“How hard can it be?” is what a friend of mine – currently renovating a flat – tells me when I ask her about her plans to panel the property herself. At the face of it, wall panelling – typically composed of pieces of interlocking wood – seems not only complex, but expensive. Panelling is typically associated with historic homes and the very rich, a luxurious form of decoration that also served to provide extra insulation. In the 13th century, King Henry VIII imported his wood all the way from Norway to panel the rooms of Windsor Castle. Also known as wainscotting or boiserie depending on the style, panelling could be extremely ornate, sometimes gilded, although towards the Georgian era the popular panelling style was became more pared back.
Flash forward to 2024, and panelling is more popular than ever. Perhaps it was the pandemic combination of watching too much Bridgerton, and people seeing the renewed importance of making their house as inviting as possible and a renewed zest for DIY. ‘Panelling was everywhere on Instagram," says Jon Madley, founder of The English Panelling Company, who sells DIY kits in a range of classic styles – from Georgian ’Butt & Bead' to ‘open panel’ styles such as Edwardian and Regency (where the panelling has cut out squares or rectangles in it, through which the existing wall remains visible, and is usually painted over to create the illusion of cohesion).
Whether you go for a full or half-wall option, “it metaphorically and physically creates a warmer space,” says Jon, with panelling adding needed insulation in light of soaring energy bills. Panelling can work particularly well in a corridor or hallway – where there is poor lighting, or little space for other kinds of intrigue (as well as protected from the damage caused by comings and goings). Whereas in a specialist carpenter can cost in the tens of thousands, Jon's customer's average spend is in the hundreds. “Even 25 metres of panelling can make a huge difference,” he adds. Panelling a room shouldn't take longer than a day “and anyone who has done some tiling or wallpaper will be more than capable." Of the styles Georgian is the simplest to fix, as whereas others are more like a jigsaw-y lattice which show the wall underneath, Georgian is applied in one solid sheet which ‘covers a multitude of sins’.
DIY companies such as Wickes and Howdens also sell panelling kits and if you are looking for an effect that is less “English Country House” and more “Wyoming Log Cabin”, then there are also options out there for you – PLAANK create rustic-contemporary timber cladding, also made with the domestic DIY-er in mind. Most of their products made from sustainably sourced, reclaimed wood, with characterful finishes. All of Jon's products at the English Panelling Company are made from MDF. However don't less this label disappoint you. Although MDF can be ‘little different to Weetabix,’ concurs Jon, the English Panelling Company use a MDF of the highest quality, and the material avoids the shrinking and subsequent gaps caused by softwoods. All their panelling products are also moisture resistant. DIY panelling should come with a warning, however. ‘It is very addictive,’ says Jon.
Here's a list of things and equipment you need to start panelling, aa step-by-step guide with some top tips.
How to do DIY panelling
This will depend on supplier and product you use, so be sure to check the specific assembly instructions before you get started.
- Panels – either MDF or wood
- Adhesive glue or PVA, depending on type of panelling
- Tape measure
- Safety googles
- A spirit level
- Hand saw
- Pencil
- Sandpaper
- Paint and brush (and primer and eggshell)
- Measure the wall and mark out if there are any switches. Calculate how much panelling you need by holding them up against the wall, working from the centre outwards, to ensure symmetry. Put markers on the walls for reference – use a spirit level for accuracy.
- Cut your panels to size – cutting around any sockets. Check again that the panels fit into the space before gluing.
- You can also sand walls to get rid of any bumps.
- Using a panel adhesive (for closed or Georgian panelling, where you need a tighter fit) or a thick layer of PVA glue for open panelling, using a roller to ensure an even coating.
- Press to the wall, secure with pin gun while it sets. Clean up the glue that comes around the edges before it sets.
- Use a fine surface filler to fill in any gaps and use fine sandpaper before painting.
- Apply primer followed with two coats of water-based eggshell.
- Make sure the existing wall is in good condition. Although lumps and bumps can certainly be covered up with panelling, make sure that it is reasonably smooth and flat and there is no damp. Containing it in panelling will only make it worse.
- If the existing (non-damp) wall isn't in fantastic condition then a thin sheet of MDF can work as a good base.
- You can probably do panelling without help, however, for the Georgian (filled in) panelling this is much heavier, so you may need an extra person.
- Symmetry is the most important part of making your panelling look good – and is the main thing to get wrong. Do a scale sketch on a piece of paper of your way – there are lots of different ways to configure your panelling, and a half square might look better than a whole square, in a certain space or when reaching a corner, for example. “Establish the centre of each run and work out from there towards the ends or, alternatively, from the ends back towards the centre - whichever works out best with the panel design you are using and taking into consideration location of sockets etc,” says The English Panelling Company – who have published a pdf of the installation guide on their website – with common configurations.
- You can also use the panelling framework as a stencil – draw around it – and then remove it and stand back to see what looks good.
- Panelling – especially the ‘open’ style – can look pretty unappealing until the last stage. It is meant to look like it is part of the original wall. Stick the latticed kind on with PVA glue so it doesn't stick out too much from the wall and ruin the illusion. The MDF will be a different texture to the wall, so to create cohesion, go over the panelling and wall with primer and a few coats of eggshell after you have painted it. Or you can leave the beneath walls plain for a latticed effect.
- For extra ornamentation you can also add in bead moulding, dado and peg railings.
