Room for Tuesday https://roomfortuesday.com/guest-bedroom-reveal/
Do you want to make change? Wainscoting is a great place to start—easy to install, classic, and instantly elevates any living space. Here are our favorite wainscoting ideas to help you transform any room in your home.
Wainscoting, a timeless architectural feature, adds character, charm, and elegance to any interior space. This classic wall treatment, which involves covering the lower portion of walls with wood paneling, has evolved significantly over the centuries, offering a wide range of styles.
From traditional raised panel designs that adds a sense of historical grandeur to sleek and modern board and batten styles that enhance more contemporary interiors, wainscoting can instantly change any space in your home.
As you think about which space you’ll add wainscoting, consider your own design style or a style you’d like to try. Maybe you’re leaning into maximalism with bright colors and bold art pieces, or you prefer a more modern industrial vibe with metal or black and gold finishes. No matter your style, we have wainscoting ideas you’ll love.
1. Classic White
If you’re new to wainscoting, trying a traditional option can add visual interest to your space without taking away from the existing aesthetic. With classic white, you can offer clean, crisp lines to any room – making it ideal for dining rooms, living rooms, and entryways. Classic white wainscoting can be paired with neutral beige or light gray wall colors. Add a chair rail to divide the wainscoting and upper wall, enhancing the classic look.
2. Rustic Shiplap
Bring your love for farmhouse charm to your home with rustic shiplap wainscoting. Using natural wood for this style of wainscoting works well in kitchens, living rooms, and bedrooms, adding a beautiful and inviting touch. You can complement the natural wood with earth-toned furniture and decor.
3. Bold Black Beadboard
Do you love a little drama? Add a dramatic, bold twist with black beadboard wainscoting as a statement piece in your powder room or living room. As a striking accent wall, you won’t have to do much with decor — you can keep it simple with metallic fixtures or black-and-white decor.
4. Textured with Wallpaper
Medium-density fiberboard (MDF) is used as a substitute for wood, made from wood fibers, resins, and wax. It durable, denser than plywood and often more cost-effective. Use MDF to add wainscoting to your hallways, dining rooms, and even bathrooms, with pattern wallpaper above for added style and appeal. Consider adding battens in this style to create a grid-like pattern.
5. Elegant Gray
With gray wainscoting panels, you can’t go wrong. Gray is a great option if your aesthetic is more sleek or you like dark, cooler tones in your home. As a neutral color, gray works well in living rooms, bedrooms, and dining rooms and has a subtle backdrop that can blend with various decor and designs. Add white trim and molding, including baseboards, for a polished finish.
6. Nautical Blue
Take it to the coast without leaving your home by adding nautical blue beadboard wainscoting. This color adds an airy and fresh feel to your bathroom, bedroom, laundry room, or mudroom. You can also pair this wainscoting color with white or light-colored walls and beachy seashell decor.
7. Two-Tone
It takes two – which is why we love the dynamic look of two-tone wainscoting. If you want to add visual interest to a space in your home, use one color for wainscoting panels and the second color for trim and molding. This style creates a beautiful accent wall in a larger space, like your living room, and offers depth and dimension. Choose colors that complement each other for a cohesive design.
8. Vibrant Yellow
Brighten up your space with cheerful yellow wainscoting. This vibrant, sunny color works well in kitchens, bathrooms, and even playrooms. Pair it with cream-colored walls or multicolor wallpaper, or, if you prefer a more maximalist decor style, go yellow on yellow!
9. Soft Pastel
Soft pastel colors like pink, light blue, or mint green offer a gentle feel to bedrooms, bathrooms, and nurseries. Adding pastel color to your wainscoting allows you to elevate any of these spaces without adding too much to the overall aesthetic, especially if you’re looking for a more calming atmosphere. These colors pair well with white or cream-colored walls.
10. Elevated Gold
Go from basic to glamorous by elevating your wainscoting panels with elegant gold trim. This combination works well in dining rooms and formal living rooms, creating a refined and glamorous atmosphere. Pair it with rich, bold wall colors and opulent decor to complete the look.
11. Truly Taupe
Taupe is a wainscoting color that is not only versatile but also offers a clean and airy foundation for your home aesthetic. Use taupe as a base for other color schemes or lean into the natural tone for a more minimalist look. This color is great for entryways, living rooms, and kitchens. Add white trim and molding, including baseboards, for a polished finish.
12. Elegant Marble
For a luxurious and elegant look, consider marble wainscoting. The natural veining and patterns in marble add a touch of sophistication and glamour to bathrooms, kitchens, and dining rooms. Pair it with rich, bold wall colors and opulent decor to complete the look. On our list of wainscoting ideas, this is one of the most elegant and unique!
13. Cozy Brick
Exterior spaces need love, too! If your home features a patio, you can add brick wainscoting for a cozy yet elevated feel. This style is perfect for creating an inviting atmosphere in kitchens and dining rooms if you’re looking for a more industrial or unique design. Pair it with warm, earthy wall colors and natural wood furniture.
14. Silver Decor Accents
It’s not only about the wainscoting – decor and accents make a difference too. Like in the example below, silver or metal on piping or faucets can add a modern and elevated feel to wainscoting. This combination works especially well in bathrooms, creating a luxurious and stylish vibe.
15. Lavender
Lavender is a beautiful wainscoting color to add a gentle and calming touch to bedrooms, nurseries, and bathrooms. It can create a serene atmosphere that pairs well with a range of wall colors.
16. Flat-Panel Wainscoting
Flat-panel wainscoting is installed to create a deep and smooth look and works well in contemporary interiors. This style is ideal for creating a clean and minimalist aesthetic in living rooms, bedrooms, and dining rooms. Consider decor that features neutral colors for a polished look.
17. Baseboard and Crown Molding
Baseboard and crown molding can a sense of elegance to wainscoting designs. Because it has a more formal feel, it’s great in living rooms, dining rooms, and entryways. Choose colors and styles that complement each other for a cohesive design.
18. Chair Rail and Picture Frame Molding
Chair rail and picture frame molding is all about subtle elegance. Try this style in your dining rooms, living rooms, and hallways for added style and sophistication. You aren’t limited in colors with this style, and you can use it as a feature wall or throughout the space.
Use wainscoting to elevate your space without a complete remodel. From rustic wood to coastal colors, there is a range of wainscoting ideas to fit your next home interior upgrade. Whether you prefer the timeless elegance of raised-panel wainscoting, the sleek lines of flat panels, or the cozy charm of beadboard, our list of wainscoting ideas can suit every taste and room in your home.
