How to choose interior wall panelling

I absolutely love designing interior spaces with wall panelling.  Have you noticed that you can get away with richer tones and more colourful exteriors when you have a weatherboard home?  You can use colours and tones that you just couldn't get away with on a rendered house.  The secret is in the shadowline of the weatherboard which introduces a variation in the colour so that you don't just have a solid one dimensional colour on a wall.

The same principle applies when you use interior wall panelling.  The shadow lines in the various designs enhances the richer or more colourful tones and ensures that you can get away with a lot more than simply designing with a flat wall.

There are many different types of wall panelling available now and also lots of different opportunities to use them in a scheme, so I thought it would be timely to do a post on how to choose the right interior wall panelling for your home and where to use it.

Vertical lining boards

The simplicity of vertical lining boards is perfect for many different styles of home.  From a country home to a coastal retreat or a traditional Queenslander, vertical boards can be used throughout the house.

You can see with this shadow line that a simple light paint is elevated to another level.  You can install this lining up to a square set ceiling or with a cornice.  You should always use a skirting board though to complete the look rather than just running them straight through to the floor.

Vertical boards also make great features in bathrooms.  Shown below with a ledge finished in marble, this is a very sleek look.  Ensure that you use boards suitable for a wet area though, even if they are not in the shower cubicle, as the moisture in the room will make timber boards expand and warp.

Related: How high should my bathroom wall tiles be

I really like these boards used in laundries.  When finished with a good quality paint that is suitable for wet areas, you get a very durable wall finish that is easy to keep clean.  The benefits of using wall panelling in bathroom and laundry areas is that it is much cheaper than installing tiles and when you tire of the colour, you can just re-paint them and achieve a completely different look.

As long as you use wall cladding designed for bathrooms, you don't need to have a splashback of tiles behind the vanity unit.  This gives you a very streamlined and clean look.

Vertical cladding is great to use to delineate a mud room area within a hallway or laundry.  By using this different material you can easily zone a space.

Related: 10 things you must include in a mud room

Notice that with vertical cladding, you can use the simple style with one line in between the boards or for a more classic look, one with the traditional double line.  Or you can have a deep groove in between the boards.  Scroll back up to see the difference as this decision will make a big impact on the end result of your project.

Horizontal wall cladding

Once you run the boards horizontally, you tend to get a more traditional feel and certainly more of a country style look to the space.

Related: My Guide to Country Style

Horizontal cladding can also make a room look wider, which is a good trick for powder rooms.  In the room below, the colour has been introduced into the walls which could be overwhelming in a small space without the panelling to break it up.  Again, this is a weekend project to achieve a completely different look and is far preferable than floor to ceilings tiles.  Designing a powder room can be fun as this is a room that can really take colour and something a little different.

Traditional Wainscoting

If you are looking to achieve a Hamptons style home, then you should consider using some wainscoting throughout the house, particularly for high traffic areas like hallways.  This is relatively simple to install and really creates the Hamptons look.  Traditionally painted in white, this partners well with soft grey and greige tones for the walls.

Related: Hamptons Style – 7 steps to achieve this look

You will notice in the two hallways above that the wainscoting is a different size.  It is important to remember if you are installing this yourself, that you measure the space between doors or openings to ensure that you get evenly spaced panelling.

Shaker Style wall panelling

Simple batten style wall panelling gives you a classic Shaker look.  This would be one of my favourite styles of wall panelling which can look great behind beds or can be taken to the ceiling for a stunning look.  This look is also very effective when used on fireplaces.

When painted in soft neutral tones, the look is very simple and stylish.

This style of wall panelling looks very effective when taken to the ceiling.

Parisian Style wall panelling

For a grand statement, you could consider full decorative wall panelling which gives you a classic Parisian style look.  This makes a very elegant statement.

Related: Parisian Decorating Style – 7 steps to achieve this

 

If you are currently undertaking a renovation or building project or even just planning to re-paint your house then you should download my Free exterior and interior checklists.  These can be found in my Free Resource Library which has other e-books and checklists and is updated with new free invaluable resources regularly.  Join up for free here.

Follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram for more ideas and images.  If you are still stuck and need help with your project I offer an e-consultation service.  You can send me photos and/or plans with your questions and I will review and talk it all through with you.  I have packages from just one question through to a full colour scheme service – click here for more details.