Without further adieu...photos for you!

[Doberluv]

Its funny Renee, how trends go. Oak use to be all the rage. And wall paper was THE thing to do...and wood paneling. Now, when I watch House Hunters for instance, everyone scoffs at wall paper and paneling. They show some really neat rec room, all cozy with a brick fireplace and beautiful wood paneling...real paneling. And the prospective buyers say, "That will have to go." And I'm yelling at the TV. "No! Don't take down that beautiful, rich hickory paneling! Are you crazy?" Some of the wall paper, granted is tacky. But not all of it! I like some wall paper...had it in my big house when I lived in this area before. And I had a humongous kitchen with oak cabinets. lol. With the fads now, oak, wall paper, paneling, white appliances and a few other stand-bys are O-U-T. My sister has white cabinets and some black granite. I think it looks nice together. But apparently, she isn't keeping abreast of the fads. She better get with the program and remodel. She does have a beautiful home on Puget Sound.

Anyhow, now granite, dark woods, stainless appliances are the thing. But mark my words...in about 5 or 10 years, it will be, "OMG! These are going to have to go!" :rofl1:

 

[Renee750il]

I know. Sad, isn't it? My aesthetic is pretty consistent, but I do like to stay somewhat in keeping with the house. I could happily have the Victorian, an Arts and Crafts, a Spanish style with the interior courtyard, a Queen Anne, a contemporary . . . definitely never one of the suburban McMansions though. I've dubbed those the Edifice complexes.

I love using different woods together in the same room, but I've just never liked oak, the grain is too coarse for my taste. Walnut is my favorite, and don't get me started on what is supposed to be cherry now. Cherry is NOT that dark reddish brown color.

So with you on the old paneling -- the real wood stuff though, not that horrific, fake wood laminated stuff, but I'm not much on fake anything, although one day I might like to have at least a couple of sets of the gas coal (like gas logs, only it's coal) inserts for two of my fireplaces. I had an apartment once that had the most beautiful old maple paneling. I'm sure some moron has ruined it after all these years.