Here are 5 Wainscoting ideas to help get you started

Written by Milan Jara on 7th Oct 2024

5 Wainscoting Ideas

You’ve chosen a perfect color scheme, painted your walls, finished your floors and even installed some artwork to add a little character to your home, yet something is still missing.

While there’s no wrong way to approach interior design, there are so many things you can add to your space that achieving a sense of completion can be difficult. However, when you know which materials are available to you and how to use them, things become a bit easier.

Let’s explore this by examining an often-overlooked material, “wainscot”. This quick guide covers what it is, what it’s used for and even offers up 5 wainscoting ideas to get you started.

What is wainscoting?

Wainscoting is a set of prefabricated panels, usually made from PVC or metal, that can be affixed to the lower portion of your walls to add a little decorative flair. Traditionally, wainscot was made from wood and used to protect the lower portion of walls from scuffs and damage, but modern wainscoting can be found sporting many different designs, patterns and textures.

Where can wainscoting be used?

Wainscoting can be installed in pretty much any area of your home, provided the surface is clean and uniform. You may need to select wainscoting made from certain materials in some rooms, like waterproof PVC in bathrooms and kitchens, but there aren’t too many limitations.

Wainscoting can be used for practical purposes, like to protect walls in busy areas from scuff marks, or used to cover up eyesores like blemishes and unsightly cable runs. Essentially, if you’re tired of looking at uninteresting or worn-out walls, wainscoting is your new best friend.

Here are a few examples of room-specific wainscoting ideas to get your imagination running.

Bathroom wainscoting ideas

Use colored wainscoting panels to match the design of your bathtub and sink.
Install moisture-resistant PVC wainscoting to protect your walls from water damage.
Use framed wainscoting as a base for artworks and similar decorative elements.

Wainscoting ideas for living rooms

Apply wood-look wainscoting for a low-maintenance take on traditional aesthetics.
Install textured wainscoting to add extra dimensions and character to your space.
Apply faux-tin wainscot to add a reflective element and make your room feel bigger.

Modern wainscoting ideas

Paint your wainscoting to match intricate existing design elements in your room.
Match block-color wainscot with 3D wall panels to create contrasting visual designs.
Use gloss-white wainscoting to achieve chic, spacious and minimalist aesthetics

Rustic wainscoting ideas

Install corrugated metal wainscoting in your kitchen for a rustic farmhouse look.
Use wood-look wainscoting and neutral colors to create a cozy cottage environment.
Match wood-look wainscot with faux-stone wall panels for a traditional log cabin feel.

5 wainscoting ideas to revitalize your home

Now that you’ve got a basic idea of what wainscoting can be used for, let’s explore some more specific projects and designs that could help you breathe new life into your property. Here are 5 wainscoting ideas that any avid DIY-er can easily use to revitalize their home.

1. Neaten up your hallways

Tight hallways and foyers can be prone to scuff marks and blemishes in spots where guests knock against walls, sometimes making a space feel a little too lived-in. Installing a dark set of wainscoting panels in a deep block-color or wood-look finish can help to mask marks and protect your walls from damage. Also, if you buy in bulk, you can replace worn panels easily.

2. Transform your child’s bedroom

Kids can be incredibly messy, leaving marks, fingerprints and spills all over your once-clean walls. A great wainscoting idea is to use PVC panels and a protective barrier as they can be wiped down easily with a damp cloth, making your clean-up routine an awful lot easier. You can even get creative with your style, letting your kid pick from loads of colors and designs.

3. Create a luxurious dining area

Wainscoting isn’t all about protecting your walls, it’s also about making them look much more appealing. Installing panels that feature traditional floral and decorative designs can help you create a luxurious formal dining area at a relatively low cost. Choose your preferred design, pick a color that complements your space, and in a few hours your room will be transformed.

4. Freshen up your bathroom

Your bathroom walls need some protection against water damage and humidity, but standard porcelain or stone tiles can be very expensive. PVC wainscoting can be a cost-effective and equally visually-appealing alternative to costly bathroom tiles, offering comparable protection against water spills and condensation while adding some depth and character to your space.

5. Use paints for custom designs

Our final wainscoting idea involves a little creativity, with the basic plan to use wainscoting panels as a blank canvas for some custom paint work. You can paint your panels in block colors or add unique designs, either way, you’ll be breaking up uninspired walls by adding new design motifs to the lower portion. If you mess up, just remove the panel and try again!

Wrapping up

Turning a house into a home takes a lot of work, oftentimes leaving you struggling to find a balance between practicality and aesthetics. While compromise is essential in some cases, the way you decorate your walls can be an outlier, with wainscoting materials offering the perfect middle ground between simple maintenance and visually appealing interior design.

If any of the wainscoting ideas covered above have got your imagination running, take a look at our extensive range of wainscoting panels and tiles and begin setting your plans in action.

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