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Wainscoting is officially defined as being wooden panels covering the lower section of a wall and topped with a wooden trim as a chair rail. In its traditional form it can add a colonial charm and elegance to a room with its engraved panels and highly detailed matching borders and trim. Under different names and coming from different era’s such as bead board or beaded paneling, the basic idea of wainscoting or the placing of wood panels up to about 45 inches from the floor and then complimentary painting or wall papering from the trim to the ceiling has crossed over from its colonial and New England cottage origins to become a popular way of decorating even in contemporary styles.

Broadening the Wainscoting term even more are some new interpretations of just what these panels should be designed like and made with. Traditional Wainscoting itself is now a choice between recessed or raised panels. Bead Board has branched into various form of natural wood panels without the bead effect engraved by the early New England artisan carpenters such as simple tongue and grove and even vinyl panels.

Basic wood like or wood print paneling cut in half and used with its standard pieces of trim now fall into this category of decorating and with some very beautiful results. Using decorative print paneling above the “chair” line is a artsy innovation as are the use of bright and distinctive colors used both above and below the line. Even the chair line itself has changed.

Instead of a line of trim, variations have turned it into a “nick knack” shelf to hold curious or photos and with vinyl innovations its no longer a neutral divider between to splashes of color as it can have its on unique bright tone. Even the bottom wooden area of traditional wainscoting is now being done with wallpaper in solids, designs and prints.

Traditional Wainscoting has been given a new life with the MDF product. MDF or medium density fiberboard. It comes in flat panels, raised panels, bead board, tongue and groove, or covered with wood veneers. It is much less expensive than carved wood and comes primed and ready to paint further reducing the cost of a traditionally expensive traditional wooden Wainscoting installation. Its a composite material made of compressed wood waste product and resins so you don’t have to worry about the warping and shrinking associated with real wood.

Innovative changes to the wainscoting style as well as new modern products to accomplish it with make Wainscoting a great decorating choice where your imagination, taste and style can shine.