Are you looking to add some interest and personality to your walls, but don't know where to start? Interior design trends like wainscoting and wallpaper can be a great way to make your space stand out! In this blog post, we'll share some tips on how to incorporate wainscoting into your space, as well as some of our favourite combinations of wainscoting and wallpaper designs to get you inspired! Read on to find out more!
What is wainscoting?
Wainscoting started out in the 18th century as a wall covering used to help insulate a room and provide a more durable surface than a painted wall.
Now, it's mainly used as decorative accent panelling that usually covers half of your interior walls to help make a room more visually appealing.
How to do wainscoting?
While historically, wainscoting was made from wood, this type of panel now includes a variety of materials being installed, usually on the lower portion of the wall. The height of this detail can vary depending on your rooms' designs and the look you are trying to achieve.
Where are good spots to do use wainscoting at home?
Some of our favourite spots for this panel treatment are in entryways, as these spaces typically lack texture. Now, wainscotting is so versatile and home owners use them in a variety of rooms including bedroom, living room and toilets.
How to modernise wainscoting?
Wainscoting can add a touch of elegance to any room, but it can also look dated. Here are some easy ways to modernise wainscoting:
1. Add a mirror: Mirrors reflect light and make any space feel brighter and more open. Place a large mirror above your wainscoting or hang a group of small mirrors in a grid pattern.
2. Hang wall art: Art is a great way to add colour and visual interest to any space. Choose pieces that complement the style of your wainscoting and play up the colours in your room.
3. Paint it: If you want a quick and easy way to modernise your wainscoting, simply give it a fresh coat of paint. Choose a colour that coordinates with your decor and paint it in a matte or semi-gloss finish.
4. Use wallpaper: Wallpaper is a great way to add pattern and texture to any space. Choose a wallpaper that coordinates with your wainscoting and use it to accentuate the architectural details of your room. Here are some of our favourite wainscoting and wallpaper pairings for each room below to get you started!
Wainscoting and wallpaper for living room
With a little bit of creativity, wainscoting and wallpaper can help you transform your living room into a stylish and inviting space. Pair our Cross Stitch Wallpaper with this classic panel treatment to make your space pop!
Featured: Cross Stitch (HelloCircus x HouseofChais), Wallpaper
Pictured: Hand Drawn Plaids, Hello Circus x HouseofChais, Wallpaper
If the actual wainscotting is too pricey, a cost-effective alternative for panelling would be to use wallpapers. This shiplap design is a classic, timeless and versatile piece. It can be applied to top, bottom, or the entire wall. When it is applied on either the top or bottom, it creates a panelling-like effect, which is gorgeous. It comes in 6 colours.
Featured: Shiplap, Wallpaper
Featured: An Old World Arboretum, Watercolour Mural Wallpaper
Wainscoting and wallpaper for entryway
An entryway is often the first space people see as they enter your home, so why not make the best impression? Using panels can sometimes help to make the narrow space look wider or taller than it actually is, while incorporating wallpaper is a great way to add personality and also give a modern touch to your space!
Featured: Belle Foliages Wallpaper
Wainscoting and wallpaper for kid's room
Parents can consider using wainscoting for kids' rooms so that it protects the wallpaper from getting drawn on. It is also fuss-free to clean the walls panels and it is easier to change out the wallpapers in future as the kids grow up. Don't forget to plan your panels and height so they fall above the headboard!
Featured: Lush Kingdom, Wallpaper
Featured: Bears and Bees, Animal Mural Wallpaper
Wainscoting and wallpaper for dining room
Incorporating both wallpaper and wainscoting in the dining room can help to create a warm and inviting space for family meals and entertaining guests. The combination of wallpaper and wainscoting creates a cohesive design that is both stylish and functional - the wallpaper features a subtle pattern that adds interest to the room, while the wainscoting provide extra protection against bumps and scratches.
Featured: Elegant Rainforest, Wallpaper
Featured: Eden and Friends Wallpaper
Wainscoting and wallpaper for kitchen
When choosing wallpaper and wainscoting for your kitchen, be sure to consider the overall style of the space. For a traditional look, opt for wallpaper with a floral pattern. If you're going for a more modern look, consider using wallpaper with geometric shapes or bold colours.
Wainscoting and wallpaper for bathroom
Wainscoting is a practical way to introduce wallpaper in your bathroom or powder room, as it helps to prevent splashes on the wallpaper and keeps the wallpaper dry as much as possible. Tiles are, in fact, a great option for wainscoting and here are some of our favourite pairings of wallpaper and tiling in bathrooms.
Featured: Cross Stitch (HelloCircus x HouseofChais), Wallpaper
Featured: Classic Clematis Wallpaper
Featured: Classic Fish, Pattern Wallpaper
We hope you enjoyed our little guide on wainscoting. Check out our full collection of wallpapers for more inspiration!
Why choose Hello Circus’ wallpapers?
We understand your wall comes in different shapes and sizes. Each wallpaper is therefore customised to the dimensions of your wall, making each wallpaper unique to your home. We also sell by per meter square (Height x Width x Unit Price) and not by rolls so that you only pay for what you need for your wall.
Benefits of our wallpapers:
- High Quality: Our wallpapers are printed on high quality non-woven paper in factories with the highest standards from Europe. They are reinforced with nylon fibres to make the wallpaper stable and resilient.
- Matte and non-reflective: Our non woven wallpapers are coated with soft and non-reflective matte finishing.
- Safe and non-toxic: Our products are printed using stain resistant, VOC-free (Volatile Organic Compounds) inks on breathable, PVC (Polymerizing Vinyl Chloride) free paper. This ensures that your family and more importantly, your kids are not exposed to toxic chemicals which are usually present in traditional paint and wallpapers, all of which may have harmful health effects.
- Antimicrobial Protection
- Wallpaper washability: All our wallpapers are washable, meaning that their surface is resistant to damage, and any domestic dirt or water stains can be wiped with a damp cloth or sponge.
- Resistant to colour fading: Our production technology is designed to ensure optimum resistance to colour fading.
- Fire resilient: Our wallpapers are fire rated in accordance with EN ISO 11925-2.
Interested to get our wallpaper?
For wallpaper quotation: Please click on “Get Quote/Buy” of the product page that you like and submit enquiry with wall dimensions. Installation is available as an add-on service for selected countries.
Feel free to contact us if you have are interested in the following:
- Bulk orders
- Corporate orders
- Selling with us
- Collaborations
- Press features