Faux panelling in a new home ?

[homedecoinspoos]

Inspired by dado rail thread...

What do you think of a traditionally built new build with faux panelled walls with dado rails painted all one colour ?

@Sunnytwobridges

I actually love paneling, it adds character. As long as it's done right. I'm surprised at how many don't like it. But I don't like washing machines in the kitchen or open floor plans, so there's that lol

But it’s not panelling. It’s fake panelling. Like fake grass or a knock off chanel bag, and to make it worse it’s in a new build.

The trend is so all over insta that not one person will think the room is panelled, even if they were daft enough to think it really was a period property. everyone who walks in will know she’s got pretend panelling going on.

Op, I don’t understand your comment on the fireplace or mirror. Are they real or fake?

Looks weird outside of a period property. Even worse, I saw a (modern) property on rightmove earlier with panelling effect wallpaper

Then just do it OP. I would say though that gluing lots of sticks to your walls is harder than influencers make it look so get a professional to do it to make sure it’s straight and even on the cuts and positioning. It must be a large house to have no furniture touching the walls too 🤣

@Grapewrath

I think it just reminds me of the huns who paint their houses grey, throw zoflora everywhere and love Mrs Hinch. It’s very popular but it’s not for me and is often badly done with mdf and no nails. Same with tongue and groove bathrooms

This. Get yourself over to Hinch’s instagram for a blow by blow account of the panelling. She can afford it even for the short term and replace in a few years I suppose - and it is a big house, sorry farm, so on balance I think it looks ok but would be naff on a small house /if poorly done. She’s also adding on a conservatory, sorry, an orangery so maybe that will be the next trend for the Hinch huns.

@Menora

Then just do it OP. I would say though that gluing lots of sticks to your walls is harder than influencers make it look so get a professional to do it to make sure it’s straight and even on the cuts and positioning. It must be a large house to have no furniture touching the walls too 🤣

Oh yeah I definitely would not do it myself. Get the professionals in. And only use real wood.

Oh yeah I definitely would not do it myself. Get the professionals in. And only use real wood.

To find a craftsperson who knows how to make true panelling, in hardwood, would be very, very expensive. We struggle to find people with these skills to work on historic buildings. A regular carpenter could make you something which gave an impression of panelling from a distance, but it will never look like real panelling.

It’s overbearing in modern rooms, which tend to be too small, and unless it forms part of a scheme with the right height of skirting, the right mouldings, and terminates at the right height, it will just look wrong. It’s just not meant for rooms with modern proportions. Plus if you come into a house built from reconstituted stone, with fake slate roofs, through a composite plastic and wood door, into a room with true wood panelling, nobody will be the slightest bit convinced. It looks like you’re playing at living in a country house. So I find it pointless.

Oh dear, I did say I wasn’t going to get involved, didn’t I?

Ultimately, to each his own. Enjoy your homes, make them beautiful to you. But it is true that taste is very personal and you might be reducing the pool of people who want to buy your home in future. Certainly this is the sort of thing which will cost you money, but won’t add any value to the house.

@FloraPostePosts

Oh yeah I definitely would not do it myself. Get the professionals in. And only use real wood.

To find a craftsperson who knows how to make true panelling, in hardwood, would be very, very expensive. We struggle to find people with these skills to work on historic buildings. A regular carpenter could make you something which gave an impression of panelling from a distance, but it will never look like real panelling.

It’s overbearing in modern rooms, which tend to be too small, and unless it forms part of a scheme with the right height of skirting, the right mouldings, and terminates at the right height, it will just look wrong. It’s just not meant for rooms with modern proportions. Plus if you come into a house built from reconstituted stone, with fake slate roofs, through a composite plastic and wood door, into a room with true wood panelling, nobody will be the slightest bit convinced. It looks like you’re playing at living in a country house. So I find it pointless.

Oh dear, I did say I wasn’t going to get involved, didn’t I?

Ultimately, to each his own. Enjoy your homes, make them beautiful to you. But it is true that taste is very personal and you might be reducing the pool of people who want to buy your home in future. Certainly this is the sort of thing which will cost you money, but won’t add any value to the house.

Fair enough. What do you think about the pic I posted ?

