Timeless Interiors: Timber Panelling

Timber panelling has gone in and out of style many times throughout the centuries and today it is back. Not only is it popular in the home, it is also popular in commercial settings, such as restaurants, offices and schools. Panelling has an amazing ability to add character and texture to a space and it can also visually change the proportion of a room.

Image From: Rock My Style

Panelling wasn’t always used to create an atmosphere or an aesthetic of a space. For example, initially, timber panels were installed to provide insulation to cold stone walls. The Tudors lined their walls with timber from the floor to the ceiling to show their wealth. They made their wooden panelled walls decorative and so the aesthetic became more important.

Image From: Shevy Vision

There are many different ways that you could include panelling in your home and here are a few ideas for inspiration:

1. Traditional

If your home is an older property, for example Elizabethan, and you wanted to add some character to it, you could reinstate some of the old panels that may have been in the original design of the house. It is worth researching what was around during the time period to make sure you aren’t installing something that was designed 200 years later. For an Elizabethan property, from the 16th century, the decorative Tudor style was replaced with a rectangular style with mitre moulding. This plainer style panelling would have been made of exposed oak which you could install if you wanted to replicate the traditional style. However, if you wanted a more modern look you could install painted rectangular panelling like the one shown below.

Image From: Rock My Style

2. Create Pattern

Tongue and groove boards are really good for creating patterns. Traditionally they are used horizontally or vertically but if you want something a bit different you could install them diagonally or in a basket weave arrangement.

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MDF boards are a great material to use to create panelling as you can cut it to any size you require and arrange it as you would like. You could put the panels only millimetres apart to create beautiful shadow gaps.

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3. Protect Walls

In the Georgian period it was popular to place all your dining chairs against the walls instead of around the dining table. It, therefore, became popular to panel from floor level to dado height (which was originally 600mm from the floor) so that the Georgians could protect their walls from any wear and tear from the chairs. Today it is common to see half panelled walls in areas that might have a lot of traffic, for example the hallway in a home is often panelled and in a commercial space you might also see half height panelling such as in parts of a shopping centre or a hospital.

Image From: Real Homes

4. Proportions 

You can play with the proportions of a room with panelling and trick the eye to make it feel bigger than it actually is. If you want a room to feel wider, install vertical panelling from the floor to the ceiling. If you have a high ceiling and want to make the room feel a bit more enclosed and cosy, panel up to picture rail height (approximately 300-500mm below the ceiling) and paint the area above the same colour as the ceiling. This will help to make the ceiling feel that 300-500mm lower than it actually is.

Image From: A Beautiful Mess

5. Exposed Timber

It has been proven that having plants, flowers and timber inside a commercial or residential space make a room feel calmer. It is also better for our mental health. Reclaimed timber can be used to create exposed panelling which gives a room more character because of the different shades of recycled wood. Examples of reclaimed timber are old floorboards, scaffolding boards and timber pallets. These, as well as being cheaper, are better for your carbon footprint.

Image From: Stephanie Williams Designs

There are so many benefits to panelling - why wouldn’t you want to include it in your home? It’s even perfect for that small box room or in your hallway to protect the walls. Panelling will make any home look unique and add character and style.

Timeless Interiors: The Shaker Kitchen

Designing something to be timeless is impressive and incredibly difficult. Think of a Chesterfield sofa or a Volkswagen Beetle or even a Rolex watch - these items are all considered classics. They were fashionable in their day and still fashionable now. It is difficult for them to be out of place. Were they designed to be timeless? Probably not, but they have managed to all age well over time. 

There’s an argument to be made that in the world of interior design, the equivalent to these timeless classics is the Shaker Kitchen. It is a design favourite and it seems incredible that we are still installing this 18th century style of kitchen 300 years later. The original designer of the shaker kitchen definitely wasn’t designing it to be timeless, in fact it was designed to be purely functional.

Image from: Howdens

I love history, so let me nerd out on you for a paragraph or two. The original designers of the Shaker Kitchens were part of a denomination of the Quaker religion, known as the Shakers due to their shaking and dancing during their meetings. As part of their religious beliefs they lived a self sufficient lifestyle in closed communities, dotted throughout America. The Shakers produced all of their own furniture using local materials and even made the equipment to help them, for example they invented the circular saw, the flat broom, tongue and groove boards and even the apple corer.  

Their furniture and kitchens were designed to be simple, durable and functional, reflecting their way of life. The beauty of their furniture was in its honesty with the exposed timber that it was made from and the exposed joints. The furniture was eventually mass produced and was sold around the world becoming a firm favourite in many households. 

How could this simple and insular closed community create such an impact on our kitchens today? The Shakers were only designing kitchens and other pieces of furniture for their community to use, so they could never have envisioned that we would still be installing their kitchens into the next millennium. What is it that makes them so timeless?

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1. Makes You Feel At Home

When choosing a kitchen, people are often keen for it to feel homely and cosy. They want a room where people feel welcome and at ease. The shaker kitchen is traditional, easily recognisable and familiar, which increases the sense of security one wants when they are at home.

The shaker style exposes its functionality, you can see the handles and the joints connecting the timber. Nothing is concealed as it would be in a handleless kitchen, so you immediately know how to navigate yourself around it.

Image from: Charlie Coull Design

2. Adaptable

The timber kitchen can be altered to fit into almost any style or shape of room. It can be painted easily and the handles of the cupboards and drawers can be changed into a different shape or style, or modelled from a different material.

The hinges can be made from different types of metal to fit into any design scheme, such as brass or copper. Also, although it may not line up with the original ethos of a shaker kitchen, the hinges can also be concealed to create a more contemporary look.

Image from: Devol Kitchens

The worktops on a shaker kitchen, like the units, were originally made from locally sourced timber. Today we have a variety of different materials that we can use to make worktops from, such as oak, laminate, granite or marble. By changing the worktop material it is possible to make the kitchen feel brighter or more lavish or even more simple depending on what style is desired.

Image from: Devol Kitchens

3. Economical

Today, we are concerned about the affect we are having on our planet. The simple, honest, self sufficient lifestyle of the Shakers is what we are striving for. Their ethical resourcing of local materials to build handmade kitchens designed to be functional and durable is perfectly in line with today's requirements. As the shaker kitchen is a classic design, it won’t go out of fashion. If elements of it do, it can be adapted, such as in the ways listed above, instead of having to replace the entire kitchen. 

The shaker kitchen is also really durable. Their iconic panels allow the timber to expand and contract without affecting the shape of the doors at different seasons.

Image from: Gabrielle Blackman

This shaker kitchen is a true example of timeless design. Even its original ethos has become a priority today. As with any classic of design, the shaker kitchen is a worthwhile investment.