Wall panelling remains one of the hottest interior trends for instantly adding character and depth to a plain wall, and these living room panelling ideas might just be the perfect persuasion you need for your next DIY project.
There are so many different ways to panel in a living room, suitable for traditional, modern and contemporary properties. Whilst some styles of panelling require a little bit more skill, panelling in the home is an easy and affordable way to elevate your walls.
So, get ready to add instant character and design flair to your living room, no matter the properties age with these 19 living room panelling ideas.
19 Living Room Panelling Ideas You’ll Love
1.Create Definition With A Shaker Style Panelled Feature Wall
Chunky shaker style panelling is hugely popular in country and modern rustic style interiors. It brings instant depth to a wall and is a great choice for bringing character to a new build property.
You only want to employ this style of panelling on one wall to serve as a feature wall as it will become oppressive and look out of place if it was featured on every wall.
Paint it in a defining colour such as charcoal grey to really ground a living room, and set the tone for a cosy and ambient space.
2. Add A Classic Touch With Wainscoting
If you have a period property or want to achieve a timeless look in your living room, traditional wainscoting is a popular style of panelling.
This style of panelling is typically present with square style panels below, with a break using a dado rail and more rectangular frames above.
It delivers an elevated, luxurious look and is by far one of the easiest styles of panelling to DIY yourself.
3. 2/3 Chunky Style Panelling For An Elevated Look
Instead of traditional half wall panelling, fit your panelling 2/3 of the way up the wall, it will instantly draw your eye up, giving the illusion of a bigger living room.
Paint the upper part of the wall in a different colour to ignite visual interest in the room. This neutral colour scheme looks super cosy against the defining, grey sofa.
4. Team Half Wall Panelling With A Dado Rail
Half wall panelling is one of the most popular forms of panelling in a home, it’s great for separating colour, or wallpaper and it delivers instant depth to otherwise plain painted walls.
If you do have a traditional property you may want to add the inclusion of a dado rail, usually around 30-60cm from the ceiling, it can help to draw the eye up, giving the illusion of a bigger space.
If you do have a small living room, choose to paint the dado rail and the space above it in the same colour to avoid a clash of colours, using the same colour creates a more flawless draw of the eye up to the ceiling. Recreate the look below by using Dulux Egyptian Cotton on the walls, with a bright white on the dado rail and woodwork.
5. Add Instant Character With Half Wall Panelling
Take your half wall panelling one step further by finishing the top off with a picture shelf. It gives the perfect opportunity to display frames and small decor accessories for extra visual appeal.
I adore the neutral colour scheme here, with grey to ground the room and a warm off-white above it to lighten the space, and draw the eye up.
The panelling is painted in The Trail by Coat Paints with Strong White by Farrow and Ball on the upper wall.
6. Tongue & Groove Feature Wall
Nothing delivers refined elegance like tongue and groove panelling, this is typically purchased in sheets of MDF so you can get them cut specifically to your measurements.
Whilst this living room doesn’t have a chimney breast wall, the tongue and groove panelling addition breaks up the monotony of the painted walls, whilst the verticality of it draws the eye up.
By adding a section behind a TV here, it helps to set a boundary in the space and define the area.
7. Elegant Sage Green Floor To Ceiling Tongue & Groove Panelling
Sage green continues to be an on-trend and much loved natural colour for a cosy, restorative living room. Floor to ceiling tongue and groove panelling will create a well polished interior.
The vertical nature of it will give the illusion of higher ceilings, and it provides a perfect backdrop for many interior schemes including traditional, modern rustic and even Scandinavian styles.
8. Use Panelling As Frames In Your Living Room
Traditional wainscoting panelling lends itself to being used to frame wall art.
If you want to create a symmetrical feel, use the same sized and coloured frames within the panelling. It tends to lend itself to use in this way because of the symmetry that is achieved with the mouldings.
Contrast with a gorgeous colour such as a sage green against black frames, the black frames will bring much needed definition and modernity into the living room.
Take inspiration from the below and use Windmill Lane paint from The Little Greene Paint Company.
9. Add Wooden Pegs To Panelling For Added Visual Interest
I love the addition of pegs on this shaker style panelling as it adds a really charming addition to the panelling, a perfect place to hang decor accessories and small bits and pieces.
