23 Wainscoting Ideas & Inspiration That Add Character to Every Room

A bathroom with off-white painted wainscoting, green upper walls, and a white bathtub beneath a picture window. A bathroom with off-white painted wainscoting, green upper walls, and a white bathtub beneath a picture window.

Decorative wood paneling—or wainscoting—typically takes up one-third or more of a wall and is the perfect place to express your personal style. Especially popular in older homes—and conjured up in modern spaces with the practice of “feign”-scoting—wainscoting is the perfect vessel to deliver beautiful color throughout your home. Whether you use beadboard or board and batten, add a touch of traditionalism or a bright pop of color, our wainscoting ideas will transform your space.

Wondering what paint to use for wainscoting? Once you’ve found your color (or colors), Advance® Interior paint is ready to make your vision a reality. This premium quality, waterborne alkyd paint offers a full line of durable high-end finishes ideal for doors, trim, cabinetry and unique architecture—like wainscoting.

Unique Wainscoting Ideas for Every Room

Do you have wainscoting in your home? How can you tell if you have wainscoting? Use our photos below to help you determine if the paneling in your home is wainscoting. Use the “one-third” rule to help you: If the paneling in your room features vertical, even panels and covers at least one-third of the wall, floor to ceiling, there is a good chance it is wainscoting. Conversely, if you’re adding wall panels to a room without wainscoting, make sure at least one-third of your wall is covered, starting from the floor up.

Whether you go with traditional off-white or white wainscoting or choose a color that’s more bold, there are wainscoting styles for every space and design ethos. From hallways and living rooms to bedrooms and bathrooms, consider these gorgeous suggestions to help you find wainscoting color combinations that work for your home.

A lovely bathroom with off-white painted wainscoting and a white upper wall, wooden floors and an oval mirror over a dark-gray painted bathroom vanity with granite countertops. A lovely bathroom with off-white painted wainscoting and a white upper wall, wooden floors and an oval mirror over a dark-gray painted bathroom vanity with granite countertops.
Photography by: @greybirchdesigns

The Perfect Powder Room: Bathroom Wainscoting

Spruce up your powder room with a coat of paint on the wainscoting. Hues like Natural Linen 966, shown here on the board and batten, bring warmth and charm to the space, letting dark cabinetry and fresh greenery take center stage instead. Other colors we love for powder room wainscoting include:

A welcoming bedroom with white-painted wainscoting and black upper walls, a wrought iron bedframe, a plaid area rug in neutral hues, and large, white-trimmed windows. A welcoming bedroom with white-painted wainscoting and black upper walls, a wrought iron bedframe, a plaid area rug in neutral hues, and large, white-trimmed windows.
Photography by: @520farmhouse

Traditional Bedroom Board and Batten Wainscoting

Even the classic white board-and-batten wainscoting needs freshening up sometimes. Give your bedroom paneling some much-deserved TLC with a soft white paint color, like Chantilly Lace OC-65, shown here. Other paint colors we love for traditional wainscoting include:

A bedroom with white-painted upper walls, dark green wainscoting, a four-poster canopy bed, black and white rug, and a fireplace. A bedroom with white-painted upper walls, dark green wainscoting, a four-poster canopy bed, black and white rug, and a fireplace.

Mix & Match Bedroom Wainscoting

Upend traditional wainscoting design by pairing colorful wainscoting with a more neutral hue on the walls. Combinations to try include:

An entryway with a yellow-painted upper wall, white wainscoting, and white trim on an open door, hanging straw hats, and a gray bench. An entryway with a yellow-painted upper wall, white wainscoting, and white trim on an open door, hanging straw hats, and a gray bench.

Welcoming Entryway Wainscoting Colors

Invite happiness into your home with cheery entryway wainscoting ideas. Try one of these combinations to up the wow factor—and use beadboard for a modern look:

A close-up of an olive green-painted hallway and off-white wainscoting with an antique wooden table holding colored vases beneath a small, framed painting. A close-up of an olive green-painted hallway and off-white wainscoting with an antique wooden table holding colored vases beneath a small, framed painting.

Eye-Catching Hallway Wainscoting

Upgrade your space and transform the oft-forgotten hallway with stunning wainscoting color combinations, like:

Large dining room with dramatic black walls, ceiling, and white trim. Large dining room with dramatic black walls, ceiling, and white trim.

Dramatic Dining Room Wainscoting

Add visual interest and personality to your dining room with elegant wainscoting color schemes. Try one of these to elevate the look of your walls with contrast and color:

A sitting area with gray wainscoting, white-painted walls, trim, and ceiling with wood beams, a brown door, print chair, and decorative plates. A sitting area with gray wainscoting, white-painted walls, trim, and ceiling with wood beams, a brown door, print chair, and decorative plates.

