13 Ways to Hide or Cover Wood Paneling (Without Removing It)

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Disguise it with paint, wallpaper, drywall, & more

Co-authored by Mark Spelman and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: July 22, 2025 Approved

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Wood paneling was big in the 70s and 80s, but it’s not so popular anymore. If you’re tired of your old wood paneling but you don’t want to deal with ripping it out, don’t worry! This article will explain how, with a little DIY action, you can easily cover your wood paneling with paint, wallpaper, drywall, or stone veneer to make your room look brand new. We'll also include easy options for hiding the paneling without becoming a weekend warrior, such as hanging artwork, putting up shelves, installing decals, and more!

Top Tips for Covering Paneling

Prime and paint it a new color after properly cleaning and sanding the surface.
Whitewash it to preserve the wood grain while brightening its dingy hue.
Apply wallpaper on top to give the paneling a complete facelift.
Cover it with drywall and prime and paint it to look like a normal wall.
Install stone veneer to create a feature wall and a stunning focal point.
Turn it into a board and batten design with wood or MDF trim.
Hide it with artwork, shelves, decals, mirrors, or tapestries.

1

Prime and paint it a new color.

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Create the illusion of no paneling by painting over it. The key to painting solid wood or veneer panels is the prep. The goal is to create a flat surface with a slight texture that the primer and paint will stick to instead of peeling off. Once this important prep work is finished, all that's left is to apply your paint. And voila: your paneled wall is transformed into a seamless masterpiece! ^{[1]
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- Clean the panels with a sponge or rag dipped in a solution of trisodium phosphate (TSP) and water.
  - Work in a well-ventilated area and put down a drop cloth. Wear rubber gloves, an N95 mask, and safety goggles when using TSP.
- Lightly sand the entire surface you want to paint with 220-grit sandpaper .
- Spread spackle into the gaps between the panels with a putty knife , let it dry, and then sand it to make it flush.
- Apply either a water-based wall primer to solid wood or a shellac-based wall primer to veneer with a roller brush.
- Roll or brush on at least 2 coats of paint in your desired color.

2

Whitewash it.

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Preserve the paneling's wood grain while brightening the color. If you don't mind how the wood grain in your paneling looks, but you can't stand the dingy brown color, brighten it up with whitewash! Traditional whitewash is made with lime, but you can mix and apply your own whitewash for painting interior walls using white latex paint and water. Here's how to do it.
- Add 1 part white latex paint to 1 part water in a bucket and mix it well with a paint stirrer .
- Prep your paneling by cleaning, sanding it, and spackling the gaps.
  - Alternatively, leave the gaps empty if you want to preserve the paneled look.
- Apply a thin coat of whitewash all over the paneling with a paintbrush, then let it dry.
  - If you like how it looks, stop here. If the original brown color shows through too much for your liking, apply more thin whitewash layers as desired.

3

Apply wallpaper on top of it.

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Give your paneling a facelift with wallpaper in a unique pattern. Wallpaper, while tricky to apply, is a creative way to give your paneled wall new life and dimension. As with painting and whitewashing, prepping the paneling is the key to success. If the panels are completely smooth and the grooves aren't filled in, the wallpaper is less likely to stick. Follow these steps to wallpaper your room with no fuss or muss.
- Clean, sand, spackle, and prime your paneling.
- Measure the height and width of your walls.
- Cut pieces of wallpaper to match the dimensions of your walls, with about 4 in (10 cm) of extra paper at the end of each piece.
- Spread wallpaper paste onto the back of a piece of wallpaper, then press the piece onto the wall. Flatten air bubbles and wrinkles out with a wallpaper brush .
- Trim the excess paper on the top and bottom with a razor blade.
- Repeat until the paneling is covered with wallpaper.

4

Cover it with drywall.

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Make your paneling disappear by attaching drywall to it. Wood paneling, who? Drywall is the traditional cladding for interior walls. After you attach it to the top of the paneling, simply add tape and mud (if desired) and paint to make it look like a normal wall. When it's all done, you might even forget there was ever paneling on your walls at all because of how well it's hidden! Of course, there's a bit more work involved than that, so keep these steps in mind if you decide to go with this particular cover-up.
- Tear out any trim or baseboards. ^{[2]
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- Use a stud finder to mark the studs in your wall. ^{[3]
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- Attach ⅜ in (1cm) thick panels of drywall into the studs with drywall screws about every 12 in (30 cm). ^{[4]
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- Fill in the screw holes with caulk for a smooth finish. ^{[5]
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- Add tape and texture to the drywall, or simply prime and paint it as-is.

5

Install stone veneer.

