If, like one viewer named Tina, your home decor is living in the past (wood paneling, anyone?), celebrity designer and HGTV star Chip Wade can help!

And BONUS -- his fix doesn’t require dishing out a ton of cash. Sah-weet!

PROBLEM: My basement is stuck in a time warp! This wood paneling is awful! I want to update it but don’t want to spend a fortune. I would love some advice so it doesn’t look like I live in 1975 anymore. -Tina

SOLUTION: [Painting over wood paneling] is a super simple fix. It’s all about proper preparation and color selection. -Chip Wade

Pro tips from Chip:

- Contrary to popular belief, darker tones actually play really nicely on walls. (Chip showed Tina a dark blue shade called "North Sea!")
- Get the most creativity out of your wood paneling by starting with some spackle. Apply 2 coats!
- No matter what it says on the package, spackle does shrink -- so let it fully dry. When it turns white, you’ll know that it's dry.
- Whenever you're painting, you want to make sure that you have some "tooth." What "tooth" means is a little bit of grip on the surface. Use a sanding sponge before you prime!
- Mix primer in your paint, like Chip does, if you want to get the job done in one fell swoop!
- When painting, ALWAYS keep the coats thin!

Watch the expert craftsman demonstrate his painting technique in our studio in the video above!