I don't think it's a matter of wanting it to look real or like anything. I just like it for what it is and think that it can look sleek and modern too, if that makes sense ?

That's how I feel about it. I'm not trying to turn a new property into something it's not. Not trying to fool anyone. I just like how it looks I guess !

And I don't even know who Hinch is? And I also hate grey. Haha

@FloraPostePosts

Oh yeah I definitely would not do it myself. Get the professionals in. And only use real wood.

To find a craftsperson who knows how to make true panelling, in hardwood, would be very, very expensive. We struggle to find people with these skills to work on historic buildings. A regular carpenter could make you something which gave an impression of panelling from a distance, but it will never look like real panelling.

It’s overbearing in modern rooms, which tend to be too small, and unless it forms part of a scheme with the right height of skirting, the right mouldings, and terminates at the right height, it will just look wrong. It’s just not meant for rooms with modern proportions. Plus if you come into a house built from reconstituted stone, with fake slate roofs, through a composite plastic and wood door, into a room with true wood panelling, nobody will be the slightest bit convinced. It looks like you’re playing at living in a country house. So I find it pointless.

Oh dear, I did say I wasn’t going to get involved, didn’t I?

Ultimately, to each his own. Enjoy your homes, make them beautiful to you. But it is true that taste is very personal and you might be reducing the pool of people who want to buy your home in future. Certainly this is the sort of thing which will cost you money, but won’t add any value to the house.

Oh and don't worry about giving your opinion at all. I did ask and you clearly know what you're talking about etc. I like different points of view !

I also installed a fireplace which you'd probably hate. It's a stone one. I think it's Georgian. Just white stone. Plus plaster coving.

Honestly, unless your rooms are very large, have high ceilings and Georgian proportions, based on cube volumes, then it will look all wrong. That style would be used to articulate huge expanses of wall surface, in enormous rooms with little in the way of furniture; a classically inspired, Georgian house.

In even a generously sized modern home it’s just not worth it, in my view. If you want sleek and modern, go for that. Those mouldings are based on Georgian designs. Not appropriate for a modern house. Have a look on line at really good houses from different periods. The ones which stand the test of time and look best are the ones which are authentically of their period.

@FloraPostePosts

Honestly, unless your rooms are very large, have high ceilings and Georgian proportions, based on cube volumes, then it will look all wrong. That style would be used to articulate huge expanses of wall surface, in enormous rooms with little in the way of furniture; a classically inspired, Georgian house.

In even a generously sized modern home it’s just not worth it, in my view. If you want sleek and modern, go for that. Those mouldings are based on Georgian designs. Not appropriate for a modern house. Have a look on line at really good houses from different periods. The ones which stand the test of time and look best are the ones which are authentically of their period.

What's authentically now would you say ?

@FloraPostePosts

Honestly, unless your rooms are very large, have high ceilings and Georgian proportions, based on cube volumes, then it will look all wrong. That style would be used to articulate huge expanses of wall surface, in enormous rooms with little in the way of furniture; a classically inspired, Georgian house.

In even a generously sized modern home it’s just not worth it, in my view. If you want sleek and modern, go for that. Those mouldings are based on Georgian designs. Not appropriate for a modern house. Have a look on line at really good houses from different periods. The ones which stand the test of time and look best are the ones which are authentically of their period.

The theory behind all this is fascinating.

It’s very hard to say, as most recent builds haven’t been anywhere near an architect, and there aren’t any dominant movements in building. There is a trend where I leave to revive the local vernacular style, which means those houses built using local materials, designs and techniques - timber framing in the east of the country, local stone and stone tiles where I am - and for those, the models are not the sort of house which would have ever had panelling. So a house built of Cotswold stone, with gables to the elevations, half dormers and smallish windows of two or three lights, should have very simple interiors. Things like beautiful door and window furniture, a fireplace with a large timber lintel over it. Exposed beams if they are used structurally, but not much in the way of ornament.

To be honest, with modern houses, I would tend to think of them as blank canvases and do it all with furniture instead. Paint in light colours, have art which pleases you, and buy really good furniture to make the most of your spaces. Our house dates from the 70s, and we have chosen furniture and fabrics which evoke that era, and kept things like the huge teak banister on the stairs, and the glazed lights over the upstairs windows, to keep its character from that era.

