A wall treatment that is generally applied to the lower part of the wall, wainscoting is a technique that has existed for a long time but has been deemed out of fashion in the 1950s. However, it has made a comeback in recent years due to its versatility, easy application, and most importantly, costing only a fraction of what it used to. Homeowners all over the world are giving their interior space a fresh new look with the help of wainscoting.

Materials

Traditionally made from solid wood which is heavy, expensive, and difficult to handle, wainscoting now comes in light-weight materials that are ready to be painted. Thanks to this advancement in material technology, installation for wainscoting is a breeze and is very affordable. Furthermore, as the material is easily manipulated, you can have your wainscoting at any height you prefer, from only covering one-third all the way to the full height of your wall.

Styles and colors

Wainscoting decorations come in many styles and colors. Go for a more intricate look, like raised panel wainscoting, for a traditional theme or get a simple flat panel wainscoting for that clean modern interior appearance. Looking for something more country-like or barn style? Not a problem. Simply install beadboard wainscoting to perfectly create a pleasant cottage atmosphere in the room. Because you can paint it any color you want, wainscoting can be very versatile and made to fit the theme of your room.

Opt for a light color to brighten up the space and augment its sense of spaciousness. For a more cozy and intimate ambiance, paint your wainscoting a dark color. To make your room more exciting, create visual contrast by painting your wainscoting a different color from the wall. The choices are endless!

Functionality

Apart from being an aesthetically pleasing decoration, wainscoting also has the added bonus of being functional. This extra layer on your wall makes a great protector for your structural walls. Damages from water splashes or objects hitting against your walls will be absorbed by the wainscoting. Wainscoting is a rigid object usually painted with semi-gloss paint, making it possible to be sprayed with cleaning agents and wiped down. If the wainscoting has suffered too many damages, simply change the panel, which will be much easier and cheaper than repairing your structural walls.

In case your walls already have cracks or imperfections on the lower region, you can just install wainscoting over them and these eye-sores will disappear in no time at all. In addition, wainscoting also acts as an insulator, keeping your room warm and cozy during the harsh winter months.

Installation practices

Most people install wainscoting around the whole perimeter of a room and usually at a height of 32 to 36 inches. This, of course, depends on the height of your walls and structure of your room. If the room is small and has a low ceiling, consider getting lower wainscoting as high wainscoting can look imposing and makes a small room look cluttered.

On the other hand, a modern take in designing a space with wainscoting is to use it to make a feature wall. Apply a floor to ceiling wainscoting to just one of your walls, leaving the others plain and undecorated. This will instantly achieve a designer looking room that has style and taste, but without making it look too busy.

From a decorative point of view, wainscoting helps high ceiling rooms look less overwhelming as it visually breaks up large walls and give them a more “human” dimension. It also creates an opportunity to have two colors on your walls and have them look natural together. Add in the fact that wainscoting also has different useful functions, is cheap to install, plus you do not have to go through an arduous project to have it done, it is high time that you take advantage of this great wall treatment and make it your next home improvement!