Wall Panelling can bring a touch of class and personality to any room. With a whole host of traditional stylings and the freedom to get creative, it’s a great way to make any wall (even your ceiling) a feature.
Believed to start as early as the 15th century. Wall panelling was a great way to help insulate stone walls. As wood is more malleable than stone it is easier to add designs and make decorative. Allowing different parts of the world to share the idea but absolutely have their own personality.
Once you decided on the style that’s right for you and picked out your paint. It’s time to get the materials! From your measurements, you should be able to figure out the lengths of strip wood and mouldings you’re going to need. Take a quick trip to your local stockists and pick up what you need!
Make sure you’ve got the tools for the job, a saw and mitre block or mitre saw will be a must. Then consider how are you going to fit the panelling to the wall. Glue, screw, nail or a combination thereof? Get yourself some caulk or wood filler ready to fill any joints or screw/nail holes. Some sandpaper and a spirit level.
Comprised of horizontally running boards with grooved edges. These get positioned snuggly together to form a tight seal. Traditionally used for building exteriors. Lending itself to a natural look and perfect for painting. Tongue and groove outwardly look the same as shiplap. However, the boards join differently. Being edge different they fit together even more snuggly. Holding together better over time also.
A super simple wall panelling style. Easily make a texture-rich space that is easy on the eye. The options are near limitless. Horizontal, diagonal, vertical or a mixture thereof, simply use strips of wood to cover the wall space. Different woods and colours, even new or weathered wood, can all add to the feel you want to achieve. The top tip here is if you’re going to have gaps between your strips (and you will) paint the wall the colour you want first! Often this is black or a dark colour to minimize the visibility of the gaps.
A timeless classic, that can be modified to be more modern. Use simple square edge cuts to make panels of your choice. Square panels (known as Jacobean wall panelling), Rectangular panels or get creative with different geometric patterns of polygons. This is a look that can be achieved relatively cheaply. Just measure out your space. How do you want it, chair height? 3/4s? or full wall? Even add a decorative cap or shelf to the top! Plenty of room to personalise and truly make it your own.
Panels cover the bottom half or one-third of the wall. Made up of different styles, using strip wood, decorative mouldings or even both. Often having a decorative capping as wainscotting.
That’s it! You’re ready to roll. Get designing the perfect wall panelling for you. Maybe even take a stab at it yourself, if you have the time. If not, call in a professional, safe in the knowledge you know what you want.
