Wainscot-Panels-Kits

A Brief History of Wainscot Paneling

Today's homeowners use wainscot paneling in just about any room to add architectural interest and lend their rooms a sense of history.  But many homeowners who install wainscoting panels in their homes don't realize that wainscoting actually has humble origins that later became a signal of wealth and luxury.

Early English Wainscot Paneling Was Practical 

The earliest use of wainscot paneling was probably toward the end of the sixteenth century in England.  This famously damp country was filled with homes whose ancient walls were prone to dampness.  The resulting dampness meant long, cold winters and walls that were unpleasant to touch.  The resourceful English began installing wainscoting panels to cover the lower, damp half of their walls.  The result was a warmer, dryer room; when the panels themselves began to rot or weather, they could be easily replaced or painted to dress them up a bit.

The Rise of Decorative Wainscoting Panels 

As wainscot paneling became more common, English noblemen and upper class merchants began to dress up their paneling to set it apart from the plain trim found in the home of "commoners."  By the eighteenth century, wainscot paneling had evolved into rich, decorative panels featuring deeply beveled edges.  Wealthier home owners now used wainscot paneling even in rooms that were warm and dry in order to show off beautiful, rich hardwood trims in libraries and living rooms.

European countries also began to use detailed, deeply carved wainscoting panels to decorate various rooms.  You'll find many French music rooms and drawing rooms from the 1800's that feature elaborately carved and detailed wainscot paneling.  These were often finished with sumptuous fabrics such as brocade and silk framed in the individual panels.

One of the most popular forms of wainscot paneling today is beadboard, which features narrow, perpendicular grooves about 1/2 inch thick running along the width of each panel.  These grooved panels give a wonderful, linear interest to otherwise bare walls.  Beadboard paneling first became popular during the Victorian Era and soon became the wainscoting of choice for country charm in kitchens and weekend beach cottages.

Raised Panel is the most formal style of wainscot paneling, featuring regularly spaced, square panels with beveled edges or raised edging around the lip of each panel.  Raised panel wainscoting is often found in homes featuring Federal, Georgian or Colonial architecture.  It was also popular in the antebellum South, where the detailed paneling was a sign of wealth and culture. 

Flat Panel wainscoting is a simplified version of the more traditional Raised Panel.  It uses the same evenly spaced squares, but without the beveled edges or raised detailing.  Each square is formed by placing evenly spaced slats over the plain wood panels that cover the lower half of the wall.  All edges are straight cut.  You'll find flat panel wainscot paneling in Mission, Shaker and Prairie style homes.  This is a wonderful style for family rooms, kitchens and bedrooms where you want a relaxed style.

Today, wainscoting panels are installed in homes for decorative purposes, not to keep moisture out of the rooms.  Developers are increasingly turning to wainscot paneling to give new homes a hand crafted look and added appeal for buyers.