Why Do Men Love Wood Panel Walls (and Women Loathe Them)?

Great Room - Minus Deer Tropy

What do you think of when you look at this room? That might depend on your gender.

We had a lively debate over dinner with friends about men's versus women's feelings about wood paneled walls. In my experience, the men dig the hunting lodge look and the women do not.

When I first saw this room my first impression was not beach cottage, it was hunting lodge. But I could tell that with a few coats of white paint, hunting lodge could be transformed into seaside cottage.

Ross kind of liked it hunting lodge. So did Dan. So did almost every other guy who has walked into the room. (I gave one lucky contractor's helper the mounted deer head for his enthusiasm!)

But the women all said the same thing: It's going to look great when it's painted.



I'm planning to paint every inch of unfinished wood in this cottage. I already have some of the colors picked out - Benjamin Moore Lemongrass Green for the bathroom and American Cheese (a sunshiny yellow) for the bedroom.

The biggest room in this house is the great room, located in the newer part of the cottage in the back - an addition that was built sometime in the early '90s. Basically the front part of the house is the "old" part - the original 500 square foot 1925 fisherman's cottage. That is where the four bedrooms are located on either side of a long hallway. That hall opens up into the new addition - this big open living/dining/kitchen area with a small bathroom tucked away in the far right corner.



UPDATE: The great room after a bit of white paint and hardwood floor installation. Now, wasn't I right?

White Paint = Beach Cottage!