We would like to paint or faux finish our T&G 70's walls in our den. They are currently the high gloss golden oak finish. Has anyone tried this? We'd like to go with a faux leather look.

 

I seldom do any faux finishes but you will probably need to start with sanding the poly finish and coating with a solvent based primer to get your finishes to adhere well.

 

What kind of faux leather look are you planning? The problem I foresee is that any glaze will gather in your grooves, and if you aren't using a brush, you will have a hard time pulling the glaze out of the grooves. Traditional pickling or whitewashing of t & g panels leaves some glaze/paint remaining in these grooves--it is tough to get it all out. If you were using a texture, unless you first fill the paneling flush, you will probably have problems with cracking. Either way, you will lose the charm of wood paneling.

Additionally, I don't think traditional t & g would look like "leather" no matter what method you used. YOu will always have planks and grooves--and I haven't seen too many leather strips. Whatever you decide to do, buy some scrap t & g strips and try a sample on those--before you do something semi-irreversible.

 

Thanks. We were just looking for a way to update the room. I've heard that the Circa 1850 Stain and Varnish might work to add color as you don't have to strip the finish. We weren't excited about covering with paint.