6 Ways to Add Character to your Interiors through Architectural Paneling

Panel molding is a wood trim that goes over preexisting walls. It is usually raised and decorative to accentuate flat walls.Wall paneling dates as far back at the 13th Century but was popularized as part of British Victorian interiors in the late 17th Century. They were originally designed as a necessity to keep the cold, damp air outside and provide much needed insulation to the structural stone walls.

Today, we are fortunate to have numerous panel options at various price point to fit any budget and style. Traditional styled paneling is constructed of Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF), which is lighter and less expensive than original designs created from wood. It can be used to add interest to any space and in a variety of forms listed below.

Chair Rail

The Chair rail was first invented by the Romans as a decorative feature and not as a way to protect the walls from being damaged by chairs, as many people think. During the Colonial Shaker interiors added pegs to the chair rail to hang chairs while sweeping. A Chair rail can be used with or without wainscoting and is a popular when mixed with other styles of paneling.  Keep in mind your chair rail can be installed at any height to create a variety of aesthetics.

Wainscoting

Wainscoting typically lines the walls on the lower half of the room and was originally designed as insulation in the 16 and 17th Century. It consists of three types of paneling including the base board, wall panels and chair rail or top of molding. Wainscoting has become popular and can be created from these elements on site or purchased as packages.

Shiplap

Shiplap is a wooden board with a groove to allow the boards to fit snugly together when mounted to the wall. It can be applied vertical or horizontal, used to create chair rails or full wall decoration.

Board and Batten

Board and Batten is similar to Shiplap, but has varying board widths to create additional interest. The boards are wide strips while the batton are narrow. This technique creates a simple, more modern styling and is great for mudrooms.

Bead Board

Bead board is narrow wood planks in vertical rows with a ridge or indentation to create the “beads”. Beadboard is commonly used as wainscoting and topped with a chair rail or capped with decorative modling but can also be used floor to celing.

Geometric Paneling

Constructed similar to board and batton, geometric paneling is the newcomer to panel molding. The sky is the limit on creating a design that correlates to your interiors!