Is panelling nice or just “Chavvy”?

[Diy322]

Just read a post online where someone said panelling is “chavvy”! I’m a little upset as I was planning to panel my hallway.

It’s a new build but I just feel the hallway needs something. Hallway is quite large. What do others think? Please be honest

It really depends on how much you like cleaning as all those relief surfaces just become a place for dust to noticeably settle.

At the height of the panelling mania, a friend of mine threw out all her bed headboards and panelled the walls behind and then painted them a dark sea green, and every time I have stayed there they are caked with dust (from the bedding). This pic will give you an idea on what to avoid.

I think the picture you’ve posted looks nice, op.

ChatGPT is quite useful for this- upload a picture and ask it to add panelling or a dado rail or whatever.

We will be panelling but it was the norm when ours was built and was probably removed at some point.
It will be to cover over the bad walls

We are a 14th century property with an addition dated early 1700s. So we’ll be going for two different but quite simple styles

Either have simple styles or match the style to the date of the property

No if it’s done correctly and the proper colors and furniture to go it is lovely in any type of house. Do research first and styles and u can have it looking good. Those saying chavvy clearly don’t know anything about interiors

Wallpaper, console table(s), storage of different sizes, rugs, mirrors, art, floating shelves.

If you have a nice wide bright hallway you can easily get it looking better with plants, furniture and art. Really no need to mess with panelling and dado rails. Easier to change later too.

I thought the first pic you posted with the wide hallway looks nice. I'm not sure whether it's panelled - ie someone has lined the entire space with wood/MDF - or they've just tacked beading to the walls. My guess is the latter.

I think it looks more modern than panelling up to dado height with plain wall above.

My carpenter seems to spend a lot of his time doing the latter, in MDF. It's still very popular. I don't think he is a fan!

Another option would be a braver colour choice, broken up with pictures. In your first inspo pic I think the artwork and plants are doing a lot of the work, even though the art is all a similar palette to the walls.

Would a generous piece of furniture help to balance & add interest?

I don’t think it’s ‘chavvy’ but I also hate that term and generalising about people and styles. I love panelling and I’m going to do a bit in our house that we just bought. Our house is older (1929) but I also think it looks nice in new builds but I do prefer shaker style panelling that to me looks less like it’s trying to be a period feature.

I also think that things date when they’re over done but less so if you keep it tasteful and understated. A bit of panelling in the hallway just adds a bit of interest. If it was all the way up to the ceiling and in every room yes that can be a bit ott.

With the ‘grey’ trend that dated, it was only when it was over done and people having grey floors, walls, soft furnishings that it got a bit much. People still use grey accents as a classic colour in interior design in moderation and it still looks nice. It also depends on the room. If you like it, do it!

Also, even if you decide you don’t want it later down the line it’s not the end of the world to remove, bit of skimming or filling and sand and paint! A days work at worst

Uh ohh, we’ve just been talking about putting panelling to half way up our hall walls, but only on one side as the other has a curved wall to go up the stairs.

Our hall is narrow with a very high ceiling (Victorian house) and I get what you mean about the flatness.

Upstairs on the landing we put dado in and painted the bottom half darker and pictures above, and it looks so much better than just flat colour. So @Diy322 could you start with that and put panelling in later if you decide to?

I think panelling looks fantastic and I love watching the videos of people doing it. I don’t have any nor plan to tho cos I also think it’ll date and I’m not really an on trend person. If I decorate I want it done for a fair few years.

It depends on your house. I added some subtle bits here and there but I did in line with my houses age, it’s an old property. You have to have the space/ceiling etc for it.

If it fits the period of your home it won’t be dated but it’s when it doesn’t go with the house and you add it in that will result in it being dated.

New builds should be that ‘new’ and ‘modern’ so try and find something that suits the architecture and bones of your home.

I agree with this. A slim console table with decorative items (candle, dried flowers, a pair of lamps - can be as minimalist or as cluttered as you like) and a large artwork or mirror above it will brighten up your hallway. Additional panelling will be costly & superfluous.

https://carolineondesign.com/5-entry-console-table-decor-ideas-youll-love/

@Diy322

Some new builds only tend to have a ceiling height of 2.3m ergo the appearance of panelling/dado may not give the desired effect.

This site may offer ideas

Have a look at @alicegrace_england on instagram - one of my favourite accounts for interiors.

She has done a really good job making her new build look like a more traditional home.

Wallpaper

Quoting myself to add a link to one of her reels: www.instagram.com/reel/Cf6xoZyqifo/

I had panelling in hall, stairs and landing in my Victorian house. I really like it, as it looks a lot better than great featureless slabs of wall.
I really don't care what other people say about it.

I am at a loss why people care about having "dated" decor. If they like it, they like it, don't they? Otherwise, they're just fashion victims.

Definitely chavvy in a new build, original panelling certainly has its place. The panel trend generally feels quite tired and overdone.

Do it! But make it easy to remove without taking off the plaster in chunks. You could then go back to plain walls with filler and a repaint.

That’s not panelling its beading. And the house, if not period, is period style.

Panelling is actual wood panels - well mostly these days it’s cheap mdf.

I'm house hunting at the moment (in vain, there's very little out there) and reject everything with panelling as I think it's likely to be used to cover up faults & I dont want to get stuck sorting them out.

Also, unless the house is ancient & the panelling has been there for ages, it just looks odd imo

This.

You can get some lovely blown vinyls nowadays - really thick patterns. Painted white and some colourful carpet or other flooring, and colourful accessories/blinds at the windows.

why do you care what anyone else thinks, @Diy322 you are the one living in it and looking at it all day..... this is why fashion, in anything, is utterly pointless.

This looks like applied beading. Like a picture frame.
Personally I have a large antique table in my hall with lamps and a Persian rug. My house is twenty years old but it is big.
Do what you like it's your home.

Fwiw a recent estate agent who came to value said my house was dated. Cheeky git. We're in our sixties so we're not going to have IKEA.