Should I paint original wood panelling?

[poppyart]

We bought a 1930s house last year with original dark wood panels. At first I was adamant to keep it but having lived with it for a year it's just so dark! Some parts are in pretty poor condition and so I'm considering painting it.
Any thoughts?!

Could you sand it down? It might be might lighter under the dark top.

I'd start with least invasive option and work up to the most. Stripping the paint off in the future if you change your mind will be hellish

Tricky. I wouldn't because I love wood and the best option in my opinion would be to remove the finish on it (probably varnish) and sand then oil or wax. The original wood is likely to be much lighter than aged, varnished wood. You can diy or get a handy person /woodworker to do it. It's not an easy job though, time consuming and can be unpleasant. Only you know if it's worth it for you. I'm sure there's some YouTube vids on similar projects. Re trades people, less easy to source...

I think it's your house and if you'd like to paint the paneling then that's what you should do. It's not like ripping it off and dumping it. In the future you could always sand/restore it if you change your mind.

I thought about stripping it back as I've been into some of my neighbours houses and it's a mixture of some painted and others varnished but it's much lighter. My only issue is that some of the panels are in poor condition so I'm not sure how well they would come up. And the thought of all that work, I'm just not sure!

Having done up and sold a lot of ‘brown’ furniture I think it may be a good option. I have bought deeply unfashionable ‘Old Charm’ brand furniture, sanded and wore willed it and then painted and waxed with Frenchic paint and wax. It look lovely if done nicely and it makes really beautifully built craftsman made oak furniture have a new modern life. I would do the same with 1930s panels (but not older ones or in a listed building). You will need to sand. Unfortunately the prep takes the time- the painting is the fun bit. 😀

Do you have any idea what sort of wood it is? I’d agree with PPs that stripping and oiling or waxing would be preferable, probably better than paint aesthetically too.

I have no idea what type of wood it is it sounds as though both methods take a lot of prep anyway so we could try sanding one of the worst panels and seeing what it looks like with a clear varnish or wax

You can buy 'Wood Bleacher' by Liberon, (it is an acid so take care) that may improve it...

If you’re thinking about painting original wood paneling, I'd say it depends on the look you're going for. Wood paneling has a classic, warm vibe that can add character to a room. If you’re into a more traditional or rustic style, you might want to keep it as is and give it a good polish.

But painting could be a great way to achieve that if you aim for a modern, bright, or fresh feel. Remember that once you paint it, it’s a pretty permanent change. So, if you’re sure, go for it! wall panels can offer a similar look without altering the original wood, in case you want a change without fully committing.

Id be tempted to strip the varnish etc from the most damaged bit, and see how it looks. Then try for a deep sheen afterwards, to kibd of bounce light. You might be able to figure out a "visible repair" thingy to embrace the damage if youre a creative type (sadly I'm not!).
Personally I love well polished original wooden features, but I'm not sure it would be harder to strip old varnish off than old paint?

I’d see if you could get the opinion of a carpenter/joiner advise if the parts in poor condition could be restored & if it could all be sanded back to a lighter colour & waxed would be hesitant to paint it as seems a bit of shame covering up an original feature.