Guide - Build your own wall paneling!

Wall paneling has been used as decoration in homes for several centuries, mainly in the more lavish parts of the home where the home owners socialized and welcomed their guests. In this guide, we go through step by step how to build your own period-specific wall paneling!

1. Research

When planning to build your wall panel, there are two aspects to consider - When was your residence built? And in which room will the panel be placed? This is crucial for the design language and the design of your wooden panel. You can read more about panels and carpentry under the section Style History or in the book "Tidstypiskt". In the last century, the rooms that had the most visitors, such as a entrance, drawing room, and dining room, had the most decorated woodwork. Bedrooms and kitchens were furnished much more simply, in kitchens, for example, the walls were often covered in beadboard for practical reasons.

- 1890s
During this period, paneling of various heights and designs were used depending on the function of the room. In the dining room and entrance, the highest panel with heavily profiled fillings and a finishing narrow shelf for decorative items were placed. The shapes of the panels varied, but it was not uncommon to mix both square and rectangular forms. You can find inspiration here.

- 1900s
Like previous decades, the walls of drawing rooms and dining rooms were adorned with panels of varying heights. They were often made of oak or grain-painted in oak imitation. However, the panels move towards a lighter color scheme and can be painted in a off-white or a light gray color. The design becomes somewhat simpler with softer profiles, and the panels were usually placed closely together as well as elongated. You can find inspiration here.

- 1910s
In environments like dining rooms, there were still a desire to adorn the walls with panels, but instead of the high, heavily profiled ones, the trend shifted to a lower wainscot. This type of panel usually aligns with the windowsill (about 75-80 cm). The panels were usually rectangular and could be combined in both horizontal and vertical formats, it was also common for the corners to be rounded. The panel were finished with a profiled crown molding. You can find inspiration here.

- 1920s
The earlier wainscots were still present in a very simple execution but began to be replaced by lower, narrower baseboards with a simple profile in classicist design. You can find inspiration here.

2. Material

Measure the room carefully to plan the material purchase for your wall panel, considering windows, doors, and special angles. The size of the room determines the size of the panels, following the principle that there should be an equal amount of smooth surface above and below the panel as well as on the sides.

- Start with the MDF board, which should be mounted directly on the wall. They are cut straight and therefore do not require any extra waste. You can therefor purchase almost th exact number of meters as the circumference of the room (subtract doors and windows).

- After that comes the planed timber, which will form the actual framework and is the structure for the panel. Depending on how many panels you plan for your wall paneling, it might be wise to add about 10% for waste. You will need material for both horizontal and vertical pieces.

- Finally, there is the profiled moldings. The amount of baseboard and crown molding will, like the MDF, consist of the room's circumference; add extra timber (about 10%) to account for corner cuts, etc. The decorative moldings that will be placed in the panels as fillings always require more than one might think, as many cuts can go wrong. Here we recommend adding about 25% waste to the number of meters.

3. Assembly

Start by removing the existing baseboard and ensure you have as clean a wall as possible to work with.

- The MDF is mounted flush against the wall, which will form the base of your panel. We recommend using construction adhesive to attach the board material and then screwing or nailing it into the wall depending on the wall material.

- Now you have a smooth surface and can start mounting the baseboard. We have chosen a three-piece baseboard, but it's optional, just make sure that the top edge of the baseboard is wide enough so that the planed timber can be attached above it without any overhang. The crown molding is mounted at the top along the upper edge of the MDF. Now you will have a good base with a bottom and a top. Use wood glue and nails to attach these. Note! If you use a three-piece baseboard, only attach the bottom baseboard and the crown molding; the middle board needs to be able to move a bit, it is held in place by the other moldings.

- The next step is to mount the planed timber, which will form the actual framework of your paneling. These are to allow the fillings to "sink" into the panel. Start by mounting the horizontal parts, the timber closest to the baseboard, and then the timber closest to the crown molding. After that, mount the vertical parts, this is a perfectt opportunity to fine-tune the dimensions of the panels so that they are evenly distributed throughout the room. We recommend using wood glue and reinforcing with nails.

- After adjusting and double-checking all the dimensions of the framework, it's time to start cutting the decorative moldings. You need two short sides and two long sides per panel, and all parts needs to be cut at a 45-degree angle at each end. Once you have cut all the moldings, attach them to the inside of the panels with wood glue and small nails. Remember to use a nail setter to avoid damaging the profile of the decorative molding when nailing.

4.Priming & Finishing

Your wall panel is now complete, only the finishing touches left!

- Begin by filling all the joints in the framework, the corners of the panels, and over the small nail heads with wood filler.

- If the timber have knots, we recommend treating these with shellac.

- Once the shellac has dried, it's time to prime your panel. This is an important step to achieve an even surface, as different types of materials have been used. If you want to paint your panel with linseed oil paint, we recommend white primer.

- The final step is to paint your panel with a paint of your choice, usually two coats are sufficient. Read more about period-appropriate color schemes here and choose from our wide range of linseed oil paints.