On 1 Jun 2006 16:50:41 -0700, "grodenhiATgmailDOTcom"
wrote:

There are very noticable grooves between the "planks". While we are
kind of openning it up to the kitchen, it will be n no means the same
room. Currently there is a door between the two rooms and a window. I
plan to take out the door and make it like a standard interior doorway
(doorway with no door in it that is), and take out and enlarge the
window spot. While I know the walls would not match the kitchen, I was
thinking leaving it a sitting room with a beach house feel (wicker
etc), and thought white solid panelling would maybe look alright. I
never thought of it until we started looking at the Pottery Barn
catalog for something else and noticed MANY of the rooms they showed
had a beach cottage look with white panelled walls. I was wondering
the best proactice to do this, and before attempting what people's
opinions were on if it would look nice, or a cheap way to cover
panelling. The panelling up is real wood, not the 70's style made of
particle board. We are thinking of leaving the ceiling as it is, but
the oragny shiney wood on walls and celing is too much.

This will look just fine, in my view. Go for it. Just make sure to
clean the walls thoroughly with something like Soilax, scuff up the
surface, and put down a good primer (oil based would give the best
results, I imagine) and then paint it. My parents did something
similar with their one wall of paneling in our old family room, and I
thought the results were great. You get texture and depth and an
interesting result.