Whether renovating an entire property or searching for a simple way to uplift existing schemes, wall panelling ideas are a great starting point for inspiring your interior transformation. One of the great things about interior wall cladding is its ability to completely change a room's look and feel with minimal hassle. Unlike paint, wallpaper and tiles, you can makeover spaces with panels in hours, not days.
From living room to bedrooms, kitchens to bathrooms, and everywhere in between, there's a decorative style to bring your vision to life. Explore these wall panelling ideas to get started on your project.
Living Room Wall Panelling Ideas
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Make a mesmerising media wall
From binge-watching box sets to movie nights with family, make everyday moments feel special with an awe-inspiring media wall. Slatted panels are a hugely popular style for installing behind TVs due to their ability to absorb sound and enhance acoustics. So, sit back, relax and enjoy the immersive home cinema experience.
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Mix classic and contemporary
You can achieve an eclectic aesthetic by mixing and matching different panelling styles. For instance, combine shaker-style and slatted panelling to create a classic-meets-contemporary design scheme. This is ideal for adding an individual and unique touch to interiors.
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Create contrast in white rooms with black panels
Have a white box room you'd like to add personality to? Creating a high-contrast – and therefore high-impact – interior is simple with a few black wood panels. As well as being visually striking, a monochrome design scheme offers longevity as the palette is timelessly stylish. Plus, it brings sleek sophistication and a dose of drama to rooms.
Bedroom Wall Panelling Ideas
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Use wood panels for a bed headboard
Introduce a hotel-style sense of luxury to bedrooms with a dimensional wooden headboard made from panelling. An elegant alternative to upholstered styles, wall-mounted wooden headboards add depth and distinction to bedrooms by spotlighting the material's organic grain pattern. For a traditional headboard height, you can use half-height panelling to achieve your desired effect quickly and easily or get creative with panels that can be rotated and applied in different layouts for a graphic finish.
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Pair panelling with more panelling
There's no rulebook that states you can only use one panelling type, colour or finish in a room, so create the space of your dreams with the styles you love. Bringing multiple profiles together through the walls and furniture provides intrigue and impact beyond compare – both visually and texturally.
Bathroom Wall Panelling Ideas
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Extend panels onto the ceiling
Make small bathrooms feel bigger by extending your wall installation onto the ceiling. This technique bathroom wall panels and draws the eye upwards, creating the illusion of greater height. For a bright and airy space, incorporate light neutrals or white tones in your colour palette – this will help you achieve a fresh, open feel.
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Install panelling as an alternative to tiling
Tiles aren't the only option for covering walls in direct contact with water. Moisture-resistant wall panels will add dimensional depth and texture to areas where splashes and humidity occur. Plus, you can get a nature-inspired look with wood-effect styles, perfect for biophilic schemes where a relaxing and serene atmosphere is a must.
Kitchen Wall Panel Ideas
Splash-proof kitchen island walls
Panels make a stylish and functional addition to kitchens when applied to the walls and islands. A sometimes-forgotten area, these blank spaces are the perfect canvas for depth and drama – two qualities three-dimensional panels provide in abundance. Plus, you can keep kitchens looking their best by using water-resistant panels, allowing spills and splashes to be wiped away easily. Browse our collection of kitchen wall panels.
Introduce texture to walls in a home bar
Juxtapose the polished finish of metal, glass or marble in bars and cocktail stations with organic textures like wood and cork. These materials are full of natural characteristics, including tone and pattern variation, that have a softening effect on sleek materials and clean lines. The resulting contrast provides tactile intrigue in a visually striking way.
| Image source: @summer_house_interiors |
Add interest to alcoves
Have an alcove you'd like to elevate? Wall panels are a simple yet striking way to bring interest to spaces, no matter how small. Use mini panels or cut larger ones to size, stick them to your wall, and you'll have visually appealing alcoves in moments. Furthermore, the panels provide a stunning backdrop to furniture and decorative accessories in the foreground.
Modern Wall Panelling Ideas
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Make an impact with a single panel
Sometimes, a single panel is all you need to uplift a space. Whether you want to zone an area in an open-plan interior or subtly add dimension to a plain wall, you can do so with a single modern wall panel. This is ideal if you want to include texture and depth in your scheme without covering a whole wall.
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Use panelling as a partition
There are many ways to get creative with wall panelling, such as making a sliding door. Blending functionality with a sense of awe, it's an impactful method of dividing rooms or concealing areas that aren't always in use, such as a dressing area or a home office – ideal for creating a home hideaway you'd like to keep just for you.
Feature Wall Panelling Ideas
Create a sustainable feature wall with reclaimed wood
Look to reclaimed wood for a feature wall with a story to tell. Due to the material being upcycled, you can expect natural weathering and distinctive characteristics from its previous use. In other words, you'll have a completely unique feature wall – perfect for giving rooms a rustic and individualistic feel.
Evoke the cosy style of a log cabin
If you love the log cabin look but aren't sure where to start with recreating it at home, turn your attention to wooden planks. This type of cladding is ideal for achieving a natural finish, whether applied on one wall, all four walls or even extended onto the fifth wall for a cocooning effect. However you choose to install the planks, you'll evoke the authentic appearance of a cabin in the woods.