The picture you posted is just a snapshot with no other context re lighting or space or height of ceiling of your house. It’s very brightly lit but IRL, it would not be

Even googling panelling - with a high ceiling and good light it looks amazing with minimal furniture or in its period features even with a modern twist

In a modern house with small windows and normal ceilings unfortunately it can look like caravan storage in a bedroom, or my old dingy school corridor in a hallway

See how tight it makes the spaces look

@Menora

The picture you posted is just a snapshot with no other context re lighting or space or height of ceiling of your house. It’s very brightly lit but IRL, it would not be

Even googling panelling - with a high ceiling and good light it looks amazing with minimal furniture or in its period features even with a modern twist

In a modern house with small windows and normal ceilings unfortunately it can look like caravan storage in a bedroom, or my old dingy school corridor in a hallway

See how tight it makes the spaces look

Yep, these are great examples of why it doesn’t work. The first and third are just grids of mdf, probably glued on. The middle one is some picture frame moulding from B&Q, stuck to the wall, which is nothing like panelling - it has no fields! The daftness of the third one, where you have Edwardian shaped panelling (though obviously not of that date) alongside a rather nasty pvc door, fools nobody and looks, frankly, awful.

I don’t love the grey squares here on photo 1 but I can see why this works even in a dark colour, and it’s the ceilings, light and the size of the room that make it look so much better. I have nothing against caravans but modern panelling in a house reminds me of caravan storage, like it is 70’s built in wardrobes

I like this style..

But is your house that big? If you have a giant airy hallway with a central staircase and large windows it could work but you don’t, you will end up with a pub toilet corridor look. If you have a living room that is large enough to place furniture in the centre of the rooms it could look like that it’s just hard to picture. I live in a new build house and it’s annoyingly got small windows and normal ceilings and it’s set out to have furniture against the walls

@Menora

But is your house that big? If you have a giant airy hallway with a central staircase and large windows it could work but you don’t, you will end up with a pub toilet corridor look. If you have a living room that is large enough to place furniture in the centre of the rooms it could look like that it’s just hard to picture. I live in a new build house and it’s annoyingly got small windows and normal ceilings and it’s set out to have furniture against the walls

It is pretty spacious. The ceilings aren't particularly high in the living room. But yes, downstairs, no furniture needs to be near the wall at all and the hallway is airy with double height ceiling.

The windows are quite big, but not bi folding doors.

I don’t dislike it, but I do think it looks a little odd when not in a period property.

I also think it’ll quickly look out of style in a new build, if that’s something that bothers you.

I’m a surveyor and I swear every flipping new or not so new house I go into has mdf panelling on the walls.

So many modern design features are replicated, I sometimes feel I’ve accidentally gone into the same house numerous times.

I blame Instagram house accounts. Everyone copies the same stuff nowadays. Even downstairs loos invariably have the same geometric tiles now.

It’s your home, if you love it, do it. It won’t be to everyone’s taste but that’s okay.

That said I do think it might date your house, if that’s something that concerns you then it might be best to avoid, likewise if your looking to sell anytime soon.

If your not planning on moving and you aren’t concerned about it becoming outdated then go for it!

From experience decorating fads that change the fixed elements of a house date badly and are then expensive to change, especially if out of character for the house. Like diamond lead windows, stone brick fireplaces, artex ceilings etc of the past.

I think also if you follow a fad it dates badly quickly . Grey being a case in point.

Where so many people did it, that now it looks really bad and dated. It can look ok done in small amounts and in a warm pale grey but many people totally went for it and it’s not good.

I think anything that’s a huge insta fad and people try to copy in non appropriate properties always looks really bad very quickly and then of course it can be very expensive to rectify. Pretend panelling, faux lead glass or stained glass windows, fake period fireplaces, fake beams, it just looks naff fast.

Agree with pp’s that it looks very fake in a new build. It’s definitely a trend atm. It’s a classic design element that I think has caught on as it looks elegant in period design so has been used in newer builds to attempt to add character / look less cheap.. for me it doesn’t work in that context! X