Life at home has been unlike ever before in the last couple of years, due to the pandemic which has forced countless people to lockdown or isolate due to health concerns. During that time we saw global markets hindered, and stock and crypto markets show just how volatile they are. For many Americans, investments are an important way of protecting wealth, and many are looking to their homes for a safer Return On Investment (ROI), and their looking at decorative wall panels to get the job done.
In terms of interior design elements, raised panel wainscoting is something which has always been a timeless addition to a lounge or dining room. So much so, that many older houses will still have the original wainscoting from when they were built decades ago. Often this wainscoting has run its course, and the owners are faced with the options of replacing or restoring them.
Here is a consideration into why you should replace rather than restore wainscoting in your home, and other interior design tips.
Decorative Wall Panels a Fresh New Style
One of the biggest arguments for replacing wainscoting is the opportunity to rip out that traditional raised panel wainscoting and put in a fresh new style. Wainscoting has changed dramatically since its invention, and there are many different styles available nowadays which may suit different houses.
Consider the following styles of wainscoting to replace your old:
- Wall panelled – this leaves the drywall exposed and can add a trim to a room without affecting the space
- Flat panel – a timeless traditional style in which the internal flat panel is often decorated nowadays to give contrast to the wainscoting
- Beaded panel – an increasingly popular type of wainscoting which heightens a room through the use of longboards
- Raised panel – the traditional style of wainscoting which can celebrate the shifts in depth that it brings to the room
- Other styles – recent years have seen combinations of the above styles into designs such as Soho, Litchfield, New London, Roxbury, and Cape Cod.
There are also more options in terms of the kind of wood you can use in your wainscoting, with even natural-looking styles becoming available to suit ranch-style homes. Modern wainscoting can come in a variety of materials, including plastic, MDF, and plywood. We recommend going with MDF as it is durable and affordable, and offers much versatility in its styling.
Custom Fit
When the house was originally built, and the wainscoting installed, it would have been customized to fit the house that it was. Although 50 years later, the house may have changed several times, seeing the wainscoting be left behind. By ripping out that old wainscoting, you can order custom fit wainscoting to suit the new layout of your home. This may also be a good opportunity to reconsider the layout of your home, adding or removing walls to suit.
Adding and Removing
As with the changes in layout, you may have also seen a change in the purpose of each room in the house. A common one is the conversion of the dining room into a lounge, and the lounge into a bedroom, although there are many other similar conversions. This may require you to remove wainscoting from one room, and add to another to suit the desired style of your home.
Decorative Wall Panels Simultaneously Achievable Modifications
If you’re going to be pulling wainscoting off the wall, then chances are you will need to do some work on the walls at the same time. This can make for a great chance to make any desired modifications to your walls or rooms to suit your imagined new style.
Fresh Paint or Wallpaper
Once upon a time wainscoting was either white or off-white, trimming walls which were also either white or off-white. Recent years have seen a move away from this sterility, instead utilizing bold colors to give rooms some flavor and character. When removing old wainscoting, you will have the opportunity to try out new paint or wallpaper styles in the room which can be accentuated by elegant wainscoting.
Removing Fixed Objects
If you’re converting a room, then this may come up more often, especially when converting a lounge into a bedroom. If you’re looking at removing your wainscoting you may also consider removing any fixed objects in the walls, such as:
- An old fireplace
- Built-in shelves or cabinets
- Fixed paintings, pictures, or mirrors
Need Decorative Wall Panels? For All Your Wainscoting Needs Call Us!
If you’d like to see examples of the different design options we offer, or you’d like calculate a quote on a job, check out our website or call us today.
