Will panelling eventually look tacky?

[holdthehonest]

I say this as someone who added panelling to my house, in my defence my house is from the 1800s and has the original decorative ceiling mouldings.

Will this become the new grey?

We have the original old tongue and grove panelling in or hall, it’s a lovely feature. It’s often found in Scottish cottage bathrooms, it was warmer than tiles.

I actually already think it's looking a bit naff. I used to love it but I think it's been massively done to death.

Genuinely op it depends, if you mean genuine panelling in a period property, even restored, it will always be wonderful. It you mean bits of cheap mdf stuck to the wall pretending to be paneling, it was naff a long time ago.

There is not anyone who can’t tell the difference. So have you added panelling back into a period property or have you stuck mdf on the wall and hoped folks don’t notice?

Tongue and groove I think is fine, panelling is very different, it’s very expensive to panel a properly in oak or walnut , hence why folks have stated to fake it,but tongue and groove is what it is.

It's the Dado rail of the 80s which looked good in Victorian homes, not 80s housing estates.

Some of the panelling I see looks really good, it makes a room more interesting now that wallpaper is used less. But, I do think it is overdone and faddy and will date. I don't fancy making the wall nice and straight after removing the mdf and no more nails, especially since we've just paid a fortune to skim the house.

In your house with the original covings and done professionally it should look lovely and in keeping, just don't paint it frigate-grey!
In more modern houses it has always looked tacky, it's part of the trio along with frigate-grey and the garden shed school of architecture. In a nearby village there is what I orginally thought was a piles of grey crates but which is an eye-wateringly expensive house.

I remember my parents having wood panelling wall paper in the early 60s, just after the 'exposed brickwork' look!

Just enjoy your home and have it how you want it. You can second guess what will go out of fashion in the future all the time

Yes. But everything dates. Literally everything. "Period features' were reviled in the 50s and 60s so many period houses with ripped out fireplaces, plastered over coving, removed ceiling roses and boxed in bannisters. It's only the last 20 years that we've really put them back in.

Yes, everyone loves period features now and is certain they'd have loved them when everyone else was busy ripping them out or covering them up.

I’ve just sold a Georgian house with panelling. Now in a 1940’s build, would not have panelling here

Probably, it'll be like having a dado rail (you know wallpaper bottom half, solid colour top half etc) complete with coving & cornice 😂

It depends how well it's done, what colours are chosen etc. If you love it, do it. Even the best interior choices date over time. Those that are done well last well regardless.

We live in an old converted farm building - the previous owners added a lot of random pine cladding! Bedroom ceiling has been painted white - was a pain but looks great. Other ceilings were taken down to reveal beams underneath. Hallway and stairs have remained because it's too big a job. I think if it's tasteful and in keeping with the building, it's ok... oh and if you like it of course!

As tacky as these ‘media walls’ that are all the rage now.

I've got someone coming next week to give me a price...... love it

@thefirstmrsrochester what’s a media wall??

It

I wanted panelling in my hallway but the house is only about 20 years old so apparently it would look shite 😞 I’d definitely do it in an old house though

I did it recently in a 1930s house, only because there was some utterly hideous blown vinyl wallpaper that would have been a nightmare to get rid of. I really like it and I agree with PPs, it’s your house, have what you like!

It wouldn't look shite.

It’s just personal taste, no one is going to be fooled youve real wooden panelling there, and you can tell the difference due to depth , so it’s everyone knows it’s faked by an optical illusion using mdf.

it’s a bit like wearing or using obviously fake designer goods, you know with the name spelled wrong or something.

Does it matter if other people think it’s naff or dated? If you like it that’s all that matters, no one else’s opinion counts for shit.

Panelling which is in proportion and in keeping with the style of an older home will remain classic. It will come in and out of fashion but to a degree the way all things too but it won’t date.
Cheap panelling with tiny bits of beading just marking out badly designed squares on walls already looks tacky and will look particularly shit in a few year.
It will also take a lot of prep to get back to smooth walls.

Many of the houses on my 1930's estate have the original arts and crafts style panelling. It looks beautiful but it is often dark wood. I think I'd have it painted white. A few years ago people were pulling it out and re plastering which I thought was a shame. I'd love to have it my house but I'd want the real solid wood not MDF so it would be far too expensive.