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Turn paneling into a feature wall with stone veneer. Stone veneer is a layer of thin stone that interior designers apply to pre-existing walls. The benefit of this material is that you can get the elegant look of a stone wall without adding nearly as much weight or spending as much money. Plus, you don't have to construct a new wall of stone—you simply add the veneer onto a wall that's already there! Check out these pointers for installing stone veneer .
- Prepare the paneling by cleaning and sanding it and spackling the gaps.
- Install 2 layers of a water-resistant barrier (WRB) over the paneling. Use a self-adhering WRB like Henry Blueskin to make installation easier. ^{[6]
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- Attach an 18-gauge metal lath barrier with 1 ½-2 in (3.8-5 cm) nails spaced every 6 in (15 cm) on top of the second WRB layer.
- Spread mortar over the lath with a trowel in an even ½-¾ in (1.3-1.9 cm) thick layer. Then, before it dries, scrape horizontal grooves into the mortar with a metal scraper or a scrap piece of lath.
- Apply a ½ in (1.3 cm) thick layer of mortar to each piece of stone, then carefully press it onto the scratch coat. Repeat with every stone in your desired pattern until the entire wall is covered.
- Fill in the gaps between the stones with a grout bag, then let it dry.
- Clean the stones and apply a layer of stone sealer with a paintbrush.

6

Make it into a board and batten wall.

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Give your paneling dimension with wood trim or MDF. A board and batten wall is a wall with wood or medium-density fiberboard (MDF) trim attached to it in a grid design. Many people think this style of wall adds a touch of dimension and elegance to a space, as well as provides an interesting focal point. It's also an inexpensive DIY project that you can complete in as few as 1-2 days! ^{[7]
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- Clean, sand, and spackle the paneling. Skip spackling if you intend to cover up the grooves with trim.
- Measure the height and width of your walls.
- Cut your wood or MDF trim into pieces for framing the outer edges of the wall and for forming a square or rectangular grid across the paneling.
- Attach the trim pieces framing the wall first with liquid nails, then add framing nails to secure them in place. Add the vertical trim next, followed by the horizontal trim.
- Fill in the nail holes with wood filler and sand them flush. Caulk all the seams and gaps between the wall and the trim pieces.
- Paint the wall and trim in your desired color.

7

Hide it with artwork.

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Create a gallery wall of smaller art or hang a large statement piece. If you don't have the time for a DIY interior renovation project, downplay the paneling by hiding it with art. Collect pieces of varying sizes and shapes (or make your own artwork) and arrange them to make a gallery wall . Alternatively, acquire 1-2 large statement pieces (such as a big canvas or sculpture) and use it to cover up as much of the paneling's surface area as possible.
- This strategy won't get rid of the paneling, but it will distract from it and bring its focus to something you find more aesthetically appealing!

8

Disguise it with shelves.

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Install floating shelves or put tall bookcases in front of the paneled walls. Then fill the shelves with books, collectibles, knick-knacks, and anything else you want to display. That way, when people look at the paneled wall (or walls), they see your colorful personality and objects of interest instead of an ugly brown surface.

9

Decorate it with decals or stencils.

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Buy peel-and-stick decals, print out stencils, or make your own. If you decide to put up peel-and-stick decals , follow the manufacturer's instructions for preparing the paneling so they stick. Use a plastic scraper to smooth out any wrinkles or bubbles underneath the decal. If you decide to paint shapes or patterns with wall stencils , remember to clean and sand the paneling first. Find or commission unique stencils on websites like Etsy , or make your own stencil by printing a design onto vinyl and cutting the shape out with an X-ACTO knife .
- Another fun DIY option is to tape off a geometric pattern (like chevrons or diamonds) with painter's tape, paint between the gaps, and then remove the tape when the paint is dry.

10

Put up mirrors.

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Hang a large mirror to reflect or bounce light across the room. A large mirror helps distract the eye from the wall it's hanging on by reflecting the view from the opposite wall. Interior designer Patricia Penker recommends using this technique if you have a window nearby, so that the mirror will reflect and draw attention to the view through the window instead of the paneling behind it. ^{[8]
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Patricia Penker
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11

Drape tapestries or curtains.

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Soften and sound-dampen your paneled walls with fabric. Hang tapestries or floor-length drapes that match your aesthetic on curtain rods all around the room. For a quicker installation, attach them to the wall with nails, push pins, or 3M adhesive hooks . Opt for a fun color or pattern if you want the fabric to stand out, or go for a neutral beige or cream shade if you'd rather it blend into the background.

12

Install a trellis with greenery.

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Bring nature inside and create a feature wall out of plants. Hang or lean a trellis on the wall on top of the paneling, then weave a flowering plant through it. Choose a real plant you can grow indoors, like Monstera adansonii , or opt for fake vines so that you don't have to maintain them.

13

Hang a folding screen.

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Unfold the screen and hang it on the paneling as a statement piece. Folding screens originated in ancient China and are now popular all over the world. The screen panels are traditionally printed or painted with beautiful depictions of flowers, animals, or symbols. But you can also purchase screens with blank panels and add your own decorative elements to it with paint or self-sticking decals.
- Secure the folding screen into the studs underneath the paneling with screws to attach it as securely as possible.

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13 Ways to Hide or Cover Wood Paneling (Without Removing It)

Top Tips for Covering Paneling

Steps

Prime and paint it a new color.

Whitewash it.

Apply wallpaper on top of it.

Cover it with drywall.

Install stone veneer.

Make it into a board and batten wall.

Hide it with artwork.

Disguise it with shelves.

Decorate it with decals or stencils.

Put up mirrors.

Drape tapestries or curtains.

Install a trellis with greenery.

Hang a folding screen.

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