Walnut Paneled Ceiling Reveal!

Adding walnut paneling to the Red House ceiling added drama, warmth and that cabin-in-the-woods feeling.

Our Cabin In the Woods

I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but… the ceiling is done! As a refresher, we found mold which led to tearing down the ceiling, which led to raising the ceiling! While the mold led to a LOT of unwanted expenses, we ultimately gained an extra 2′ of ceiling height in the peak of the room, which was awesome:

We waffled on how we wanted to handle the new ceiling shape, going back and forth between leaving it as-is, painting it a moody color, or planking it with wood. In the end, we couldn’t shake the idea of wood, adding a layer of coziness, inviting you in, and asking you to stay awhile. Total cabin-in-the-woods vibes. Check. It. Out! 

Living Room | Progress

From Redwood to Walnut

All the wood you see in the progress photo is Zig Zag, a walnut veneer from Stuga. It has a beautiful low sheen finish and enough variety in the grain to keep it interesting. This means that the original redwood wall was encased with Zig Zag (we didn’t dare rip it out!), which was a decision we didn’t take lightly.

Our initial intent was to save the redwood, and perhaps we would refinish it or add a darker stain? But as the overall design of the space became more clear, we cut ourselves a break and took the somewhat-easier route: We covered it up. It wasn’t mingling with our plans for the kitchen, and after trying to make it work, we knew that the walnut veneer would provide a more beautiful, cohesive design overall.

What We Used for the Walnut Ceiling

We liked that the Stuga Zig Zag veneer was a 5-inch plank, mimicking the look of the redwood wall. It felt right for the home, while also being similar in width to our recently installed oak flooring. There’s enough warmth in the walnut to play off of the warmer tones of our hardwood floors, without competing. And because it’s a veneer, it uses less wood than traditional hardwood flooring, also helping to bring down the overall weight of the product.

But more than anything, the newly walnut paneled ceiling and walls bring a grounding warmth to our home. It continues throughout the entire main space, which connects our living room to the kitchen and dining area. It’s brings the surrounding nature indoors. It’s comforting.

Walnut Ceiling Details

This was a big job. We’ve never paneled a ceiling in this capacity before, and we knew that this one single design element could make or break the entirety of the home’s design. Therefore, we hired our talented construction team to install it; their attention to detail and the meticulous manner in which they executed the linen closet in our primary bathroom made it the easiest decision we’ve made in the renovation so far.

Scott and I had the hardest time finding inspiration for a hip ceiling (the term for the shape of our ceiling, which follows the roofline), especially executed in the way we envisioned. Rather than running the planks longways, we opted to run them horizontally across the ceiling, eliminating any starts-and-stops in the run of the wood. But then we had to figure out how to trim it from this:

To this!

After several consults with our contractor and discussing a wide variety of ideas, we collectively agreed that thin strips of walnut to conceal the joinery would look sleek and understated. Sort of like a caulk line – but make it wood. We are in absolute awe of how tidy all the seams meet up!

A final step for the wood paneling is to use a gel stain to help the existing trim match better with the walnut. We’re thinking a light coat of the same stain we used here will do the trick.

What’s Next for the Living Room

If you’ve been following along in Stories, you know that we finally found a sofa! That was a piece of the puzzle that we needed for our brains to have their a-ha! moment. Now that we know which sofa we have, we can effectively plan for a surrounding built-in and start shopping for the coffee table and the rug.

But in the meantime, the kitchen is steam rolling along, and we have SO much to share! We owe you a mood board, layout and all the decisions surrounding the most important room in the home. We already know this will be our favorite kitchen design yet. Stay tuned, friends!

Looking for more? Catch up on every room in the Red House right here. Simply click on the room you’re most interested in, and everything we’ve shared about that space will pop up. Happy clicking!