There seems to be A LOT of things to do on our ‘Getting s*#t done’ house redecoration list. We can’t get anyone to do our fence panels until September but we’ve booked in a very handy man to do some work on the front of the house in the next few weeks. This month marks the half way point through my pregnancy and while we’re still bringing in a double income we’d like to get a fair few outstanding jobs completed.
I’ve mentioned before about the plans for the downstairs guest room, though obviously had to neglect to mention that this room will also be a play room/ place to stash plastic tat. James is really busy over the next few months so I think we’re going to get a chippy in to build a giant cupboard in here, and there’s still those ruddy patio doors to decide on.
Anyway I digress, this post is about panelling not cupboards and doors. The panelling effect is so, so hot right now. Little Iris has the most tremendous Jacobean style display in her nursery and I love how it cleverly follows the curve of the roof line to show off the detailing of the room. Anyone following the lovely Rebecca (rvk_loves) on insta will have seen her glorious master suite and how the new panelling is perfectly in keeping and appears as a classic period feature.
A friend of mine has the Victorian style half panelling in her hall which looks ace and is also really practical in preventing scuff marks on the rest of the wall. I found this DIY the other day from a lady who gained a similar moulding effect for £35.
Bit of a history lesson for you. Wall panelling dates back to the Tudor times. The discovery of the new world spread wealth to the middle classes and folks became more interested in creating home for comfort rather than fortification. Walls, fireplace, ceilings and staircases all become ornately treated with the trademark oak panelling.
Have a read over at Vincent Reed Conservation and Restoration website if you’d like to learn more. These days we’re less likely to get oak installed in our homes and instead we’re seeing the look replicated with a twist in mdf and gorgeous paint colours.
My house dates back to the 1860s and I reckon it could take Georgian, Jacobean or true to its authentic period, Victorian panelling well, however the room had a previous life as a pig shed so perhaps it would be slightly incongruous to deck out the walls with such decadence. Enter tongue and groove panelling instead which seems far more suited to its more humble roots. I had tongue and groove in my bedroom in the 90s and I for one am pleased to see its made a well deserved comeback into contemporary decor. I’m a big fan of the integral peg racks in a couple of these inspiration images and think it’s an excellent way to finish off the area if going full height will look cumbersome.
A few posts ago we chatted about cladding and it was mentioned about the potential for mould and mildew to collect behind. I haven’t come across this in my parents house but as there doesn’t seem to be any issue with damp in this room I don’t think there’ll be an issue, but with area of high humidity it’s something to consider.
In terms of installation there are plenty of tutorials on Pinterest and YouTube but I’ll try and do a DIY of whichever method we go for
Anyone else had any panelling or cladding recently installed or considering giving their walls a makeover? What style did you go for? Was it a DIY job or did you get someone else in to do it?
I love panelling, as well as looking great I think it is really practical in high traffic areas such as hallways. When I was recently viewing houses I saw a property that had mid-height built in cupboards with a display ledge in the kitchen-diner and I loved them. It got me thinking about doing a version of this with panelling, so it would be more of a hidden cupboard. It is now firmly on the to do list! I will have to find a good carpenter.
Love the combo of excellent storage and a design feature too. Ticks a lot of boxes.
Love panelling and just finished our bedroom panelling this weekend! It’s definitely a DIY project and it’s really easy to do – painting it, on the other hand, is taking forever! 😉 I’de definitely recommend giving it a go!
PS. Building a garden fence is easy, too. We built our own slatted fence a while ago and still love it! (https://www.littlehouseonthecorner.com/how-to-build-a-slatted-fence/)
Christine your fence looks amazing!
Thanks! x
I love this and would love to see how someone adapted the idea to a new build
Emma, have you seen Erica Davis’ stunner of a home? It’s a new build and although she doesn’t have any panelling, you can totally imagine from her kitchen – http://the-edited.com/2017/09/26/the-house-files-kitchen-before-and-after-pictures-plus-all-details/ and living room – http://the-edited.com/2016/10/24/the-house-files-my-living-room-before-and-after/ how simple panelling would be right at home.