Three words used to strike dread in the hearts of interior designers everywhere: wood panel walls. But before you dismiss wood as an accent or an alternative to drywall, consider some of the innovative applications designers are deploying in luxury homes across the country.
Wooden Walls are Not Just for Cigar Rooms
First off, scrap any old ideas you might have about wood panel walls. We’re not talking dank, subterranean mancaves lined with brandy snifters and humidors (although those do have their charm). Today’s designers are using bright and sometimes colorful wood designs to create interest, contrast and texture in both new construction and remodeling projects.
Designers are no longer limited to the dark-toned vertical wood panel slats that come to mind when you think “mobile home”. We are not limited to hardwood either. Engineered products, such as maintenance free vinyl, create so many imaginative pattern, color and style possibilities.
An Exotic Wooden Accent Wall
Using different paint colors to turn one side of the room into an accent wall is a great way to get a room to pop, but what about ditching paint altogether for something stunning? Wood panels can convert an ordinary wall into a work of art, especially if they make use of the trait they have that paint does not: a third dimension.
Wood panels aren’t just measured in height and width, they also have depth. Varying one, two or all three dimensions with wood on the wall creates visual contrast and texture in ways that paint can’t. Unless your contractor happens to know Leonardo da Vinci.
Also remember, when mounted to the wall, wood paneling can run any direction, not just vertically. Horizontal and diagonal patterns make a room appear taller or wider, which is especially effective in closed-in spaces such as small bathrooms, basements, and converted attics.
Elegance-Squared
Designers used to understand the utility, durability, and beauty that wood provides. One application that has persisted in popularity has been wainscoting. Wainscoting is that waist high ribbon of wood paneling you’ll often see wrapped around dining rooms. It lends a certain refinement to a room, and calls back to the great estates of Europe and colonial America.
However, there’s no reason to stop at the chair rail. Full sized wood panels that stretch from floor to ceiling, and are framed with quarter to half inch trim, create a distinguished look that drywall can’t. The molding makes the ultra smooth surface of the plywood that much more distinct.
Wood Takes the Pain out of Painting
One of the advantages of using wood panels on your walls is that it opens up far more possibilities in terms of treatment. Unlike drywall, wood can be covered with acrylic or oil paint. However wood on the walls can be stained to give it an earthier tone than you can’t get with paint.
Stained and sealed wood offers the lowest maintenance surface for walls. Hardwood floor maintenance is different because of the foot traffic. Just wipe it down a few times a year with mild soapy water, and its clean. It is highly unlikely that a wooden wall will ever need to be sealed with polyurethane again, but even if it does, it’ll be once or twice in a lifetime.
However, if you’re the type of homeowner who likes to change things every few years wood is as paintable as drywall, maybe even more so. Although both are absorbent, paint adheres to wood better, and with fewer coats. That means a faster turnaround time and longer lasting paint.
Wood Insulation?
Homes are better insulated when the density of materials between the inside of your home and the outside is increased. That’s why brick is a better insulator than vinyl siding. It is much more dense. The same is true for wood walls.
There’s a reason the earliest homes were made of logs: The density of the hardwood walls was already insulated. Today’s construction techniques use the most innovative technologies to keep your home warm or cool and minimize power consumption, but covering your walls with wood will increase your insulation and your home’s energy efficiency. Wooden walls will save you money on utilities, and can even pay for themselves over time.
FM Pro Remodeling has been remodeling Kentuckiana for over 30 years. Our certified installers have the knowledge and expertise our homeowner neighbors need, as well as extensive experience installing wood panels on walls. Call or email FM Pro Remodeling today for a free consultation.
