It breaks up the natural material and brings some light in too.
Update half wall wood paneling.
No matter what it says on the package spackle does shrink so let it fully dry.
Afterward sand prime and paint the wood whatever.
If both the color and texture of your paneled walls is an issue you can still use paint to update their look you just need to be more creative about how you apply it.
This jessica helgerson designed space is pretty much peak mid century but thanks to the varied shades of wood it stays away from the clichés.
If you re mimicking this in your own living room keep one wall a clean white.
A faux finish is an ideal.