Forget Boring Walls: Joanna Gaines Has A Timeless Solution To Transform Any Room

Did you know that house walls weren't always boring planks of sheetrock or plaster? In fact, throughout much of human history, the walls of a home have been places for designs and decoration. It was not until the early to mid 20th century that house walls became simple rectangles with clean lines. Honestly, this design can be pretty boring. But what's to be done to change it? Well, HGTV host and design guru Joanna Gaines has a timeless solution that will transform any room: wainscoting.

Wainscoting is a centuries-old interior design technique that was first used in medieval times to insulate homes against cold stone walls. At its simplest, wainscoting is decorative paneling made out of wood that covers roughly the lower third of your wall space. For a standard 8-foot ceiling, that would be a wainscoting of about 32 inches tall. Owing to its historicity, wainscoting offers any space a timeless feeling while also providing a unique visual statement.

Gaines utilized wainscoting for the "Plain Jane House" in season 5, episode 8 of her HGTV show "Fixer Upper." Writing for the episode blog, Gaines said that wainscoting "is one of the easiest ways to make a room feel finished and bring texture to a space." Though she used the method specifically for the dining room, there are numerous areas of the house where it can add its classic appeal.

While you don't need to own an old home to allow wainscoting to work its charms, it tends to benefit those houses that are built in time-tested historic designs, such as Victorians, Cape Cod cottages, Arts and Crafts, and Colonial. If you're favoring a more modernist approach or live in a more contemporarily styled home, you need to be more careful with the style of wainscoting you choose. Gaines notes in her blog that because wainscoting is typically seen in "older and more established homes," adding it to one that incorporates elements of historic design will "add a classic timelessness" that helps "define the room."

There are several different directions you could take your design, from the simple to the more ornate. Classic raised panel wainscoting is typical of 17th-century design and incorporates beveled panels and raised rails for a particularly definite look in places like foyers or dining rooms. Simpler designs, like flat panel, beadboard, or picture-frame-style wainscoting, can work in places like mudrooms, kitchens, living rooms, and even bathrooms. These also lend themselves much better to more modern farmhouse, craftsman, or even industrial home designs.

Overall, this design method should make a statement. As Gaines notes, "It's such a simple feature to install and makes a huge statement in any room." So, if you've been thinking about giving your walls a bit of life, see if they'll respond to some wainscoting.