5 Ways to Get Creative with Wainscoting

On  Instagram earlier this week, I posted a picture of a fun idea from Better Homes & Gardens:  filling in the space between battens on a board and batten wall with vintage yardsticks.  Lots of you weighed in on this design–some loved it, some hated it, some of you choked on the thought of having to buy that many vintage yardsticks for a project, and a few of you came up with ideas for turning new yardsticks into ones that looked old.  It was fun!

All that talk got my imagination going.  It’s no secret that I’m a fan of wall treatments like wainscoting and paneling.  It’s been something of a mission of mine to make my own walls more interesting.

Square Board and Batten | Planked Shelving Wall | Board and Batten Backpack Wall

Just in case you aren’t familiar with the term “wainscoting”, here’s a definition from the folks at This Old House.  “Wainscoting is a combination of decorative boards or panels and moldings that extend partway up a wall’s face.”  That’s right, folks, there’s a lot of room for creativity within that definition!  Inspired by the yardstick board and batten, I’ve been out scouting fresh ideas for out-of-the-box thinking when it comes to wainscoting.  Take note, there were a couple of wall treatments that extended floor-to-ceiling that technically aren’t wainscoting, but they are just too good not to share–and I’m sure they would look fantastic going partway up a wall, too.  Look at these 5 Ways to Get Creative with Wainscoting.

1. Barn Door Board & Batten

Part of a dining room makeover, this barn door style board and batten adds pattern and visual interest to what would have otherwise been a big, blank wall.  Visit Imperfectly Polished for details.

2. Stenciled Squares

Going a step or two beyond what I did with my guest bedroom wall, the blank spaces on this square paneled wall were filled in with colorful, stenciled patterns by Royal Design Studio.  All the punchy colors and fun designs make this a real statement piece!

3. Circular Wainscoting

Soulstyle‘s living room was feeling a little blah, so Tracy went out looking for some extraordinary wainscoting.  This circular pattern that she found and installed has a pretty amazing backstory–check it out and be inspired to try new things!

4. Geometric Board and Batten

I call this sassy focal wall at Make Them Wonder “mod board and batten”.  It’s got kind of a midcentury modern vibe going, doesn’t it?  It’s a visually very appealing pattern, and I love what it does to this space.

5. Tiled Wainscoting

I’m really smitten with this powder room wall treatment at Everyday Enchanting.  I’ve seen lots of board and batten in bathrooms, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen it topped with pretty tile.

What do you think?  Are any of these wall treatments something you’d like to try in your own home?  Just in case you need a little more inspiration for dressing up your walls, check out a couple of my Pinterest boards:  Plank Walls and Gallery Walls.