Installing wainscoting in your home is a great way to add visual interest to a room.   Until recently wainscoting was reserved for a very specific style of home, but today there are a variety of styles available.  In this post we will touch on only a few of the many varieties and ideas, but we can promise that no matter the style of your home there is a wainscoting out there waiting to elevate the look of your home.

To set the record straight there are several types that quantify as ‘wainscoting”. There is the official ‘wainscoting’ that is wood paneling and railing, manufactured bead board, and board and batten all that achieve the look typically referred to as ‘wainscoting’.  All of these looks can be easily adapted to your style and budget.  While some remain a job for the professional, there are easy DIY instructions you can find on a handful of websites if you are working on a budget.

Depending on the style of home or the direction you want to take it will decide on the wainscoting style and application to use.  Bead board is one of the most readily available options as well as cost effective and DIY friendly.  Try using bead board horizontally for a fresher, less traditional look.  To customize their own look, the Jigsaw Designers have used MDF board from Home Depot, measured out the desired widths, marked the board, and cut grooves with a table saw (shortening the setting height on the saw to cut grooves, not to cut through the board). Then the board is hung on the wall and paint to the desired color.  See a few examples below for inspiration.

Wainscoting can help anchor a room with lots of wall space or unusually high ceilings by adding dimension and architectural interest.  Crisp white wainscoting can make a room feel fresh and light.  While painting wainscoting brings an elegance and sense of coziness.  In the images below you can see how the gray floor to ceiling wainscoting warms the room allowing simplicity in the décor while still making a statement.

Think of wainscoting as a ‘free style’ design element.  You can take it as high up the wall as you like, as long as it makes sense in the room.  You can paint it or not, and you can choose a style that is traditional or with something really trendy and forward (however likely a fad).  There are so many different styles available at market; circular, Greek key…the list goes on.  Peruse the images below to see a small sampling of some of the unique options available.

Adding wainscoting to your home is a great way to give your room the impact you are looking for.  Two more great reasons to install are that it is easy to find and can be relatively inexpensive.  Whether you are planning to do it yourself or hire a contractor, you can update to your space quickly and easily.  We hope this post has given you fresh ideas for the use of wainscoting.  Have fun with your project and let us know how it turns out.  We like hearing from you.

For more information on wainscoting and resources visit the contact page on the Jigsaw Design Group website at www.jigsawdesigngroup.com.  Someone will quickly contact you with more information.  Please subscribe to the blog for more informative articles like these, and check out our Facebook page for more tips and images!  Be sure to ‘like us’ on Facebook!