6 Styles of wood wall panelling
Wood wall panels are a great way to enhance the aesthetic of your home, hide uneven surfaces, enhance the durability of your walls and can even help to provide insulation.
If you’re looking to add a bit of wow to your home’s interior with some wall panelling, there are many types to consider and it’s only recently that I’ve realised there are so many different types & styles!
I found it all rather confusing, so I thought I’d write a blog about the most popular styles to hopefully help you figure out which style you might be looking to emulate in your home.
6 different types/styles of wall panelling I’ll be covering.
1. Board and batten panelling
2. Tongue and groove
3. Beadboard
4. Shiplap
5. Plank wall Panelling
6. Raised panels
~ 1. Board and batten panelling ~
As many of you know I love a bit of board and batten style panelling and have written a whole step-by-step guide on how to create the look yourself with MDF. It’s super easy and looks so effective. The hardest part is calculating the amount of MDF you need. To read the guide click here.
~ What is Board & Batten Panelling? ~
Board and batten panelling, or board-and-batten siding, is a type of interior or exterior panelling that has alternating wide boards and narrow wooden strips, called “battens.” The boards can be placed horizontally or vertically.
Image: https://www.instagram.com/sylvieathome/
~ What are the benefits/advantages of Board & Batten Panelling? ~
~ Budget-Friendly ~ A very cost-effective way to add a focal point to any room
~ Durability ~ Lasts for years
~ Easy to install ~ It’s super easy to install – learn how here!
Easy to repair ~ easy to repair a section
~ What are the disadvantages of Board & Batten Panelling? ~
~ Collect dust ~ Dust settles on the boards
2. Tongue and Groove (often abbreviated to T&G)
~ What is Tongue & Groove Panelling? ~
Image: https://www.instagram.com/bobbins.at.home/
Tongue and Groove is a type of joint in which one board features a groove (or slot) and another board features a tongue. The boards fit perfectly together either vertically or horizontally – via interlocking ridges or hollows creating a single flat surface.
Image: https://www.instagram.com/greenbank_interiors/
The most common place you find a Tongue and Groove joint is in flooring but it’s become really popular when panelling walls in the home.
Image: https://www.instagram.com/holly_oak_house/
There are lots of benefits to Tongue and Groove panelling or cladding as it is sometimes referred to.
~ What are the benefits/advantages of Tongue & Groove Panelling? ~
~ Strength & Stability ~ The biggest benefit of a tongue and groove joint is its stability. Flat surfaces receive strong support because it offers three strength layers where it joins.
~ Easy to install ~ When the woodworking is completed correctly, anyone can put the boards together to form a flat surface.
~ What are the disadvantages of Tongue & Groove Panelling? ~
~ Long term durability ~ You shouldn’t (although some do!) glue the joints together as the contraction of the wood over time means the tongue breaks which reduces the strength of the joint.
~ Repairs can be tricky ~ If the grove edge or tongue gets damaged for one reason or another the entire affected board may need replacing. This means that an entire floor/wall may need replacing if a panel is damaged.
This is a great tutorial I found showing you how to hang Tongue & Groove Panelling – watch it here
~ 3. Beadboard ~
~ What is Beadboard Panelling? ~
Image: https://www.instagram.com/whitecloverkindred/
Beadboard Panelling is characterized by long and continuous vertical grooves and raised beads that are spaced about every inch or two apart.
Image: https://www.instagram.com/my.purposed.place/
This style of panelling is simply another type of tongue-and-groove panelling, except the tongues and grooves connect not single boards but panels with the distinctive look of beaded-board plank.
Beadboard panels can now also be purchased in larger panels as long as 8 feet in length for faster installation. For these types of boards, the beads and grooves are molded into the board itself during the manufacturing process.
Available through Panel Shack
Their wall panelling is a component-based kit system supplied to homeowners and trade. A quick and cost-effective way of adding exceptional decor to your living space. Delivered to your home direct from manufacture in their workshop these are ideal for the competent DIYer or a straightforward process for the hired in carpenter or joiner.
