Add Interest to your
Home with
Decorative Wainscot Paneling
Decorative Wainscot Paneling
What is wainscot? Simply put, wainscot paneling is a decorative architectural wall treatment that consists of a baseboard, wall panel and chair rail.
Panel
wainscoting is
the process of installing the wainscot. It
dates back to 16th century 
It
was
often used in casual
homes and was not considered to be an elegant decorative feature at the
time. While it has
been around for a couple hundred
years, modern American homeowners very quickly discovered the beauty of
this architectural feature and began using it in formal areas of the
home like the dining room or entry halls during the early 20th
century.
Types of Wainscot:
While wainscot can be created from many different materials there are three common types of wainscot paneling:
- Raised panels that range from 30 to 40 inches in height and feature attached moldings in square, rectangular or diamond shapes. This style has a very formal look and is most commonly found in traditional and colonial style homes.
- Flat panels offer
a clean and simple look and can be found in Contemporary, Arts and
Crafts and
- Beadboard is a
tongue and groove panel that provides a casual and relaxed feel to a
beach or country home but can also be used in a
All of these are generally created from wood panels and decorative molding. However, today’s polyurethane wainscot paneling choices are just as beautiful as wood and are easier to maintain.
Decorating
Options:
There are many styles and several ways to introduce wainscot paneling into your home.
- For a traditional look, use a solid panel of wood embellished with molding detail to create a series of boxes or frames on the lower wall. Top it off with a large piece of molding placed at chair rail height of 30-36 inches from the floor.
- A more colorful option would be to paint the lower wall a contrasting color and apply the decorative molding directly to the wall. Wallpaper can also be trimmed out with molding and chair rails to create a patterned wainscot.
- Even contemporary homes can benefit from the architectural feature of wainscot paneling. Paint a flat panel using a metallic glaze for a bit of shine and top it off with a metal chair rail. Use wood to visually warm the space but paint it in a high contrast and glossy color. Mirroring the lower half of the wall and adding a thick wooden chair rail creates a modern and elegant look.
- Beadboard paneling provides a relaxed and comfortable look to any casual home. If you are lucky enough to live by the beach, beadboard wainscot paneling creates a charming “beachy” look. You might want to use the polyurethane paneling in this instance as it is moisture and weather resistant. If you prefer to decorate in a friendly country style, using beadboard in a bathroom, breakfast room even a child’s nursery will give you the casual look you are seeking.
- Painting the lower half of the wall with chalkboard paint and adding a wide chair rail for display is a nice way to spruce up the walls in a playroom or child’s bedroom. No more worries about paint and markers on painted walls.
- Extending panel wainscot up a stairway is a good way to break up the large expanse of wall while adding architectural interest.
When it comes to adding wainscot
paneling to your home, you
can see that the decorating choices are limitless.
Let your imagination be your guide and you
will have a home that is architecturally interesting and unique to
you.
Wainscot Paneling is a very doable do it your self wall decorating project especially if you elect to buy a waincot paneling kit that has an easy to follow buying guide and clear easy concise instructions to follow.
