If your décor feels flat and boring, it may be time to add some architectural elements. Our feature photo, courtesy of Moen, shows how adding a wainscoting treatment to the walls can turn a dull room into a sumptuous space.
Wainscoting is expensive but there are ways around paying top dollar for the look. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Fake it
Paint the wainscoting area in white and trim it out with inexpensive mdf or pine moulding. This takes a bit of work and attention to detail but will give you the visual depth of real wainscoting without the high cost. Or, you can use white, bead board panels in the wainscoting area and top it off with a piece of decorative chair rail. This is a more casual look that is charming and homey.
Textured, paintable wallpaper, left off-white, can be used instead of expensive wainscoting and is easily removed when desired. If you're renting and want to give your décor a special touch, wallpaper is the way to go. You can purchase bead board-design wallpaper for a fraction of the cost. Again, use a chair rail to separate the two wall sections and give the room a finished look. If renting, use a thin wallpaper border instead of nailing wooden trim to the walls. If you can't find the right wallpaper border, consider purchasing one and cutting a long thing strip from the top or bottom of the design to create a thin border. Often times, the design has edging stripes that you can cut along to ensure an even border.
Paint
The very act of dividing the wall treatment into two elements can make a room feel larger. Painting two colours on the wall, either dark on the top two-thirds and white on the bottom one-third (to mimic wainscoting) or vice versa for a different look will bring instant visual interest to a plain room. Separate these two colours with a chair rail or similar treatment and you're on your way to a stunning space.
Use rich wall colour to give your room a dramatic flair. Don't wimp out with pale colour; go bold! Because a third of the wall will be white, you can go strong with the paintable portion of the wall. Paint the rich colour on the wall before you install your wainscoting treatment. You don't want to splatter paint all over your white wall treatment after you've worked so hard on it.
Some of the above techniques are easy DIYs so you can take them to the next level by installing them on a stairway wall if it suits your décor. This can be a stunning look if you have white, wooden spindles on the staircase.
You don't necessarily want to do every wall in your home in wainscoting, so start small. A master en-suite bathroom could be a great place to add in this elegant décor touch, for example. A room such as this offers you a chance to go a little over the top. If you love the look you can carry it on to your master bedroom. Again, a personal space, which offers you design freedom.
Another good room choice in which to use a wainscoting technique is in a formal dining room that is separated from the rest of the house. (Not an open concept space, unless you have definite start and stop points.) If you want to lighten up a dining space, use a wainscoting technique on the bottom two-thirds of the wall instead of only one-third. This technique offers formality with a more casual flavour, which is more conducive to a contemporary décor.
Dividing the wall space can take your décor to a whole new level. Whether you go high-end with wainscoting or a budget-friendly take on it, the look can be elegant and dramatic. There are solutions for every budget and lifestyle. Start small and build your confidence, then tackle larger spaces.
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