Amy Leferink at Interior Impressions
Sick of flat, boring walls?
Say hello to wainscoting.
Theterm refers to wood paneling, trim, or molding attached to the lower portion of an interior wall.
Amy Leferink at Interior Impressions
It is often finished in a different material than the upper half to add contrast and definition.
Curious about how it looks?
Check out these 32 dining room wainscoting ideas for inspiration.
Alvin Wayne
The whole wall is coated in a chocolatey brown to make the look feel cohesive.
Plus, the clean lines of the wainscoting are emulated in the wishbone pattern floors and crown molding.
Moody hues like olive green chairs and an inky black hearth complement the rich tones.
Alvin Wayne
The furnishings are mostly flat in the space, so wainscoting provides texture to balance it out.
The white hue matches the crown molding and curtains while juxtaposing nicely against the mahogany floors.
The wainscoting is shrouded in a dove gray, creating a two-toned color-blocking effect.
Amy Leferink at Interior Impressions
So, geometric wainscoting offers balance with its clean lines.
The white rectangles offer a clean, satisfying contrast to the colorful walls above.
Plus, it adds a layer of elegance and calm.
Amy Leferink at Interior Impressions
The curves play into the softness of the space which features plush chairs and a fluffy carpet.
The arched motif is mimicked in the arched doorway for cohesion.
The wainscoting is coated in a milky white for a breath of relief from the patterned wallpaper.
Amy Leferink at Interior Impressions
Tall Wainscoting
Wainscoting doesn’t have to just cover the bottom portion of the walls.
Here, the back wall features long narrow rectangular sections, emphasizing the lofty ceilings.
Here, for instance, two shorter rectangles on the lower portion of the walls bookend the doorway.
Amy Leferink at Interior Impressions
Meanwhile, larger rectangles cover the top portion, big enough to frame a picturehence the name.
Thistropical styledining room is replete with punchy prints and bold hues.
So, the wainscoting is kept classic white with embedded rectangles lining the walls underneath the windows.
Amy Leferink at Interior Impressions
That way, it allows the decor to take center stage.
Airy Wainscoting
Minimalist spaces can sometimes feel flat and sterile.
So, wainscoting is a great option to add visual interest.
Ashley Montgomery Design
Here, the rectangular window trim design is emulated in rectangular molding on the bottom portion of the walls.
It matches the window trim and paneling for unity.
It’s kept a crisp white to complete the breezy, coastal palette.
Blakely Interior Design
To keep in theme with the playfulness, the wainscoting is swathed in a pastel blue.
The doorway and crown molding are painted the same shade to make the trim stand out and create cohesion.
The jewel tone instantly brings to mind the tropical modernist style associated with Martinique wallpaper.
Blakely Interior Design
However, the color doesn’t just coat the wainscotingit drips from head to toe on the walls.
With the print being so maximalist, the walls get balanced by classic white wainscoting.
The wallpaper, again, is abusier printsince it features a repeated pattern.
Blakely Interior Design
To break it up without losing character, wainscoting offers the perfect middle groundproviding texture yet more subdued hues.
In fact, with more unique featureslike this rounded wallthe molding can accentuate the shape.
The wainscoting also complements the clean lines of the window trim.
Blakely Interior Design
So, wainscoting plays perfectly into the style.
Eclectic Wainscoting
Forbes + Masters
This eclectic dining room features loud patterns on the walls and curtains.
So, wainscoting helps provide contrast and white space to balance it out.
Blakely Interior Design
Note that the design extends to thecoffered ceiling, which also features rectangular panels to match.
The dark color is dotted in the artwork, chairs, and rug for a unified theme.
To bring in some lightness, white wainscoting is introduced.
Brexton Cole Interiors
The panels mimic the trim of the windows with their geometric shape.
To keep in theme, wood panels swathed in a milky white decorate the lower portion of the walls.
The vertical slats add texture and almost mirror the ceiling, which also has whitebeams spanning across it.
Britt Design Studio
Dreamy Wainscoting
This pretty dining room feels light and effervescent with its pastel hues.
It also brings out the white tones in the chandelier and table.
A bubbly pendant and wispy curtains help emphasize the airiness.
Calimia Home
For a pop of color, abstract artwork hangs over the wainscoting to act as a centerpiece.
It doesn’t have to look boringas proven by this dining room.
Pops of color and texture come through in the velvet cerulean chairs.
D Burns Interiors
Not to mention, the look is further softened by apatterned rugand rounded table.
Plus, the wainscoting matches architectural intricacies, like the decorative ceiling and ornate crown molding.
Emily Henderson Design/ Photography by Tessa Neustadt
Design by Emily Henderson Design / Photographer by Tessa Neustadt
Design by Emily Henderson / Photography by Kaitlin Green
Emily Henderson Design/ Photo by Sara Tramp
Forbes + Masters
Gray Space Interior Design
JLA Designs
Kate Marker Interiors
Kate Marker Interiors
Kate Marker Interiors
Louis Duncan-He
Kendall Wilkinson Design
Kendall Wilkinson Design
LeeAnn Baker Interiors LTD
LeeAnn Baker Interiors LTD
