Wall Panelling: The Honest Guide

Wall panelling has been the single most-requested job in our diary for the last two years. It's not difficult, but it's fiddly — and the right style depends on the room as much as your taste.

Beading-on-MDF (the Instagram favourite)

Strips of primed moulding glued and pinned directly onto the existing wall to form rectangles, then caulked, filled and painted. Quickest to fit, easiest to undo, and reads beautifully in hallways and bedrooms.

Tongue-and-groove (T&G)

Vertical boards, traditional cottage feel. Needs battens fixed to the wall first to give a clean substrate. Great for boot rooms, downstairs loos and anywhere that takes knocks — the boards hide a multitude of plaster sins.

Shaker (framed panels)

A grid of stiles and rails forming flat panels, often half-height with a capping rail. The most architectural of the lot — looks great in dining rooms and stairwells but takes the longest to set out and fit because every joint shows.

Full-height panelling

Floor to ceiling, usually in a study, snug or feature wall. We typically build it in MDF panels with a thin frame on top — gives the period look without the price tag of solid timber joinery.

What it costs in time

• Single feature wall, beading-on-MDF: 1 day to fit, half a day to paint.
• Hallway in shaker, half height: 2 days to fit, 1 day to caulk/fill/paint.
• Full T&G boot room: 1.5 days including battens.

Send a photo of the wall and a reference image you like — we'll come back with an honest fixed price.