It’s super appealing with the contrasting cool grey on the upper half of the wall. This style is seen less often in a living room as opposed to a hallway, but the pegs add a nice addition and you can update what you hang from there seasonally.
10. Black Slat Style Panelling For A Touch of Modernity
Create a focal point in your living room by making a statement with a black slat style panelled feature wall.
This bold look is perfect for modern style interiors, just tie it into the room with other black accents such as interior hardware and decor accessories for a cohesive feel.
I love the sleek and elegant look of this panelling and it can be applied from floor to ceiling, or in a half panelled look. Finish off with a bright white shade above to draw the eye up as you enter the room.
11. Go To The Darker Side With A Deep Navy Blue
In a living room you really can choose to lean into those moodier hues for a more cocooning feel in your space.
Whether you choose traditional wainscoting panelling like this or a shaker style panelling, paint it in a deep navy blue for a stand out, bold welcome in your living room. Hague Blue by Farrow and Ball has been used in the living room below.
Pair with a white on your ceiling such as All White to balance with the darker hue, and to naturally draw your eye up to the ceiling.
12. Zone With Slat Wood Panels
Adding wooden slats to your home is a modern approach to panelling, and it can look exceptional in any room setting.
You don’t need to use it across the entirety of a wall to get the benefit of this natural style of panelling.
Create a zoned area within your living room by placing some of the slat panels on a section of the wall, it works best when it is placed behind something to set a boundary within a space, such as with a console table or behind a TV stand unit.
13. Separate Wallpaper & Paint With A Dado Rail
Adding wallpaper to the upper wall is one of my favourite half wall paneling ideas.
Whilst a traditional half wall panelling hasn’t been used here, you can create a similar feel with a dado rail to provide that perfect separation, it’s also even easier and more affordable to employ.
I love this look for creating a really cosy living room , it can bring a whimsical look, just ensure you use a similar tone in the wallpaper in the rest of the living room to create a cohesive space.
14. Lean Into Baby Blue
Baby blue is a colour moving through the ranks, and we’re set to see it in interiors even more as we move into 2025.
You don’t need a coastal interior to enjoy this colours on your walls. It looks gorgeous with traditional wainscoting, don’t forget to add some well placed black accents into the room to pull the space together, and add a touch of modernity.
Painted in Pale Wedgewood by Little Greene Paint Company.
15. Traditional, Cream Panelling For A Timeless Look
Warm, cosy neutrals have become the new grey in interiors over the last couple of years.
A warm off-white delivers warmth and cosiness, and is perfect for counteracting the coldness that is associated with North facing rooms.
Introduce other similar toned warm neutrals and earthy tones into the colour scheme to ignite visual interest throughout.
16. Pair Different Forms of Panelling For Visual Endearment
I am a huge fan of House Nine Designs projects and they have absolutely nailed the use of different forms of panelling in this clients living room.
Panelling CAN and should be mixed, it brings greater visual interest and avoids any monotony that can be felt with one style of panelling throughout.
Clever placement of tongue and groove panelling behind the TV unit frames and sets a boundary, whilst the same colour half wall panelling adds depth to the rest of the living room.
17. Blue Feature Wall
We’re seeing more of blue again in a living room, this time on a feature wall with shaker style panelling.
This chunkier style of panelling really is a favourite for placing behind a sofa, it will define the room and add visual interest against a contrasting colour on the other walls.
18. Add Upper Wall Panelling To Draw The Eye Up
This is definitely a less conventional style of wall panelling in a living room, but you can listen to the rhythm of your own interior style when it comes to panelling, and you can try anything to suit your space.
Whilst wainscoting has been used here, it only starts after a dado rail, this type of upper wall panelling can help to draw the eye up, giving the illusion of higher ceilings in the living room.
This is a more traditional style of panelling, and is better suited to period or traditional interior styles.
19. Natural Wood Slat Panelling
Wood slat paneling can be appreciated in boho, Scandic modern and minimalist home styles, it’s super versatile and provides a natural, beautiful aesthetic in a home.
You can buy half wall panels, plus, there’s no need to paint it or do any touch ups when in situ. Often placed behind a black backdrop like this it delivers an even more defining, and on-trend look.
Which of these living room panelling ideas is your favourite?
Before You Go…
Looking to add some panelling to your bathroom too? You might want to head over to this post next which is packed full of stunning, and different ways to panel a bathroom.
