Install half-wall paneling, aka wainscoting, to add architectural detail and a layer of protection to any room. Check out some of our favorite styles.
9 Half-Wall Paneling Ideas To Enhance Your Home
Updated on Jan. 30, 2025
Why Half-Wall Paneling Works
Half-wall paneling, or wainscoting, is an easy way to add character to any room in your house. We spoke to interior designer Kristen Conner, who offered her top benefits to designing a space with wainscoting.
Creates contrast
“Using wainscoting on the lower portion of any room’s walls creates an opportunity for contrast,” says Conner.
“In cases where paint or wallpaper from floor to ceiling might feel a bit one-note, wainscoting creates a second field of color and texture on the lower walls. This contrast adds visual interest and sophistication.”
Protects your walls
“From a practical standpoint, lower wall paneling might be used to add an extra layer of protection that can be easily wiped clean,” Conner says.
“The walls in an entryway might benefit from a casual style of wainscoting [like bead board] to protect against shoes being tossed. Sometimes in a dining room, there’s paneling below a chair rail, which by definition helps protect walls from chairs that might bang into them.”
Adds elegance
“Traditional wainscoting typically adds a bit of formality to any room,” says Conner. “In my opinion, it works best in spaces where extra elegance is desired — a sophisticated primary bedroom, a glamorous dining room or a moody whiskey lounge.”
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Fluted
This fluted wainscoting by @hotpinkpineapples gives a modern twist to an often more traditional element. She made it by attaching wooden half-round dowels to a piece of plywood and attaching it to the wall.
The whole thing is removable and renter-friendly! Leaving the wood tone exposed warms up the space and provides a nice contrast against the white walls.
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Picture Ledge
Adding a ledge to your half-wall paneling provides a great space to display framed art, as seen here in this beautiful hallway from @marlie.design.co.
The clean lines and calm color choice for the board-and-batten wainscoting work perfectly as a complementary backdrop for art and accessories. And because the art simply leans against the wall, it’s easy to switch out when you need a change.
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Vertical Slat
This home office by @nadine_stay features modern half-wall paneling with skinny vertical slats. She used medium-density fiberboard (MDF) because of its smooth finish and affordable price. Then she finished with this beautiful, earthy green color — City Arboretum by Valspar.
For a similar look, cut MDF into strips with a table saw set to your intended height. Remember to use a finish blade for smooth edges. Attach the slats to the wall with a nail gun, then fill in holes and gaps with wood filler and caulk.
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Picture Frame
Picture frame wainscoting is exactly what it sounds like — half-wall paneling with molding shaped like a picture frame.
In this nursery by @norfolkathome, the subtle pink wainscoting adds sophistication to the overall design. Before painting, be sure to caulk all the seams between the molding and the wall for a smooth finish.
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High Contrast
For this fun guest room, Melanie Raver of @raveinteriordesign chose bright white wainscoting and black walls for a high contrast and high impact look.
Notice the board-and-batten wainscoting enhances the room with texture and dimension, but also helps it breathe a little, giving the eye a place to rest among all the patterns and colors.
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@lizlovery Replying to @Jamie Cruz Quickb&!Easy Home DIY: Pre-Made Wainscot Wall Panels! #diy #diyproject #homerenovation #interiordesign #interiordesigner #homeproject #homeinteriors #homediy #renovation #renovationproject #diyrenovation ♬ Blue Blood – Heinz Kiessling
Premade Panels
If you’re intimidated by installing your own half-wall paneling, check out the ease of these premade wainscot panels, demonstrated by @lizlovery. They’re affordable, easy to attach to the wall with brad nails or adhesive, and paintable!
The panels here are painted Arbor Hollow by Behr, a lovely muted gray-green to match the wallpaper.
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@handmakeshome Reply to @landonmarti0 #trimwork #wainscoting #diyproject ♬ FEEL THE GROOVE – Queens Road, Fabian Graetz
Ornate Chair Rail
If you can’t find the exact trim style you want for your half-wall paneling, make it yourself!
Watch as @handmakeshome creates wainscoting for her dining room, including a DIY custom chair rail. To get the thick and ornate look she was going for, she combined three types of trim pieces. She painted the chair rail and the rest of the wainscoting black for a chic, moody look.
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@sprucingupmamahood This Sage green DIY beadboard really made this hallway feel so much more custom! #diyhomeprojects #diyhomeimprovement #beadboard #wainscotingdiy ♬ original sound – Rachel Hoback
Beadboard
Beadboard paneling is super easy to install because it comes in wide sheets, so you don’t need individual pieces of wood like with shiplap.
Look at the impressive difference beadboard makes in this hallway by @sprucingupmamahood. Along with the simple baseboards and rich green paint color, the finished paneling offers a cozy Craftsman style we love.
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@remingtonavenue Step outside the box and create something origional. How do we like how the circle wainscotting tirned out? How about wrapping the stripped wallpaper onto the ceiling creating a coved ceiling affect? #kidbedroom #patternplay ♬ original sound – Kira Kosarin
Unique Shapes
Here’s something we’ve never seen before with half-wall paneling. Watch as @remingtonavenue creates wainscoting in this preteen bedroom with plywood circles. It sounds strange, but the mix of shapes and patterns from the paneling and the wallpaper makes the room playful, stylish and one-of-a-kind.
About the Expert
Kristen Connor is an interior designer and owner of Little Farm Interior Design Studio based on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
FAQ
How do I prepare a wall for paneling?
Start by prying off the baseboard and the window and door trim to give yourself a blank slate. Slip a wide, stiff putty knife behind the pry bar to spread out the pressure and prevent damage to the drywall. If you’re going to change the wall color, patch imperfections in the wall with spackling compound; and apply the new paint color. Here’s step-by-step guide to transforming a room with simple wall panels.
What kind of existing walls can I install paneling over?
The easiest material to apply paneling on is smooth drywall; but believe it or not, paneling can be installed over almost any wall surface. With drywall, you can simply attach the paneling with brad nails and adhesive. If you’re attaching paneling to something like brick or masonry, it’s best to first install furring boards with masonry screws. Use either 2x4s or 2x2s running parallel along the wall to add 1-1/2 inches of dead space so you can add the paneling over the top of the wood.
