20 Wainscoting Ideas for Every Room in Your Home

Small minimal bedroom with typewriter art — Photo:
Courtesy of Kerrie Kelly Design Lab

Wainscoting is both a pretty and practical addition to your home. In addition to adding visual interest and striking detail to your space, the panels and molding protect your walls from dirt and damage.

Installing lighter wainscoting on the bottom section of your wall provides balance to darker colors or patterned wallpaper used above it, and allows your furniture to stand out against a neutral area. Chair rail and trim molding define spaces for seating, artwork, and decor, helping small rooms feel larger and cavernous spaces feel cozier. Visualize your own wainscoting installation with these wainscoting ideas for living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, and hallways.

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Frame the Fireplace

Wallpaper and Wainscotting in the Dining Room — Melinda Kelson O'Connor Architecture & Interiors, Wendy Concannon

Narrow, flat-panel wainscoting rises to meet the mantel in this formal dining room. The intricate woodwork around the firebox is mimicked in the wainscoting design, which includes an upper row of smaller squares set above traditional rectangles.

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Create Contrast

contrasted wall paneling — Victoria Holly Interiors

A deep navy hue on the walls of this office is balanced by three-quarter-height white wainscoting, which wraps around the window and divides the wall. Keeping the bottom section light allows the workspace to feel airier, while the darker upper portion offers a minimalist canvas for carefully chosen art pieces.

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Add a Soothing Hue

Sage Green Half Wall Paneling — Anita Yokota, Alex Lepe Photography

In this bohemian-inspired bedroom, the wainscoting is painted with a calming sage tone. The top of the wainscoting creates a natural alignment point for the wall-mounted bedside sconces, while fiber artwork spans the transition between the upper and lower sections of the wall.

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Mix Patterns

kitchen with wall trim — ArchiViz / GETTY IMAGES

Narrow wainscoting protects the wall surrounding this dining table from dings and dents, scuffs from shoes, and splattered food. The slim lines are echoed in the upper wall's striped wallpaper.

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Accent Bathroom Built-Ins

wainscoting around bathtub — Nadia Watts Interior Design

Low wainscoting serves as a tub surround in this sunny bathroom. The subtle woodworking details are repeated in the taller storage cabinet that divides the tub and shower.

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Add Interest to Stairwells

basement stairs with art lining walls and a colorful carpet runner — SKG Design

Install wainscoting on an angle to add interest to a stairwell. In this home, traditionally framed squares and chair rail molding complement the parallel lines in a colorful runner and the crisp lines of framed photographs and typographic layouts.

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Anchor Entryway Hooks

Entry way with gold accents, black wall, checkered rug — Alicia Treasure

Black wainscoting is a practical choice for an entryway, where it protects walls from damage done by tossed backpacks, sports equipment, and kicked-off shoes. Installing a deeper top edge creates a decorative shelf area, while slim gold hooks store bags and jackets.

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Pair Wainscoting With Pretty Paper

wallpaper ideas — Brian Bieder | Maggie Griffin Designs

Wainscoting is a traditional element in a formal dining room. These double-edged panels set off the rich mahogany wood of the table and chairs and add a calm contrast against the patterned wallpaper, ornate chandelier, and floor-length draperies.

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Incorporate a Window Seat

waintscoting around window seat — Nadia Watts Interior Design

On a wall lined with wainscoting, the panels continue—in a narrower scale—under a plush window seat. Keeping the wainscoting consistent but adjusting the size allows the built-in bench to feel cohesive with the rest of the room.

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Mimic a Headboard

Flat panel wainscoting becomes a visual anchor for the daybed in this guest bedroom. The charcoal color on the upper section of the wall is repeated in the throw pillows and the dynamic black-and-white artwork.

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Enclose a Freestanding Tub

Bathroom with pink wallpaper and bathtub — Andreas von Einsiedel / GETTY IMAGES

In this pretty-in-pink bathroom, cream-colored wainscoting is a comfortable alternative to sterile tile (that still protects the wall from splashes and suds). The bright, hibiscus-colored tub adds a modern pop of color against the neutral woodwork.

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Stick With a Single Shade

Home reading corner painted bold blue — UnitedPhotoStudio1 / GETTY IMAGES

On a smaller section of the wall, wide wainscoting adds visual interest. The bold blue paint—used for both the upper and lower sections and a shallow display shelf—complements the taupe sofa, navy door, and white trim.

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Go Higher

80's trends decor sofa — Nathan Schroder

Background colors in a tropical leaf-printed wallpaper are pulled out to accent neat squares of wainscoting. The traditional woodwork techniques are an unexpected complement to the modern mixed prints and patterns in this maximalist lounge area.

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Modernize a Classic Look

dining room with brass pendant light fixture — Tessa Neustadt

Traditional dining room wainscoting gets a contemporary refresh with a few key tweaks: Wider trim creates narrower panels; a higher edge sets off sky-inspired wallpaper; and slim-profile furniture and lighting provide a modern accent.

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Play With Textured Wallpaper

While the bones of this living room could skew too formal, the relaxed sofa shapes, lower wainscoting, plush chairs, and textured wallpaper keep it welcoming—not fussy.

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Create an Illusion

dopamine decor living room — Taran Wilkhu

Low wainscoting in an unexpected blush-colored paint backs modern, open-frame bookcases. The woodwork serves as a base for soaring rounded accent areas, which soften the industrial look of the furniture and visually extend the height of the room.

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Add a Practical Shelf

Warm Paint Colors — Courtesy Benjamin Moore

Coastal white beadboard wainscoting lightens a buttery entryway, while offering prime space for storing beach hats and market totes.

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Create a Cozier Space

Using a dark color on lower wainscoting creates a cozier surrounding for this bed and nightstands. Contrasting warm neutrals add texture and depth while allowing the space to feel soothing and uncluttered.

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Add Drama to a Small Space

green and beige and black jewel box bathroom — Aime Mazzenga, Alexandra Kaehler

Black wainscoting and trim set off natural-fiber shades and tan-and-aqua wallpaper, adding a sophisticated elegance that highlights the gold fixtures and pipes of the marble sink.

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Enclose a Chic Sink

yellow and green stork wallpaper jewel box bathroom — Jewel Marlowe, Fine & Dandy Co.

A small bathroom makes a big impact with gold wallpaper, rich green wainscoting, and a slim sink.

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Keep it Simple

home with exposed brick wall and white molding — Getty Images

While more decorative molding is in fashion, going for simple wainscoting adds an elegance all its own. Here, the simple yet pretty paneling prevents the exposed brick wall from dominating the room by connecting it to the perpendicular walls and creating a visual connection to the crown molding. A large photograph leaning against the wall bridges the two materials and draws the eye down to give the illusion of a more intimate space.

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