Panelling That Looks Architectural Rather Than Applied

Set out from the room, not from a standard

Panel widths should divide the wall evenly, with the end panels never narrower than the field panels. Draw the elevation before anyone cuts a moulding.

Respect the dado and picture rail heights

Dado at roughly a third of the wall height, picture rail at roughly four-fifths. Those proportions come from rooms that work and they still do.

Return the detail at openings

Panelling that stops awkwardly beside a door or window is the giveaway. Plan how it meets every opening and every corner.

Keep the moulding profile consistent

One profile through the whole home, scaled up or down. Mixing profiles between rooms reads as a series of separate decisions.

Paint it in one colour

Panelling picked out in a contrasting colour draws attention to the joints. A single colour in two sheens gives depth without fragmenting the wall.