Wall Panelling

Wall panelling covers two very different jobs. Decorative panelling adds architectural relief to a flat wall and is painted to match or contrast with the room. Slatted acoustic panelling does something similar visually, but it sits on a felt backing that absorbs reflected sound. Both families are stocked here, and the right choice depends on whether you are solving a look or a noise problem.

The two families we stock

Traditional white primed panelling

The Deanta traditional range arrives white primed and ready for your own colour. Four profiles cover the common period styles: Shaker for a plain square framed look, Hampton for an Edwardian layout, Balmoral for Jacobean ornamental beading, and Madingley for a Tudor arrangement. Shaker is the customisable one, so its height can be set to suit the room. Hampton and Madingley are set height units, which means the vertical dimension is fixed by the design. A Hampton pack covers 2400mm of wall and a Madingley pack covers 2340mm. A separate bullnose moulding at 45 x 25 x 2400mm finishes the top edge of Hampton and Balmoral runs and is sold as a two pack. The full range sits in traditional wall panels.

Slatted acoustic panelling

The Immerse panels are vertical timber slats on 9mm sound absorbing felt, supplied as 2400 x 600 x 21mm panels that each cover 1.44 square metres. Finishes run from Oak and Walnut through Light and Dark Grey Ash to Black and Midnight Blue, and the Plus profiles use wider 47mm slats. See acoustic wall panels for the full range and the coverage calculation.

Choosing between decorative and acoustic

Ask what the wall needs to do. If a hallway or dining room simply looks flat and needs character, decorative panelling is the cheaper and more period appropriate answer, and painting it the same colour as the wall keeps the effect subtle. If a room echoes, rings on video calls, or makes music sound harsh, only the felt backed slatted panels will change that, because absorption depends on a soft layer sitting behind the timber.

Neither product blocks sound moving between rooms. Transmission is a question of mass and sealing, and the weakest link in a normal partition is almost always the door. A hollow leaf leaks sound and a solid one does not. If privacy between rooms is the real goal, start with unglazed internal doors or a solid core option from internal solid fire doors, then treat the room acoustically afterwards.

Working out quantities

Decorative packs are sold by the run, so measure the total width of wall you intend to panel and divide by the pack coverage. Hampton at 2400mm per pack and Madingley at 2340mm per pack keep that arithmetic simple. It is worth adding one spare pack in a room with several corners, because offcuts rarely reuse cleanly. For acoustic panels, divide the wall width in millimetres by 600 and round up, so a 3600mm wall takes six panels.

Height matters as much as width. Set height designs cannot be stretched, so in a room with a 2600mm ceiling a Hampton run finishes 200mm short, and that gap needs to be a deliberate design decision rather than an accident. Shaker panelling avoids the problem because it can be cut to suit.

Fitting, decorating and trims

Panelling is fixed to a sound, dry wall with grab adhesive, or to battens where the plaster is uneven. Set the vertical spacing out in pencil before anything is fixed, and start from the most visible corner so any narrow piece ends up where it is least noticed. White primed panelling needs the joints filling, a light sand, then two coats of your chosen finish. Our installation information covers preparation and fixings, and product care covers cleaning once the paint has cured.

Skirting and architrave decide whether the finished wall reads as joinery or as something stuck on. Most installations either run the panelling down onto the floor and return the skirting against it, or stop the panelling on top of a deeper skirting. Where a run meets a doorway, a wider door architrave gives the panel edge something to die into.

Rooms that suit panelling

Hallways and stairwells are the classic candidates, because they are narrow, hard surfaced and seen constantly. Dining rooms carry the more decorative Balmoral and Madingley profiles well. Bedrooms usually look better with a single panelled headboard wall than with a full wrap. Home offices and media rooms are the acoustic cases. Kitchens and bathrooms need care, since neither family is intended for splash zones or standing moisture.

Matching panelling to doors and joinery

Panelling changes the reference point for every other painted element in the room. White primed panelling finished in the same colour as your doors gives the calmest result, which is why it pairs neatly with internal white primed doors. Where the panelling is painted a strong colour, a timber door reads better than a white one, and internal oak doors or internal walnut doors supply that contrast. The wall panelling guide works through the style combinations in more detail.

Common questions

Is wall panelling still in fashion?

Painted panelling has been part of British interiors for centuries, which is why the profiles are named after periods rather than seasons. Slatted acoustic panelling is much newer and is driven by home working rather than decoration.

Can panelling be fitted over wallpaper?

It should not be. Adhesive needs a sound substrate, so strip the paper back and make the wall good first.

Do I need to paint white primed panelling?

Yes. Primer is a base coat rather than a finish, and left bare it will mark and yellow.

Can I panel only part of a wall?

Yes, and half height panelling with a moulded top edge is the traditional arrangement. Setting the top line at roughly one third of the ceiling height reads correctly in most rooms.

What tools are needed?

A tape, a long level, a fine tooth saw, a mitre box for the mouldings, grab adhesive and filler cover most installations.