To panel or not?

8 months ago

I’m in the process of decorating my living room. I asked the joiner to add a dado rail with the idea that we would add some panelling to the room with moulding in large and small rectangles below and above the dado. I would like to paint the room F&B Green smoke on the chimney breast and alcove walls and the rest in a lighter colour.
Is panelling going to be too much with the different colours too? Or do you think it would look ok? I could do panelling on just the lighter walls but then would that look odd with the dado in the alcoves? Any ideas really appreciated.

Featured Answer

Sonia

8 months ago

Always better to order all the furniture first and then decorate around the furniture. So choose a sofa you love in a colour you love first. Your example is gorgeous. Imagine it in a lush velvet! I absolutely love panelling in all its forms especially in an older home. I’ve slowly got rid of the darker walls in my house as I just found it a bit grim! The house feels so much lighter and airier now. We all have different tastes of course but I realised those dark shades just weren’t for me. I’m also not mad on “feature” walls as so many people struggle with colours that will sit well with a feature wall. I’d go all one colour all around.

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Comments (16)

Sarah R
Original Author
8 months ago
This was the effect I was going for
Isla Cherry
8 months ago
I love your illustration and think it would really look good. My house has a room painted in F&B's green smoke and its very dark. I like your ideas but try and find a complimentary colour to the green smoke then in the same green family from F&B. Maybe paint it all the same colour panelling and all in a lighter green more like your pic. I think ball green looks a close match.
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I personally think you should keep it painted. It would be a terrible job to get the paint off and maybe you will never get it right again if it all goes wrong. You will have to know what you are doing before you start that job. Take a look at these pics, maybe you could get some ideas from them. To make a room feel cosy and warm make sure you have interlined luxury fabric curtains as a starter. In the green pic, I'm thinking shades to match your suite, disregarding the ceiling obviously! I happen to like the gold too.
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siobhanmcgee90
8 months ago
Love the look Sarah, very classy😀
Sarah R
Original Author
8 months ago
Thanks for this. We’ve ordered a blue sofa and I’ll try a lighter green. Any other suggestions for colours?. I really like the blue and green look
katlucy
8 months ago
You might despair of me for saying this, but i think the dado is too high….i believe the porportions dor the dado should be 2.5ths or 1/3 of the wall height to either the picture rail or ceiling. i can see you have lined it up with the top of fireplace opening or the radiator but it feels wrong to me …..
Isla Cherry
8 months ago
It does look high now that you mention it almost cuts the wall in half. It should be about 900mm to 1000mm above the floor for a 2,4m ceiling. I'm sure the joiner was trying to avoid the sockets and that's probably why. 1/3 of the wall height is the correct proportion. You won't notice it once the furniture is in place though.
Sarah R
Original Author
8 months ago
I agree with you both. The joiner came and I had measured a third up the wall but he said they’re usually higher than that. The bottom of the dado starts at 1010mm up the wall. I’m kicking myself for not going with my original measurements. I can’t do much now unless I take it off which seems extreme.
The height of the sofa is only 870 so it will stick out just above after the carpet is installed as that will add some depth to the floor.
Isla Cherry
8 months ago
You were right and the joiner was wrong! Not for the first time either. Don't kick yourself you cannot change it now without massive stress and expense. I'm sure you won't even notice once it is painted a lovely sludgy green and you have a stunning sofa in there. You are only focusing on it now because the room is empty. Paint it first and maybe copy that thin shelf for pictures like in your image.
Sarah R
Original Author
8 months ago
When I realised it was a bit high I thought I might just add moulding to the bottom half to make it more of a feature and paint the bottom half dark. I thought this might help with it being slightly higher?
Isla Cherry
8 months ago
That idea could work very well if you chose the right colours. Have a look on houzz for examples. The french often have dark blue at the bottom and a white or off-white above. Very practical too hides all scuff marks.
Sarah R
Original Author
8 months ago
Thanks Isla. I’ve been looking at De Nimes Farrow and Ball on the bottom and a lighter colour on the top. The blue will work well with the sofa I think and moulding on the bottom should break it up. Then taking the dark colour all the way up the chimney breast
Isla Cherry
8 months ago
Great idea. I love that blue and have been looking for an excuse to use it somewhere in my house. If you chose a neutral for the upper half like one of the shaded whites (a grey tone would compliment that blue) or maybe just F&B all white it would look very fresh. The chimney breast will look lovely in De Nimes.
Sarah R
Original Author
8 months ago
Thanks Isla. And thanks for commenting on my discussion. It’s been really useful. These projects are never as straightforward as just painting a room. We took the radiator off the wall and the previous owners had only plastered to the top of the radiator and there was still the old wallpaper behind the radiator. Now we are wondering whether to replace the radiator as well to avoid having to move pipes once the room is all done. It’s never ending but it will look fantastic when it’s done.
Isla Cherry
8 months ago
You couldn't make it up could you? Some people paint a whole room around freestanding wardrobes, etc! It sounds as though you are really doing things properly which is great. Good luck with it all.
katlucy
8 months ago
I just had that at my mum’s house, she needed a new fridge/freezer and the new model is quite a bit shorter….wallpaper was only to the old fridge height, not even cut straight and then below that bare plaster with the imprint of old tiles….

Looking forward to seeing your finished room, i love blue and green together too

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