Color for wood walls

[B00kW0rm]

I'm looking for ideas about how to get some color onto wooden walls. We told our kids that when we moved they could pick out colors for their rooms....within reason of course...LOL.

Now, the home that has become our first choice is a cabin with an all wood (knotty pine) interior. I don't think I'd want to paint directly onto the wood, though I do realize that's an option.

What other ideas can you think of.....cloth, canvas panels?????

[tufhelp]

We had to cover up some wood paneling in a rental to make it more livable. We tacked up some untreated celotex and then applied colored burlap panels to that with wallpaper paste and then covered the seams between pannels and top, bottom and side edges with a stained 1x2. Looked pretty good and functioned as a giant bulletin board at the same time.

[Anon001]

B00kW0rm,
I would never paint over a true wood wall, especially if it is like the pics.... You're the parent and you always reserve the right to change your minds when it comes to the kids. lol ;D I'd tell them you changed your mind and they can't paint the walls after all.

[AzLoneRider]

Bookworm,
Why not cloth from the cloth store. They can pick out colors and patterns they like.

[B00kW0rm]

tufhelp, thanks for the suggestion! *I am not familiar with celotex, will have to google it:-).

Paul, I'm in agreement with you and don't plan to paint the walls. *The wood is just too beautiful ;D. *

I'm thinking of pulling their colors into the scheme through the use of pics/posters, bed coverings, window treatments and possibly painting a dresser/bedside table in the color they like.

Edited to add: Thanks, Az. I believe we were typing at the same time..LOL. Cloth is also a good idea. It's one that I'll have to do some research on to see what others are doing with it.*

[CarolAnn]

BOOkWOrm, Celotex is a name for foam insulation boards.

Another option might be quarter-inch thick sheetrock. You could just tack it up rather than doing a full installation, and don't use sheet rock screws to minimize damage to the knotty pine underneath. I wouldn't even tape and float it - just prime and paint it. Later, it'll be easy to tear it down and reveal the pine again. Just do one wall so they can have a color accent wall and leave the rest natural.

Another look (somewhat more sophisticated) is to run tight wires through eye hooks at the top & foot of the wall and and gather fabric that has been hemmed top and bottom (to run the wire through) to create a sheared look.

I've stapled quilt batting on a wall and uhpolstered it with fabric - that was popular about 30 years ago and is due for a come-back! There's no sewing with this method, unless you trim it out with covered cord like you'd use around an uhpolstered pillow. You can also finish the edges with braid that is hot-glued into place.

[flatwater]

Paint over knotty pine :o Oh no not that I agree with paul

[B00kW0rm]

flatwater...LOL....I wouldn't paint over knotty pine, but I do need to figure some ways to use the kids colors in their rooms :).

CarolAnn, thanks for the tips! I'll do some research on the sheared look that you mentioned. That might work really well for the girl's rooms.

[Anon001]

I think fabric on the walls would look great. You could do the "sheared" look for the boys, too. Just use a heavier wire for a different fabric but, stretch it tight from side to side. Also, if there are trim boards at the top and bottom of the wall, you could remove those, staple the material, then replace the trim boards holding the fabric. I have seen some very masculine looking rooms done this way as well as feminine rooms.

good luck.

[MelleeRN]

fabric does look great on a wall. however, don't use carpet. we moved into a home years ago that the last tenant had staple carpet over plaster wall. what a mess, smell, and nightmare.