Yes, I agree. I have just renovated a house with walls of pine, which also had dark timber floorboards and a dark timber ceiling with cedar beams. so looked like a log cabin!!

While I love the timber ceiling and timber floor it needed a lift so we painted all the walls white and have now sanded back the timber floor to re stain and seal. The walls look terrific so now our concentration is on the floor and what colour to stain. I am considering a white liming with a slight tint maybe, as don't want to go very dark again. Hope this helps.

I agree, it would certainly be worth trying to leave one wall as a feature and see how you like it. Wood is definitely coming back in a big way. You would just have to decorate to make it look fresh and modern.

Is there plasterboard underneath? Probably not - and if there is, it is probably ruined. I wonder whether you could us the existing panelling on one wall as a base for a cool random-stacked feature. (you could even re-purpose boards from one of the other walls to make it). Getting carried away here....

Agree about leaving one wall wooden colour as a feature. Wood is back in a big way, and 1970 s are back. Your prob is that apart from couch and ceiling, all are dark, including occ furniture. Certainly something needs to lighten up.

I'd paint them all white..you've already got timber in the floors and no doubt in 1-2 pieces of furniture ..that way it gives you more freedom to play.. with regard to choosing furniture etc

ummmm post was March last year? wonders what's the result ?

Oooh, what did you end up doing?

I think painting the walls lighter and brighter is the right move but don't be restricted to white necessarily - although that would be the safe option and you know for sure it would work! You could introduce a contrasting colour on the ceiling if the walls were white obviously dependent on your furnishings and other colour choices. How about a soft grey or "greige" as an alternative to the white? Finally, you could introduce a dado rail at approx 1m from the floor - painted white the same as cornice and ceiling and then paint the upper and lower sections in contrasting colours of say charcoal on the base and white above or 2 shades of the same colour.

I wouldn't leave a feature wall - being the same panelling it would just look like you have forgotten to paint one wall!! A feature wall needs to be more different - a wallpaper or something

I would actually leave them natural wood and stain the floor black or lime wash it! Then all your furniture will pop off the floor and you can retain the lovely wooden panels. What are they made of?