Shiplap or other vertical paneling is an easy way to emphasize the height of a room, while still keeping a space clean and uncluttered. If you don’t have the budget for all four walls, create an accent wall by paneling the facade with the greatest height.
Above: In this playfully dynamic Connecticut country house hall by designer Fawn Galli and architect Douglas Wright, horizontal shiplap, applied to the tallest wall, not only complements the length of the space, it also serves to emphasize the height, by drawing the eye toward the highest point. See more at Bold Color in a Connecticut Country House.
As seen in the example above, even horizontal paneling, when installed on the tallest wall, can serve to create a dynamic element which emphasizes the height of the space.
Paneled Ceiling
Above: At The Estate Trentham interiors stylist Lyn Gardener of Gardener & Marks used a simple pendant and a paneled ceiling to help emphasize the height of this intimate dining room.
The dynamic texture of paneling need not be limited to the walls. Cladding on ceiling also draws the eye up and creates a sense of dynamism which enlivens a small, or low-ceilinged space.
Typically more narrow than other kinds of paneling, versatile beadboard works in a multitude of spaces, from entire ceilings to small nooks. We especially enjoy beadboard when employed in unexpected ways to create height in cozy rooms.
Above: In this historic Catskills house, Jersey Ice Cream Co. uses a combination of beadboard and Shaker peg rails to create a height-enhancing vertical element as well as an intriguing design element. (See A Country House Reinvented by Jersey Ice Cream Co.) Photograph by Beth Kirby of Local Milk.
Formal Wall Paneling
Above: In this Bedford, NY, home, a millwork wall, painted Farrow & Ball’s Charleston Gray, adds a bit of lofty elegance, without overwhelming the space. (See Architect Visit: A Renovated Farmhouse in Bedford with Scandinavian Influences.) Photography by Amanda Kirkpatrick, courtesy of Rafe Churchill; styling by Anna Molvik. Again, with an emphasis on the vertical, even more formal paneling can add a sense of grandeur and height in a low-ceiling room, particularly when employed as an accent or to break up a wall. But be careful not to get too heavy handed with more ornate paneling, or it can have the opposite effect.
Above: Another example at the Anvil Hotel in Wyoming, paneling applied two-thirds the way up the wall also creates a greater sense of height. (See Go West: A Mountain Lodge in Jackson, WY, by a Brooklyn Design Studio.)
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