What’s the Difference Between Decorative Wall Panelling and Wainscoting

Decorative Wall Panelling is typically installed above the chair rail where as Wainscoting is placed below a chair rail. If a chair rail is not part of the over all trim design, then wainscoting is fitted 1/3 of the ceiling height in any room or hallway. A decorative wall panelling is installed at least 36 inches above the floor height on a wall with same cap spaces between a chair rail and ceiling.

Both wainscoting and any wall panels are sometimes referred to as the same, yet they are not. They are both used differently even though the designs are similar. A prudent and well communicated trim carpenter will be able to explain the key differences to a prospective client during the planing and design phase.

Which Rooms Would Decorative Wall Panelling Look Best In

A decorative panel trim moulding would look great in rooms or hallways that larger than just a typical 10 by 10 room. Having said that any hallway with a 8 foot ceiling or higher or would greatly benefit from having this type of decorative trim moulding greatly. Another room where you will find different type of styled decorative wall paneling would be in den, living room and dining room.

Recently some clients have requested we install panel moulding in their newly finished basements. To even our surprise, once we completed our first basement with decorative wall panelling it looked stunning. Our client finished the room off as high end gaming room with a pool table, pin ball machine and poker table. We painted the panelled trim the same colour as the wall, a light grey tone withed with an eggshell finish from Benjamin Moore with the baseboard and Door and window casing painted in a China White colour also from Benjamin Moore with a espresso colour engineered hardwood floor to complete and tie in the entire look. We also finished the job by installing  a 4 1/2 crown moulding and matched the paint colour with other trim.

What are the Best Materials When Installing Decorative Wall Panelling

Most clients choose MDF when deciding as their preferred material as its the most budget friendly while also taking into consideration the amount of traffic and if children will be bouncing tennis balls off the wall when mom and dad are not watching.  The other aspect to consider is are their any rounded or circular walls such as the bottom of a circular staircase if you’re thinking about installing a decorative wall panelling in a hallway. If so, then a more flexible material is better suited for this type of job. In the event you do have kids that like to throw things at a wall, including a few tennis and soccer balls like I have, then MDF wouldn’t be recommended. A more sturdy type of material like poplar or pine is probably best. Keep in mind this is all based on the assumption that the finish will be a paint grade and not a stained finish.

For a more subtle stained finish, then Oak would work best with very tight and clean miter cuts. Wall panels that are finished with a stain also look beat with a more intricate style and design over the typical square box look that is usually finished in paint.

Top Styles and Designs for Panel Moulding Trim on a Wall

We recently completed a job for a client that included trim everywhere, we even installed panel moulding on his ceiling with tight square boxes circling his pot-lights. We also installed a 3 inch door casing acting as a panel mould in his main floor powder room as a featured wall. We finished the powder room with a deep black paint colour, white panel moulding, white ceiling and white crown moulding. The panel moulding was painted with same white as the crown moulding and it looked amazing!

Another design that is becoming more popular is a double panel moulding spaced 2 inches apart from the otter to inner panel with the otter moulding being slightly larger in size and profile. This look can be finished with the panel moulding painted the same colour as the wall or in a white colour that features the panels more distinctly.

With interior trim, the types of styles and designs are endless. Let your imagine take over and create some really cool finishes that are not only unique to your home but your personality as well. Miter5 offers free consultation and helps plan your project as part of our many services. We take pride in helping clients create unique designs and love watching them to fruition.