And now for the paneling update. Hold on to your hats — this one was a wild ride.
We’ve painted paneling before, and although removing it was an option, that would have meant taking down and rehanging all the cabinets that sit in front of it. With old plaster walls behind the paneling, ripping everything out felt like opening a can of worms. Drywalling over the paneling was another option, but it would have been more complicated and costly than simply painting. So we chose to paint the paneling, just like we did in our former den. Over about 4½ years that room went from this…
… to this:
We never regretted painting that paneling — the grooves left after painting add a subtle, charming texture. If you prefer a completely smooth surface, those grooves can be caulked or filled, or you can remove the paneling altogether.
This time we made one key change: we tried to prime and paint using low- or no-VOC products to limit harmful fumes, especially important now that we have a baby in the house. We knew this approach wouldn’t be a shortcut. Professionals often recommend an oil-based stain-blocking primer to prevent yellow-orange wood bleed-through, so choosing low-VOC primers was a risk. We felt it was worth it for family health, but it took much longer than we expected. Here’s how it went.
First, here’s what the kitchen looked like before we started:
And here’s an older shot of the kitchen from the opposite direction for reference:
Step 1: We wiped down the paneling, beams, and trim with a damp cloth. Some people use TSP for a deeper clean, especially if surfaces are greasy, but we skipped it. We also skipped sanding since our paneling wasn’t particularly glossy or damaged — sand if your surfaces are splintery or heavily finished.
Step 2: We removed vent and outlet covers with plans to replace them (they were bisque and we wanted fresh white covers).
Step 3: We spent about three hours applying a coat of Olympic No-VOC primer to the trim, beams, and paneled walls.
After the first coat things already looked problematic. About fifteen minutes in we noticed orange-brown wood stain bleeding through in several spots.
Primer doesn’t have to look perfect to work, but wood bleed-through is a serious issue because the orange stains can show through topcoats.
Step 4: We let the first coat dry a bit and tried a second coat of the same Olympic primer on the worst bleeding spots — but it didn’t stop the seepage.
Step 5: We found a can of Behr Primer + Paint (white semi-gloss, low-VOC) in the basement and rolled it on for another full coat across trim, beams, and paneling. It improved coverage but some bleed-through still showed in places.
Step 6: We bought Kilz Clean Start No-VOC primer labeled “stainblocker” and applied a full coat to everything. Finally, that did the trick — the bleed stopped and the surfaces were properly blocked.
Victory — the primer held, and at last the kitchen looked solidly primed and ready.
Step 7: We painted the trim and beams with the Behr Primer + Paint in white semi-gloss. Primer left unpainted can attract dust and look grungy because of its slightly tacky surface, so we finished the visible trim. The Behr paint covered nicely over the Kilz and provided a durable, glossy finish.
Step 8: We removed painter’s tape while the last coat was still wet to avoid peeling. Where tape was stuck to the paint, we used an X-Acto knife to cut along the tape line for clean edges. I usually freehand trim with a short-handled brush, but tapping the ceiling and baseboard lines made it quicker while working on a stool.
About 48 hours after we started priming, the trim and beams were finished and clean-looking. The trim reads whiter because it has that semi-gloss topcoat rather than flat primer, which appears creamier.
We can’t say for certain whether Kilz Clean Start succeeded because it was inherently the best product, or because it was applied after two other primers. If you want to avoid VOCs, we’d recommend 2–3 coats of Kilz Clean Start No-VOC primer followed by two thin, even coats of latex paint. If you prefer the traditional route, one coat of oil-based stain-blocking primer followed by two thin coats of latex paint is the professional-recommended method.
Going low/no-VOC added time — the priming stage took us two days with babysitting help. It wasn’t fun, but once the bleed was blocked and the white paint went on, it felt worth it. In rare cases wood bleed can reappear weeks or months later, which is frustrating, but we painted other trim in the house with no-VOC products months ago and haven’t seen any seepage. Since the kitchen baseboards and trim are the same wood, we’re optimistic it will hold up.
If anyone has tried painting paneling with low/no-VOC products, or has been forced to apply multiple coats of primer or paint, commiserate with us — it’s a slog but the result is worth it.
Psst — read more about our Phase 1 kitchen plan in our original project notes.