Wainscoting brings high walls down to size

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/06/2006 (7053 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DEAR Debbie — We have a high wall that spans the entryway, living room, family room and bends around to the kitchen nook. All rooms except the nook have a vaulted ceiling. I’d like to make the wall two-tone by adding wainscoting, but I’ve not seen wainscoting in more formal rooms. If this isn’t suitable, what would you suggest? Thank you.

–Robert

DEAR Robert — Adding wainscoting is a perfect solution for bringing high walls into a pleasing human scale. Wainscoting is comprised of slats or panels of wood rising three to four feet from the floor, and is usually topped by a chair rail. It can look formal or casual, historic or contemporary, depending on the finish. You can choose the rich luster of stained mahogany panels, or establish a casual country look with white painted pine.

You can install ready-made wood wainscoting, or build the panels with plywood or fiberboard and add stock trim for detail. An alternative is to apply a band or dado around the bottom section of the wall with paint. Faux finishes can reproduce the look of expensive, luxurious materials such as fine woods, silk, leather, marble and granite without the high cost.

By dividing the wall into two distinct sections, you now have the opportunity to mix and blend countless colour and texture combinations. To keep the room balanced, it’s best to apply darker colours or weighty materials to the lower section. In the modern condo shown here, I applied a brushed steel dado to add detail and interest to the plain high walls. To create the look of this brushed metal, I painted a black base coat, and brushed two shades of gray metallic paint mixed with glaze in patches over the black. The metallic glazes are applied in vertical and horizontal strokes, covering most of the base coat, and then rubbed with a soft cloth to produce the steel patina. A coat of café au lait was applied to the upper walls, This produces a warm, complementary glow along with the faux steel, completely transforming the room.

It’s worth noting that you can have the most expensive furnishings in your home, but if the rooms lack the proper scale the overall effect will be ruined. Architectural details such as borders, wall panels, or even a simple band of colour will help you redefine large spaces, making them more inviting and comfortable.

DEAR Debbie — I like clean lines to store my things in my bedroom: sweaters, TV, VCR, books etc. My idea is to put two armoires together on one wall to maximize my space. But the wall units I see are very expensive. How can I get around this $ problem?

–Hope

DEAR Hope — Why not build your own custom storage using a combination of plain stock cabinetry and book shelves? Check out your lumber store and home goods stores for reasonable prices. Bookshelf units can be turned on their side and stacked to make up an interesting display of open squares and rectangles. Store clothing, tapes and personal items in boxes — there’s a wide array of decorative finishes and styles. The media equipment will fit into the design framed by the shelves. Be sure that the separate units are securely attached to each other and to the wall. You can unify the system by painting all one colour, or have fun with a few accent shades splashed onto the inside of the units.

Debbie Travis’ House to Home column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Please e-mail your questions to house2home@debbietravis.com.