How to choose and install wall panelling

Wall panelling is more popular than ever and it’s an instantly smart and impressive way to transform a room. We are so excited to offer you a large range of amazing wall panelling styles and mouldings that will help you create amazing spaces.

In this blog our aim is to provide as much information as possible to allow you to decide which wall panelling to choose. We can help you at every stage, with quotations, measuring, product bundles and CAD designs to help you visualise the final design.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What kind of wall panels do you sell?

Our growing range of panelling includes classic Shaker style designs, contemporary 3D wall panelling, ceiling panelling and flexible wall panelling. Other products include decorative interior mouldings that can be used to create a panelling effect or apart from our wall panels; beading, ceiling roses, door mouldings, architraves and an LED cornice lighting collection.

What are they made of?

All our wall panels are made from a material called Purotouch. It is a high-quality, high-density polyurethane that allows for fine design details and a sharp finish. For a fraction of the price of traditional panelling and decorative accessories, Purotouch is a popular choice with many other advantages. Upon purchase, your product is primed and ready to paint, it is water-resistant, shock-resistant, termite resistant, flexible enough to be bent around corners and extremely easy to install. Purotouch is lightweight and can be hung indoors or outdoors using our recommended adhesive. Choosing products made from Purotouch is a safe investment for quality, longevity and beautiful detailing.

Are they easy to install?

Yes, incredibly!

On delivery of your products, there will be a full and detailed set of installation instructions. If you have any other questions, please get in touch. Here are the basic points that are covered:

1. How to prepare your walls
2. Use of our recommended adhesives
3. Follow the instructions closely

What are the benefits of using our wall panels and mouldings compared to more traditional options?

1. They are significantly cheaper than handmade, wooden alternatives
2. They are lightweight and water resistant
3. Our panels are easy to hang and will cover uneven walls
4. The panels are primed and ready to be painted in any colour to match or enhance your scheme

I’d like to include wall panelling in my room, but where do I start?

We would recommend measuring your space carefully and spend some time visualising what you would like the final effect to look like. If you are able to sketch out a few ideas, that can also help the process. We have created Pinterest boards which act as inspiration and will help you visualise the potential of our products. Click here to view the wall panelling boards and mouldings boards. Our small team can help you with a quotation and digital sketch at any stage and can match our other products to consolidate the whole scheme. Other things to think about: consider the ceiling height, number and size of windows and any other features in the room.

Basic Rules when measuring for wall panelling

Combine decorative elements such as wall panels, skirting boards, wall mouldings, chair rails, etc. There are no strict rules for wallscaping but here are some guidelines:

1. Include symmetry in your design. This way, the entire room exudes calm and balance.
2. Start with existing lines in your interior, such as doors, a fireplace, existing mouldings, etc.
3. Calculate the ideal height of your panelling according to your wall. Classic panelling is placed up to a third of the total wall height, but higher or lower options are also possible: from an elegant elevated skirting board to an impressive full wall.

If you are just running a single row of panels we suggest adding up the total number of linear metres you are covering and dividing that by the width of the panel.

If you intend to cover most or all of a wall with panelling it is probably easier to work out the area in square metres and divide that figure by the area of the panel you are using.

Wall Panelling Design Options

Traditional Panelling – up to dado rail height

If you choose traditional panelling, place a chair in front of your wall to determine the rough height. Usually the back of the chair corresponds to a third of the total wall height. That’s a great place to start. If you’d like find out more about placing dado rail heights, read our blog here.

This image shows Wall Panel No. 147 used with dado moulding 169, skirting board No.137 and door moulding No.121.

High Wall Panelling – two thirds of the wall height

High wall panelling, two thirds of the way up your wall is incredibly trendy right now. Go for a repetitive pattern to establish symmetry and calm. This image shows Wall Panel No. 120 used alongside a deep skirting board, topped with a moulding from our LED coving lighting collection.  

High Wall Panelling with an LED lighting effect

Incorporate LED lighting for an instant wow effect.

How do you do that? By using our LED coving lighting collection wall moulding and installing it two thirds of the way up the wall. In most houses, this corresponds to 160 to 180 centimetres in height. What about the height of the skirting board? The skirting board is traditionally higher than the distance between the other panels that are used.

This image shows the following products:

Skirting No. 191, Wall Panel No. 120 topped with LED cornice moulding Autoire No. 324 (small).

Full Height Wall Panelling – maximum impact

High wall moulding can usually be positioned at 30 to 50 centimetres from the ceiling. The higher the room, the greater this distance is. But there are no rules to say you can’t take the panelling all the way to the cornice for maximum impact. This can be especially dramatic for long hallways, libraries and drawing rooms.

There are so many options when considering how to hang the panelling itself. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to wallscaping but one element to think about is the gap between the panels. Using a narrower space like 90mm will focus in on the panel detail, whereas a larger gap of 120mm will allow the panel itself to shape the focus. If you have lower ceilings and smaller rooms, make the gaps smaller and in the same way, wider gaps between panels works well in bigger rooms. We have learnt this from experience!

Here is an example of one possible design that we have mocked up to help you visualise a room that uses panelling right up to the ceiling.

This room set has been created using the following products:

dado rail moulding No. 8020

wall moulding No. 8030

skirting board No.138

cornice moulding No. 342 large

Ceiling rose No. 40

Large cornice mouldings are a great option for large spaces that need bold lines to carry the room. After installation they can often appear smaller, when in fact the room instantly looks bigger!

Use wall panel No.120 coupled with Noblesse deep cornice moulding No.332.

Contemporary 3D wall panelling ideas

Our range of textured wall panelling includes Ridges No. 112, Valleys No. 109, Hills No. 110, Bars No. 111 and Zig Zags No. 108. As the names suggest, they all carry different profiles which will allow you to mix and match, hang them at any angle and paint them in any colour! There are no limits to how creative you can be with this range of wall panelling. They have proved popular for bathrooms and outdoor spaces too due to their water resistant surface.

LED lighting can easily be incorporated with this panelling as the ridges and bars enable you to neatly hide the cabelling. These wall panels are sold in two-metre (or 2.5m) lengths and can be easily cut to size. 

Other Wallscaping Ideas

Raised skirting board

Looking for an elegant and luxurious effect that is also affordable? Then go for a visibly higher skirting board. You can do this by placing a wall moulding at a fifth of the total wall height. Then paint the skirting board, wall moulding and wall in the same colour. The image below uses No. 181 tall, stepped skirting.

Want even more character? Opt for a matching door plinth block. Like the bold No. 330 LR seen here with No.165 skirting boards.

Ceiling panelling

What could be more glamorous than using ceiling panelling? Our raised ceiling panel No. 30 adds elegance and depth to any room and ceiling. These panels can be glued flat to the wall or ceiling or recessed to create a deeper look than our other wall panels.  

Decorative Corner Mouldings

Our range of decorative corner mouldings can elevate your interior from average to opulent. Used in conjunction with our regular wall mouldings, these beautiful copies of period styles can really set your scheme apart. Paint effects that age your mouldings can be particularly effective, as seen on our No. 8030d decorative corner moulding.

What next?

Request a call back – we can help you decide what you need and quote you for particular requirements.

We are here to help so please get in touch at info@thelibraryladdercompany.co.uk

All products are available to order online at The Library Ladder Company.