Old Fashioned Wainscoting for Your Living Room

Take the chill out of a contemporary room by adding old-fashioned wainscoting to the lower walls. Because wainscoting segments the walls into contrasting sections, it can make a room seem a little smaller, warmer, and more intimate. Consider these ideas for old-fashioned wainscoting in your living room.

Raised Panel Wainscoting

A hallmark of traditional Victorian homes, raised panel wainscoting edged stairway walls and accented rooms with deeply bowed windows and window seats. Finished in soft white or a pastel shade, raised panel wainscoting will be the ideal backdrop for deeply tufted sofas, Edwardian wing chairs, and curved Queen Anne tables in your living room. Frame the windows and top them with pediments to transform your living room into a serene, refined space.

Shaker Indented Panel Wainscoting

Complement the pine or light oak furniture in your living room with simple Shaker indented panels, rising 48 inches from 8-inch baseboards. White wainscoting below contrasting walls in tan, apple green or light blue creates a relaxing atmosphere in the living room. Continue the traditional style by hanging family portraits above the wainscoting.

Rustic Wainscoting

Use beadboard, random-width wood paneling or recycled wood planks as wainscoting for rustic decor in a cedar or pine cottage living room. Paint the balance of the wall white.