Panelling Your Pad|Part 1: How to use panelling throughout your home.

BEDROOM | JACOBEAN GRID STYLE

I’ve loved panelling forever, and have used it extensively in all the houses I’ve lived in. Wall panelling adds character, charm and personality to a property and has more recently become a standard constituent in the makeover of many households. In fact it’s probably safe to say the trend has gone stratospheric. It’s the absolute saving grace if you’ve wonky walls that any amount of plastering just won’t fix. It’s cheap to do, no remortgaging required and will have your friends “oo-ing and aw-ing” when they come to visit. It’s a trend that has seen thousands of homeowners reach for their hammer and nails, as it’s so effective and much easier to do than it looks. Over the years it has emerged in various forms, including period designs, tongue and groove, and traditional shaker-style, the choice is really pretty endless.

PHOTO CREDIT Eve Conroy

My very first venture into applying the panel was over 15 years ago, after swooning over an article in a copy of Elle Decoration where they had used wood to create ¾ length panels around a room. Back then the idea of panelling wasn’t so fashionable as it clearly is now, Farrow & Ball paint discussion forums were an idea for the future and my flip phone couldn’t even yield a photo let alone allow me to talk incessantly about the joys of a panelled wall. I decided our snug room was the perfect project to start with, it had sat for a number of years quietly serving us as a playroom come makeshift frube throwing area. This wasn’t exactly what I had envisioned for it, but children do have a habit of grounding you and making you realise life isn’t a game of perfect. It was a somewhat bold idea, flowery borders were king and most of our rooms in our semi-detached property had been subjected to the Laura Ashley chintzy makeovers of the early 90’s - patterned wallpaper, borders to match and some accompanying throw cushions. Yes, in spirit I was Audrey Forbes-Hamilton just without the manor. Not that I am knocking that whole design era, I bloody loved it (and my matching turtlenecks, come to think of it), however post babies I was craving a streamlined, serene and contemplative space devoid of wall scribbles and the ever present smell of strawberry yoghurt. It was time for it to grow up.

SNUG ROOM | SHAKER STYLE

In stepped local joiner Ryan and his handy other half. Within weeks, after extolling the many benefits of a planked wall, which if I’m honest may have fallen on deaf ears, our snug room was transformed from playroom to pretty cool. A coat of watered down PVA glue and two coats of string by Farrow and Ball made it feel contemporary and modern. Up came the beige-y carpet and down went a wide planked wooden floor. Wipeable panelling, our design ideas at last a reality. 

PHOTO CREDIT Douglas Gibb Photography

We had certainly caught the panelling bug, as our next use of it came a few years later when we were renovating our kitchen. Our house at this point was a semi-detached Victorian townhouse, so built in the 1900’s when people were still lucky enough to have not quite Carter from Downton on duty, but a servant or two keeping the place in order. This was evidenced by the (thankfully) non functioning large wooden Butler’s Bell box and the uneven wall between the kitchen units and the dining area. At some point the previous owners had decided to knock through the two adjoining rooms to create one large open plan kitchen/dining space. A lovely idea in theory, but you will know if you’ve done any building work that such grand designs can have unwanted fall out.

KITCHEN | WALL TILES

Our problem was that the removal of the dividing wall had left the join from floor to ceiling bumpy and uneven and no amount of plastering was ever going to fix it, plus our budget was already significantly stretched with putting in a new kitchen. I’ve found from experience that you seriously need a bank loan to do any amount of plastering, it’s so expensive and leaves a mess everywhere. With very little money left in the pot, we began to look at other ways of hiding our wonky wall. There were various family suggestions, none of which were too helpful, moving house, hanging a heavily gilted picture of the Last Supper as a cover up, or affixing an extra shelf or two, however I was looking for something that was much more of a statement. I’d seen an idea using very large squares of MDF affixed to accompanying panels. Controversial, I know as MDF doesn’t get the best crit for reasons of safety, but it’s come a long way, and now if you search around, you’ll find companies that manufacture MDF in a much more environmentally conscious way. The job itself would become much bigger than I had anticipated. For starters the panels were akin to the biggest stone floor tiles around, so very heavy and large to attach to the wall. Kevin the very young carpenter wasn’t so impressed either as each tile required a 5cm spacer, not an easy job holding a spirit level, a heavy plank and a hammer whilst trying to get everything straight. Just to add to the challenges there was a range cooker to work round and a window. I’m sure there were a few expletives when I wasn’t within earshot, but persevere he did and within a few days I had an amazing grid style wall. It had always been in my head to paint it grey, so in effect it did take on that look of concrete tiles, however I happened to come across an article in an interiors magazine where Sophie Conran had used bright pink in her kitchen to compliment her black units and shelving. I was so blown away with the vitality of the space she’d created that I was in B&Q the very next morning looking at all the pinks on the mixing charts. The following afternoon,just like that, the walls were flamingo-ed.

PHOTO CREDIT Douglas Gibb Photography

BATHROOM

TRADITIONAL

TONGUE & GROOVE

Our last panelling project in this house was in our main bathroom, where we used traditional tongue and groove.I have to say that although it’s a pretty traditional look, it’s still one of my favourites as unlike some wall treatments out there, it always seems to remain current and gives you the flexibility to change up the colour scheme more frequently. I had pondered over tiling the room, it seemed the more practical option, what with two pre-teens who still believed bath time was an opportunity to flood the floor, rather than wash away their day, but the purchase of a free standing bath had knocked our ever decreasing budget to it’s knees. The ceilings in this room were high, so in order to create a cosier space and the illusion of a lowered ceiling I decided to take the panelling only half way up. Not only did this protect the walls from the nightly tidal wave and general wear and tear of family life, but additionally brought architectual shape and life to what would otherwise have been a pretty featureless room.

PHOTO CREDIT Douglas Gibb Photography

TIPS FOR WHEN YOU ARE PANELLING

• I’ve found that you don’t always have to use nails to fix the batons on to the wall. If they are light then a strong wood glue will suffice and this also removes the need to hide nail heads and spend a whole morning filing holes and sanding back. 

• If you have a new build, the walls are more likely to be plumb, so you can save time and money by creating the design directly onto the wall, without the need to apply large sheets first and then your scheme.

• Make sure to sand the edges of any panels/batons you are applying as it’s more awkward to do this once they are stuck up on the wall. 

• MDF is porous and therefore you should seal it before painting, otherwise you’ll spend a veritable fortune on paint. There are lots of priming and undercoat brands out there, however I find if you dilute PVA glue and apply it, this works just as well and is so much cheaper. 

• I always use a water based eggshell as my finish, applied with a mini roller and find that two coats work best.

I honestly could chat interiors incessantly, but for fear of sending you all off into involuntary sleep, I’m resisiting the urge to make this debut blog the interiors equivalent of War & Peace. Leaving you with some tips and advice to use if you do decide to join the panelling renaissance. 

You’re welcome x