Shaker panelling
Shaker-style panelling: recessed flat panel framed by timber rails (horizontal) + stiles (vertical) in regular grid; clean simple lines; contemporary classic suited to Victorian/Edwardian/Georgian and modern interiors. Construction: 18mm MDF panel + 18×69mm PSE timber rails + stiles fixed to wall + mitred joinery + cap rail; primed + painted (typically eggshell or modern emulsion). Heights: wainscot (1.0–1.2m from floor — most common), 3/4 height (1.8m), full-height (skirting to ceiling). Width: 400–600mm panel typical; adjust to room proportion (smaller panels for smaller room; larger for bigger). Cost £125–£285/m² supplied + installed (depending on detail + height). Best for: hallway (creates protective splashback for high-traffic; visually elongates), dining room (formal warmth + elegance), master bedroom (sophisticated headboard wall or full perimeter), study, child's bedroom (panelling at lower zone protects from kicks + scrapes). Colour: traditional paint same colour as wall above (subtle texture) or contrasting (e.g. F&B Hague Blue panelling below Studio Green walls — drama); two-tone option: F&B Strong White panelling below Hardwick White walls (subtle elegance).
Board-and-batten + tongue-and-groove
Board-and-batten: vertical 50–100mm flat batten over flat MDF/plywood backing board; regularly spaced (typically 300–500mm centres); cap rail at top; modern farmhouse aesthetic; quicker install than shaker. Cost £85–£185/m² supplied + installed. Best for: hallway (modern alternative to shaker), boot room, mudroom, utility, child's playroom (informal robust). Tongue-and-groove (T&G): V-grooved boards (75–150mm wide) installed horizontally or vertically; informal casual aesthetic; cottage + cabin + heritage rural style. Construction: pre-machined T&G boards (typically MDF or solid pine) fixed to studs or battens; primed + painted or stained. Cost £65–£145/m². Best for: bathroom (water-resistant if properly painted + sealed), utility, garden room interior, child's bedroom, holiday cottage / second home, casual lounge / snug. Modern application: vertical V-groove T&G to dado height (1.0–1.2m) in entrance hall or bathroom — subtle texture, easy clean. Tudor + cottage heritage spec: horizontal T&G with peg-detail painted Wimborne White or Cornforth White for classical English coastal cottage feel.
Wainscoting (raised panel)
Wainscoting: traditional raised panel construction — central panel raised slightly above frame surface; ornate cornice or cap rail; classic Georgian + Victorian heritage; formal aesthetic. Construction: substantially more joinery than shaker — typically full bespoke fabricated joinery (cabinet-maker MDF or solid timber); chamfered raised panel + ovolo or ogee-moulded rails + dental cornice + base moulding; primed + painted (heritage spec: F&B Estate Eggshell). Cost £185–£385/m² supplied + installed; bespoke heritage joinery (Lomax + Wood, Plain English, Crown Imperial) £285–£485/m². Best for: heritage Georgian dining room, Victorian library, period gentlemen's study, Listed Building reception; sympathetic addition where wainscot original to era. Conservation Officer welcomes period-appropriate wainscoting in restoration. Combine with: dado rail at top (1.0m height) + picture rail above (1.8m height) + cornice at ceiling — full heritage scheme; bookcase + writing desk integrated into panelling for library/study tour-de-force. Furniture-grade joinery — paint finish quality critical (premium painter, heritage Farrow & Ball or Edward Bulmer paint). Cost premium vs shaker (50–100% more) reflects bespoke joinery complexity + heritage detail.
