Goodbye to the days where coloured feature walls and mosaic tiles were the only way to liven up your new home. In recent years, we’ve seen the rise of interior cladding, offering a unique, versatile and timeless way to add interest to any space.

‘Feature timber cladding placed on select walls or ceilings in your home creates texture and dimension, adding personality to your abode,’ says Boutique Homes Interior Designer, Nikki Weedon.

‘It’s a simple way to display considered thought in your interior design. You can use cladding to create specific ‘zones’ within larger spaces or to create a feeling of high-end luxury or coastal elegance.’ It can also provide elegance to any room while making it easy to repurpose down the track. ‘Many of my customers will use cladding as a feature in a nursery – painting it pink, peach or baby blue – and then change the colour to better fit a study or Ezone down the track,’ elaborates Nikki.

 

 

Types of interior cladding

Most interior cladding is comprised of VJ (vertical joint) panels – strips of manufactured wood that slot together to create a beautiful aesthetic and easy installation. The panels are often painted to create striking feature walls that blend seamlessly into any interior design. If you upgrade to a VJ timber panel, you can also choose to stain the cladding for a more natural look.

‘At Boutique Homes, we offer Easycraft cladding, which are narrower profiles that work well in smaller spaces,’ explains Nikki.

‘The size of the panels will impact how they look, as well as how you decide to lay them. Vertical panelling can make a room look taller, while positioning the panelling horizontally in a smaller room, such as a study, can make it seem wider and more contemporary.’

Where to place interior cladding

Bedrooms

Cladding is commonly used as a feature wall in bedrooms – as an alternative to a painted wall.

‘Horizontal panelling behind a bed can make you feel as though you’re in a coastal hotel,’ says Nikki.

‘While many people choose to paint the panel a bright feature colour, for a Hamptons interior design or a more subtle look, opt for a creamy white. The cladding will add texture and a fresh decorative element while giving you the freedom to change up your linen colours.’   

Don’t want to cover an entire wall in your master bedroom? Cladding can instead be used to create a faux bedhead, similar to the master bedroom in our Mayfair 43 display home in Woodlea.

Living spaces

Choose to paint your cladding in a colour that fits your overall interior design, particularly in your open plan living spaces. For a coastal or Hamptons feel, opt for light blues, greens and textured off-white. For a more modern look, consider charcoals, or darker navy, greys and browns. Country interiors will delight in rustic red and cream combos.

‘Cladding can be used with great impact as a feature on your largest wall in the main dining space or behind the television in your lounge room,’ says Boutique Homes Interior Designer, Bec Stephens.

If you’re still looking to incorporate cladding into your home but aren’t keen to have it placed in a key living space, another extremely popular location is the theatre room. ‘Many customers choose to apply painted cladding to all four walls and even the ceiling, to really define the space and to add texture and make it feel cosy,’ says Nikki. For a great example, check out our Riviera 32 at Lucas Display Village in Ballarat.

For a formal loungeroom, consider painted batten cladding for a feature wall with a difference. These panels appear as a beautiful pattern of protruding boxes for serious dimension and a feature that’s just a little bit different.

Study nook or hallways

Cladding offers a beautiful way to zone study nooks located in open plan living spaces or to liven up your home entrance. Pick a bright coloured cladding for the wall which your desk leans against or consider textured panels in your front hallway.

‘Hallway cladding brings a lot of character to an otherwise bland part of the home. It works especially well in traditional or modern-Hamptons style interiors, in place of decorative artwork,’ says Bec.

‘Floor-to-ceiling cladding always looks best, but Hamptons-style home owners may also enjoy cladding halfway up the hallway walls and then finish the look with mouldings.’

To put an elegant British spin on your interiors, consider decorative dado panels along the bottom of your hallway walls. ‘They offer a real ‘wow’ factor walking into the home,’ adds Bec.

Alfresco

If you’ve invested in raked ceilings, then consider extending cladding out to your alfresco rooftop to help bring the outside-in and create a more cohesive space.

‘Cladding your raked ceilings makes them an even more extravagant feature, giving your home a high-end Hamptons or hotel feel,’ says Nikki.

Kitchen

Have you ever considered using cladding to liven up your kitchen island bench? Well, it’s seriously trending.

‘The small, horizontal wood planks native to our Easycraft cladding work beautifully with the waterfall ends of our Caesarstone benchtops,’ explains Nikki.

‘Pick a contrasting colour from the rest of your kitchen to really liven up the space.’

Interior design mistakes to avoid

Cladding is designed as a feature, so let it do the talking. Don’t over-style, as the room can quickly become ‘busy.’

‘If you do wish to hang artworks or mirrors, make sure they incorporate ‘block shapes’ rather than lines so you don’t interrupt the flow of the panels,’ advises Bec.

‘Longer style mirrors and drop pendants can work well, particularly with VJ panels. Just ensure the scale and proportion works for what you’re trying to achieve.’

Interior cladding isn’t recommended in high-moisture areas, such as your bathroom. ‘It’s often just too difficult to seal and maintain,’ says Nikki. ‘Save it for smaller areas where you can get the full effect, or on a feature wall that you want your eye drawn to. It’s also best to use cladding on walls with no breaks or windows so you get the full design effect.’

Find more interior design advice from our qualified and experienced Interior Designers on the Boutique Life blog.

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