I rent a house and the living room has dark paneling. I cannot paint it, Help!?

Question

I just purchased a gorgeous white leather sectional, and ottoman. My lanlord will not let me paint my walls. I need to update the room a little bit to accomodate my new furniture.

Answer 1

Hang a decorative rug on the wall...

Answer 2

2

Answer 3

I used to have a hard time with this too because I absolutely the look of dark walnut and cherry stained woods! You could try using accents of white or lighter yellows to brighten things up so it won't look as dreary- you don't need a lot really. Maybe a vase of white flowers here or there, or white picture frames, ceramic decoratives or what not. Mirrors and good lighting also works wonders! The light will bounce off the mirrors making it appear brighter and the room seem larger than what it is. You don't have to have plain mirrors on every wall either - there are lots of great artworks and such with reflective "mirror" backgrounds that you can find inexpensively. Also can try fluorescent lighting fixtures - so this way you can add more lighting into the room than from conventional bulbs, without skyrocketing your electric bill. (Might be a little bit of an investment at first for the new fixtures, but is also a nice environmentally friendly move as well that you could feel good about!)

Answer 4

How about some burgundy red Or purple curtains in the windows, Also some picture of paintings on the walls. If I had a picture I could help. If you could afford It Id get a big Picture Canvas painting nailed on the wall. Some nice Wood Candle stick holders work great on the wall surrounding a picture in a picture frame. An Oval Mirror on the wall, with a hall table beneath it. Its hard to say what would help. If you want to really lighten it up Put different colors of pictures but not to many colors because it wont blend right. You might not be able to afford alot since You just bought the couch. You could make these things easy. Go to hobby lobby they can direct you or you could view things. Id also check at Pier 1, and boy is that place expensive. Go there ask what would be good than go to a place like walmart and find similar items. You dont have to be expensive to make it look good.

Answer 5

I saw this done on one of the DIY shows a while back I have never done it but the show was interesting.

They took cotton fabric, (they had solids, patterns etc.)
1. Put it in a starch solution (it is liquid and doesn't need to do any mixing. Make sure it is completely wet, wring it out by hand.

2. Starting at the top of the wall just a little past the corner, ( this is so you can make sure it is hanging straight as NOT all walls are)

3. Using a wallpaper brush start smoothing out the fabric after this is done, if you need to trim in corners, ceiling or baseboard do it after it has dried.

When you get ready to move all you have to do is find an edge of the fabric lift and remove. The fabric can even be reused all you have to do is put it in the washer and wash the fabric.

Like I said I have never tried this but it looked good on that show aand looked simple to do it also didn't take very long or alot of prep time.

Good Luck.

Answer 6

Fabrics may be an option. It sounds horrible, but I've seen some good examples on HGTV. (In fact, you might want to log on to the www.hgtv.com website for inspiration or more detailed info.)

In theory, you can use tension rods to hang fabric (custom made or curtain panels) across the length of a wall....in lieu of pictures, wreaths, typical wall-hangings, etc. That sets a backdrop for your furniture, and covers the entire wall without damage.

However, an easier option might be to "celebrate" the dark paneling instead of trying to hide it. First, get a quality wood cleaner at your local home improvement store (Lowes? Home Depot?) and make that paneling shine. Then use patterned throw pillows, pictures, floral arrangements (etc) to carry the darker tones of the wood while also picking up the light-colored leather in that new sofa. (It really does sound gorgeous by the way!)

For instance, the pillows might have some cremes (or whites), burnt umbers and rich gold to tie the airiness of your sofa with the deep richness of your walls, while other accessories like pictures/floral arrangements could bring in mostly the lighter colors with touches of the dark to give you a pleasing contrast. I think the pillows should have some pattern rather than being solid colors...unless you mix and match contrasting solids. But I would go for florals or paisley if you prefer a more feminine touch, plaids or simple prints for a more masculine look. Whichever, patterns are much more forgiving.....

And that's probably how you need to think of those walls by the way...not "outdated" or "oppressive", but as "vintage" or "rich". (Having leather furniture supports that mood, no matter how light the color!) Changing how YOU perceive those walls will change your approach in displaying your furniture and accessories...and you might actually end up being proud of the room as is....with a little polishing and cleaning of course.

And don't forget touches of greenery - living or silk - that always looks beautiful with wood.

Try to look at it as having "good bones", and go from there. But if the walls are truly hopeless, and you can't paint (or wallpaper obviously), then I would say fabrics are your best option.

Good luck, and remember to have fun!

Answer 7

I would pick a couple of lighter colors you want. Then put some throw pillows on the sofa, and then incorporate the same colors in other parts of the room. Such as pictures on the wall, curtains over the windows. Maybe even the furniture. Be sure to not over do it. If you decide on like blue for example put a few blue throw pillows, then have blue curtain tie backs. You don't want your living room to look like a circus. Have fun with it. In no time at all you will forget about the dark walls.

Answer 8

I would first try tacking a white sheet behind the sectional to see how it looks. If you like the look then invest in lively or light colored draperies and thin carpets to attach to the walls (without damaging the paneling)

Answer 9

get a light colored area rug - or do a "fake wall" if the dark paneling is all over - try hanging a "curtain" along a wall - just like a window - cover the entire wall - it becomes a great back drop and you can choose any fabric that suits your tastes! good luck!

Answer 10

I would hang up some very light colorful curtins to make it look like you have a window in an area that there is none. Helps bring in color and brightens up the place. If you can afford it, get creative and place a florecent light behind the curtin to look like sun shine coming in. Have fun and experiment.
Good luck!

Answer 11

Pictures and large brightly colored accessories, maybe? Or I've seen a few decorating shows where curtains were hung that would give an illusion of a window just behind them.

Good luck!