~ 4. Shiplap Panelling ~
Image: https://www.instagram.com/renovatingridgeway/
~ What is Shiplap Panelling? ~
Shiplap is a style of wall paneling characterized by long planks, normally painted in a neutral colour that is mounted horizontally along a wall with a slight gap between them.
Image: https://www.instagram.com/visitnumber7/
Very similar in style to tongue and groove but the main difference in the profile. During installation, the notches fit together like little steps, so the shiplap planks very slightly overlap, in what is called a rebate joint.
A rebate joint is a lip or groove cut from the edge of a piece of wood (or similar material).
~ What are the advantages of Shiplap Paneling? ~
~ Budget-Friendly ~ A very cost-effective way to add a focal point to any room
~ Easy to install ~ It’s easy to install and you can stain or paint it to suit your current decor.
~ You can use it anywhere ~ Try using shiplap in your bedroom, hallway, or on your living room wall, around the fireplace. Try it as a kitchen backsplash or even in the bathroom ~ a protective finish is needed in these rooms to prevent food stains and moisture damage.
~ What are the disadvantages of Shiplap Paneling? ~
~ Collects Dust ~ the gaps are prone to accumulating dust.
Here is a great tutorial from Home Depot on installing Shiplap yourself. Click here to have a read.
~ 5. Plank Wall Panelling ~
Image: www.decorforkids.com
Using wooden planks, you can easily transform a wall in your home.
Image: https://www.instagram.com/jagcagdesign/
Create a texture-rich, aesthetically pleasing space using reclaimed wood, new wood, or even wood that’s been made to look vintage. Install the planks horizontally, vertically, or even in a herringbone or diagonal pattern! What ever takes your fancy!
Take a look at Plaank.com ~ Whether it’s a feature wall for the home, an eye-catching office reception or an exciting look for a chain of bars or restaurants, PLAANK has a range of truly unique finishes.
Plaank.com has several ranges to choose from too.
Reclaimed & Weathered ~ Sourced from the highest peaks and lowest depths of North America, the ever-popular reclaimed and weathered wood wall panel range brings a true vintage experience to any project.
Timberstik ~ has been developed so it requires no separate glues; instead, it comes with ready applied, super strong, adhesive strips. All you have to do is simply ‘peel and stick’ to the desired interior surface; fast and effective application couldn’t be easier!
3D ~ Sourced from the depths of Eastern Europe, The PLAANK 3D range is handcrafted from reclaimed wood that is centuries old. Nothing is more important to PLAANK than offering a product that is both highly decorative but completely sustainable. This is why the 3D panels are absolutely perfect as each plank is hand chosen and created in such a way to follow the latest trends whilst only using the most ecologically clean and environmentally friendly wood sources.
~ 6. Raised Panelling ~
Raised panel wainscoting first became popular in England during the 17th century to insulate homes.
Image: https://www.instagram.com/grainandgroove.ie/
This type of wainscoting is the oldest style and the most common, and often seen in formal dining and living rooms.
Image: https://www.instagram.com/aisling_grainger_/
Raised panel wainscoting is distinguished by the panels being placed in the front of the stiles and rails. The finished look results in panels that look raised off the wall.
This type of wood panelling has a series of rectangles or squares that run in a line, typically separated 4 to 8 inches by vertical molding.
MDF board or polystyrene panels can be molded into the raised panel style.
Alternatively, they can be built from scratch with thin pieces of molding attached to flat panels.
So there you have it! A round-up of the most popular wall paneling styles. I hope this blog has helped you in your quest to find the perfect style of panelling for your home.
Some other terms you might come across when looking into panelling!
Wainscoting
Wainscoting is a type of decorative panelling that’s typically limited to the bottom half or three-quarters of a wall and first became popular in the 18th century.
Typically, it was installed using oak panels from the skirting board to around chair height.
Originally it was used to provide additional room insulation, damage protection, and to hide rising damp.
Nowadays, Wainscoting is used as a decorative wall feature adding style and character to any room in your home.
Judges Panelling
Judges paneling is often confused with wainscoting, but it is slightly different in that wainscoting is typically at chair rail height (originally to protect walls from chair damage!) where judges panelling can fill up either a portion of a wall or the entire wall.
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