Done well, wall panelling settles a room. Done carelessly, it fights it. The difference is rarely the budget — it is proportion, the quality of the mouldings, and how the panelling meets doors, windows and skirtings. After many years making it, here is what we look at first.
Start with proportion, not pattern
The most common mistake is dropping a standard panel grid onto a wall regardless of its size. We set out panelling to the room: the dado height relates to window cills and chair backs, the panel widths are balanced so you never end up with an awkward sliver in a corner, and the rails align with door heads where possible. It is quiet work that nobody notices — which is exactly the point.
Choose the right style for the house
A Georgian drawing room asks for fielded panels and run mouldings; a contemporary apartment may suit flat, shadow-gapped panels with no moulding at all. Both are panelling; they simply speak different languages. We will always steer a scheme towards what the architecture is already telling us, rather than imposing a look.
Material and finish
Most painted panelling is built from a stable, paint-grade timber and MDF combination, chosen so it will not move and crack along the joints. Where the panelling is to be stained or left natural — oak, walnut or a fine veneer — the carcassing and the grain matching matter a great deal more. Finishing is done in controlled conditions so the surface is even and hard-wearing.
Where panelling earns its keep
Panelling is also the most elegant way to hide things: a jib door into a cloakroom, a concealed cupboard, integrated lighting or a media recess. Planned from the start, these disappear into the rhythm of the panels.
You can see panelling, libraries and concealed joinery across our case studies. If you are planning a scheme, we are always glad to look at drawings early — get in touch.