It’s hard to find smart interior design ideas to change the looks of the house. Hanging new drapes is an excellent idea, but doesn’t really transform the place. Rearranging the furniture helps, but it’s not a big change either. You need more radical solutions but still on budget.

Installing wainscoting panels is the best idea. You might know wainscots as beadboards, too. In any case, they can make the difference because they do change the looks of the walls. After all, walls occupy a large portion of the room and must be inviting to the eye.

Imagine a white wall dressed with beadboard wainscoting and the remaining wall portion painted in a color matching your aesthetics! The impact wainscotings make is incredible and the best part is that they are inexpensive, too.

“Wainscoting can be used for many different reasons. Most commonly, wainscoting is used to add interest and texture, even without adding color. And there are so many different styles of wainscoting!”

Cassity,  http://www.remodelaholic.com/25-wainscoting-ideas/

Image via Trimwork by Design

Why Install Wainscotings? Check out the Benefits

Do you want to fall in love with your house once more? You can! With wainscotings! There is a reason why so many people install panels in the bathroom or dining room. You don’t find them just in old homes, but also in contemporary residences.

The main advantage of wainscoting is their style. Also they cover wall damage. They do make a statement and that’s important for every household. Want to know why you should consider installing wainscots, too?

•  They are perfect for every single room. They add character to your dining room, but wainscoting bathroom panels make your private space unique too

•  Their price is low. You can find panels at about $8 per sq.ft.

•  There are many wainscoting designs, styles and sizes to choose from. Most of them are made of wood and can be painted in any color.

•  There are plain panels and beadboards, raised panels going up all the way to the ceiling, and often combined with baseboards and chair rails.

Image via Blogspot

You can play with colors. Choose a different color for the portion of the wall between the wainscoting to the crown molding or even install wallpaper. You can also choose a different design for each room that will match with your choices.

Beautiful Walls with Wainscoting Ideas

Some technical tips are always valuable. Wainscoting height is important. One thing most homeowners ask is how up the wall wainscots should go! It depends on the ceiling height. If you don’t want to bring down a ceiling, which is already low, do cover one third of the wall.

Although the chair rail is meant to protect the wall from chairs, it should be around 28 to 32 inches over the floor. Raised panel wainscoting looks good, but don’t cover every wall in the house. It will be too much!

Image via Scott Properties

Wood or Plastic Wainscoting? Materials are Essential

Choosing the right material for each room is critical because it determines the cost, longevity and maintenance of your wainscoting. Here are your choices:

Wood – it’s the top choice for enhanced elegance, but it’s the more expensive option and requires frequent maintenance. You can get cherry, walnut, pine or oak wainscoting. The hardest part is its installation. If it’s not installed properly, you will deal with gaps and cracks due to temperature fluctuations throughout the year.

MDF – this is an alternative choice and much cheaper than wood. MDF is far more resistant since it doesn’t split, crack, expand or contract and is cleaned much easier.

Image via Accenthaus

One thing to watch out for: if you don’t choose moisture resistant mdf, keep it from getting wet or it will swell and eventually peel off and get damaged.

Plywood – that’s your third wood-like choice and the most inexpensive. Plywood is easily installed, but it’s not very resistant.

Plastic – if you are looking for long-lasting wainscoting solutions and especially for bathrooms and kitchens, plastic is the material you should choose. It’s highly resistant and won’t rot.

Color Ideas that makes your Home Excellent

Select nice colors for the walls. With white wainscoting, choose pale shades for the wall if you want to give a clean cut look to the room. This is an excellent idea for bathrooms and bedrooms.

Image via Drawhome

Choose intense colors for one or two walls in the dining and living room. Wainscots look good at staircases, too. Just make sure to get flex materials if there are curved walls anywhere in the house. Once you’ve done all that, change drapes and rearrange furniture. And voila! You will have a brand new house taking the place of the old!