (to them) items from a mix of local and online retailers.