Wall Paneling Ideas
As a designer, sometimes it’s easy to feel daunted by an empty wall. The versatility of wall paneling can be surprising. It is one of the most widely used and accepted ways to stylize and add character, texture, or even hide errors in a wall in interior design.
Wall paneling is an economical way to mimic art and finery that would have been challenging to recreate in everyday households. There are plenty of creative and jaw-dropping choices available to purchase today. From traditional and rustic to contemporary and abstract, paneling gives wings to creative room ideas.
While panels made from wood or engineered wood are likely more durable and permanent, acrylic panels mimic old-school stucco, and 3D cut panels are also popular today. Sleek and modern vertical panels and bold grids impersonating wall trimmings are easy and practical ways of transforming home interiors.
The most crucial factor of wall paneling is that they allow you to customize the colors and sizes to fit your area perfectly. Even if you want a temporary way to brighten your room, you can opt for inexpensive stick-on vinyl wall panels in vogue. Another winning feature of these vinyl panels is that you can install and take them down all by yourself.
20 Amazing Wall Paneling Ideas for Your Room
Now that you have zeroed in on the type of panel you’d like to install, it’s time to adopt a design style! We have put together some spectacular wall paneling ideas to choose from for your inspiration.
1. Go horizontal
the area you are designing has space constraints, you can consider composing the wooden battens horizontally or like a wood wall panel shiplap. Just as a vertical panel gives an illusion of height, a horizontal panel can make the room look vast.
2. Half wall molding
Dating back to the Victorian era, half-wall moldings were fitted for decorative and practical purposes. Consider only the bottom half of the wall paneling to lend the space a heritage vibe. Fix French trimmings in concentric squares or rectangles at equidistant points along the length for a traditional paneling look.
3. Panels over tiles
Panels are cheaper, more accessible, and quicker to install than wall tiles. Switching up a panel is a breeze when compared to replacing tiles. Homeowners will find that panels like wood planks on the wall are a thoughtful yet effective way to spruce up a living space while undertaking a home improvement project.
4 Wood with wallpaper
Wallpapers can hold their own and act as a statement background to your décor. However, go one step further and pair patterned or floral wall coverings with a classic wall panel to witness firsthand the glow-up of your room!
5. Picture-frame wall panels
The wall paneling must follow the architectural style of the home in question. You can try adding low trim wall panels that also act as a base to hang some pictures on.
Similar to the wallpaper idea, photographs are a great way to step up the paneling game. Consider communal areas like the dining room or living room. Interlacing framed family photographs with the paneling will turn a standard paneled wall into a multi-layered memory wall!
6. Dress things up with marble
Try throwing in a little marble finish with the paneling. A wall panel with a marble texture can look elevated and rich as a feature wall in any room.
7. Disguise panels with a bookshelf or TV unit
In areas like the home office or the study, it’s a bright idea to combine a bookshelf with the paneling. This means that you can not only get away with cost-effective paneling materials like MDF but also work out an attractive storage solution. You can finish it with a Duco, a laminate, or a veneer coat, according to the room’s design style.
8. Extend your wall paneling onto the ceiling
Why should walls have all the fun? You can also consider letting the wall panel design run onto the ceiling for a seamless flair. However, ensure that you apply this technique to an otherwise simple or understated room.
This style can quickly look congested in a small space or a room rife with architectural elements. The same rule applied to introducing a shiplap wall into a room. In the hands of a proficient designer, this technique can envelop the room in a cozy, log-cabin air.
9. Create a French cane room divider
French cane wall panels are the epitome of boho-chic! When framed with light or white wood, these cane panels offer an airy, coastal undertone to the overall design. These wall panels can also be free-standing and moonlight as a room divider or wardrobe shutter. Talk about a stylish focal point!
10. Incorporate open shelving into paneling
Wall panels can double up as shelving units to promote smart storage in miniature and confined spaces. Think beyond the usual floating shelves; you can utilize a wall panel’s storage. Painting the shelving panel and the wall the same color, called a “drenched” wall, will leave the space unbroken and flowing.
11. Use white tongue-and-groove slats for a coastal look
Slated panels with white paint, paired with tan or beige décor, can quickly achieve a Californian sun-n-sand room feel. Whatever the pattern of the panel, a rustic brush of paint from time to time is enough maintenance. Light-colored paneling also bounces natural light around and helps brighten the room.
12. Sustainable wall paneling designs
Going green has graduated from being a slow movement to being a design necessity, and wall panels have paid heed to that development. Many designers try to inculcate greenery into a project by using wall panels with recycled wood or eco-friendly wallpaper.
If your clients feel up to the challenge, you can always fix a green wall with vertical plants and a built-in water supply. This can act as an accent wall in transition areas like the patio or a balcony.
13. Enhance space with 2d paneling
2D and 3D wall panels are some of the most exploratory ways to spice up an area. 2D paneling allows a small room to feel more spacious by shifting focus to its abstract and muted patterns. They work best as a textured white wall behind a painting or serve as a background for a plush sofa.
Whereas creative innovation and modern technologies used in 3D panels can give the room a futuristic makeover. They also have other benefits, like acoustic retention and diffusion of harsh light.
14. Use paneling to disguise a door
loor-to-ceiling wall paneling can easily camouflage a door. This technique adds a bit of dynamism to the interiors and becomes. A mundane entryway to the toilet or the store room becomes a fun conversation starter!
However, it can be particularly tricky to get this technique right. You must only use solid and sturdy materials for this paneling. Cheaper materials like chipboard can crack from the repeated opening and closing of the door. Choosing a Duco spray paint finish over regular paint is also ideal, as standard paint tends to crack and flake at the joints.
15. Built-in closet wall paneling
s with the concept of a hidden door, you can apply the same practice to conceal your closet space. Stylizing the wall in the same style as the wardrobe doors will look highly engaging. Paneling the closet can also help eliminate monotony in the bedroom, where you usually witness plain wooden shutters for all closet doors.
16. Three-Quarter Paneling
Nothing cries grand like a high ceiling in a retro space. But bring in the three-quarter panel, and your room now looks more luxurious, taller, and sophisticated.
Offsetting the panel with a different color than the ceiling can inversely break the visuals and make the room seem more tangible and warm.
17. Upholstered fabric
A fabric wall panel as the headboard for your bed is definitely not a new concept. The rise in the popularity of fabrics like velvet, leather, and linen has made this technique all the rage. A panel that runs wall-to-wall or floor-to-ceiling behind the bed can make your bedroom look more glamorous. Diamond tufting, biscuit tufting, button tufting, blind tufting, and channel tufting are simply a few options available at your disposal.
18. Quirky with PVC
If you are in the mood for something unique, PVC panels are available in different shapes, patterns, and colors. They are comparatively very cheap and can look exceptionally quirky! The flip side of having a PVC panel is that while it is resistant to corrosion and moisture, the chlorine released into the air from the panels can be harmful.
You can instead go for the more expensive option such as UPVC panels, an unplasticized version of the same. Considering using this waterproof technique as the backsplash for a complete kitchen makeover.
19. Rustic wood slices
Processed and polished wood lacks the character and story of reclaimed or raw wood. Introducing natural wood in the panel with its knots and rings intact adds a rustic charm to your room. For an eclectic, modern farmhouse aesthetic, seek out wood panels of different colors and make to adorn the entire wall.
20. Go back to black