What Color to Paint Wainscoating?

If you find yourself in a situation wondering what color to paint wainscoating than you must read on! Wainscoating is actually spelled wainscoting, but for the purpose of this article we’ll spell it like it sounds. Wainscoating is decorative paneling like the picture you see here. It is used to decorate the lower half of walls. Usually you’ll find it in more expensive newer homes and older homes that were elite in their day. Originally it was used to damp-proof homes.

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Wainscoting can help to ad interest to a room. It can make an otherwise bland room feel warm and full of character. Wallpaper and paint can add interest, but nothing makes a space feel quite as rich as wainscoating. It is common for older homes to have wainscoating that is in desperate need of refinishing. Sometimes it can be a painful decision when deciding what color to paint wainscoating or even if you should paint it at all. If it is made of hard wood, you may want to spend the extra time and cash to refinish it. However, paint is a much quicker and less expensive fix if the wood is rough and chipped. It is important to remember that if you decide to paint wainscoating, it is much more difficult to undo this decision if you decide you want it back to the original.

There are different types of wainscoating. When you’re deciding what color to paint wainscoating, you’ll want to keep this in mind. There’s flat paneled wainscoting and raised panel wainscoting. If you want to draw extra attention to it, consider painting it a contrasting color of the wall. For example an expensive look for a library or living room is a rich burgundy wall which would look nice with a chocolate or white colored wainscoting. An even more distinguished look is the look of marble which you can create with paint, brushes and the proper technique. You'll want to purchase a quality book that gives you good pictures and easy instructions to follow. If you have raised paneled wainscoating, paint the raised panel the same color as the wall and use the accent color for the flat part. If you’d like a less dramatic look, paint the walls and the paneling similar colors. A great look for a bedroom is sky blue walls and white wainscoating.

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When you’re deciding what color to paint wainscoating, you’ll also want to keep in mind that you’ll probably have to paint all the other trim in the room to make the space more cohesive. This may be more work than you planned so give yourself a few extra days. Paint the walls first. That way the drips and splatters that fall onto the trim work from the roller will be easy to cover up when you paint it.

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Before you paint the wainscoting, inspect it for imperfections like holes and scratches. Apply a wood filler and sand. Then lightly scuff the surface of the wainscoating with a light grain sandpaper. If the painting surface is extra smooth, brush on a deglosser product. This will help the paint to stick better.