Monochromatic Living Room Wainscoting

A monochromatic color combination uses various tints and shades of the same color and is another popular design choice for wainscoting. Monochromatic color schemes for wainscoting we love include:

A lovely living room parlor with blue velvet couch, two armchairs, a patterned rug and white-painted wainscoting beneath wallpaper featuring lush outdoor scenery. A lovely living room parlor with blue velvet couch, two armchairs, a patterned rug and white-painted wainscoting beneath wallpaper featuring lush outdoor scenery.
Photography by: @graciestudio

Look Up! Shiplap Ceilings & Wainscoted Walls

Draw the eye upward with a ceiling that calls attention to the unique features of your home. Using shiplap on your ceiling allows you to go much bolder with the other décor in the room and lighter with wainscoting, as seen here on the lower walls. Try one of these hues for a neutral ceiling look:

An airy off-white-painted hallway with a glass paneled front door, a staircase with wooden banister, and three large baskets beneath a narrow wooden console table holding a large white planter. An airy off-white-painted hallway with a glass paneled front door, a staircase with wooden banister, and three large baskets beneath a narrow wooden console table holding a large white planter.
Photography by: @careyushome

Modern & Fresh: Staircase Wainscoting Colors

Your staircase presents a design opportunity, especially when it coincides with modern wainscoting. Make it stand out with pretty, neutral hues in a higher sheen that help to highlight the details that make your house a home. For a look like this one, try:

Wainscoting Ideas: Traditional, Modern, Popular Colors & Beyond

A sunny bedroom with a yellow-painted wall and ceiling, white wainscoting and trim, yellow and white bedding, two reading lamps and side tables. A sunny bedroom with a yellow-painted wall and ceiling, white wainscoting and trim, yellow and white bedding, two reading lamps and side tables.

Traditional Wainscoting Styles

Common in older homes, traditional wainscoting typically consists of white or off-white painted paneling on the lower walls paired with a different color on the upper walls.

In this sunny bedroom, traditional style wainscoting in a board-and-batten paneling mimics a headboard in bright Atrium White OC-145, contrasting the cheerful upper wall in Beacon Hill Damask HC-2, from our Historical Color Collection.

Other traditional paint pairings we love include:

A Contemporary Take on Wainscoting

Wainscoting has its place in even the most modern of homes. Whether you’re looking for an energizing color combination or a sleek all-in-one look, try one of our contemporary wainscoting ideas to bring a fresh new look to any space.

An entryway with dark green-painted wainscoting, white walls and trim, a large window, and a bench with a throw and pillows. An entryway with dark green-painted wainscoting, white walls and trim, a large window, and a bench with a throw and pillows.

Dark Wainscoting

If you want a more modern take on traditional wainscoting, try bolder, darker paint colors for a dose of drama.

Here, board and batten that reaches two-thirds of the way up the wall injects eye-catching color to this chic entryway in Cedar Mountains 706, a cool sage. Fresh Cloud White OC-130, on the upper wall, provides elegant contrast.

Other deep-hued wainscoting paint combinations to try include:

A bedroom with white-painted wainscoting, vaulted ceiling and trim, a dark blue accent wall, wood ceiling beam, and red and white bedding. A bedroom with white-painted wainscoting, vaulted ceiling and trim, a dark blue accent wall, wood ceiling beam, and red and white bedding.

Accent Walls & Wainscoting

Complement crisp white wainscoting with creative and colorful accent walls. We love to pair these stunning shades with White Wisp OC-54 wainscoting:

A cheery bathroom with vibrant sea blue-painted wainscoting and shelf holding towels, white and blue wallpaper, a square white sink and a playful frame highlighting the wallpaper design. A cheery bathroom with vibrant sea blue-painted wainscoting and shelf holding towels, white and blue wallpaper, a square white sink and a playful frame highlighting the wallpaper design.
Photography by: @jenniferbeekhunter

Wainscoting & Wallpaper

Give your powder room a pop by pairing boldly painted beadboard with matching wallpaper. Coastal hues are a great choice for this kind of design style, as they exude an elegant look with a touch of color. Get started with one of these beachy hues:

8 Wainscoting Colors You’ll Love

No matter the design style you’re going for, painted wainscoting can help you set the mood in your space and deliver a dose of color when you need it. Follow our lead for wainscoting ideas and let us help you find the hue that’s perfect for your project.

An off-white kitchen with pale green-painted wainscoting and cabinetry, white upper walls, white countertops, and a farmhouse sink filled with flowers. An off-white kitchen with pale green-painted wainscoting and cabinetry, white upper walls, white countertops, and a farmhouse sink filled with flowers.
Photography by: @bybarnesdesign

1. A Modern Take on Off-White Beadboard Wainscoting

Want to lend a modern feel to beadboard wainscoting? Use an off-white with a warm gray cast, and pair with lots of gold hardware, as seen in this farmhouse kitchen, featuring perennial homeowner and interior designer favorite Revere Pewter HC-172. Other favorites for your modern wainscoting color scheme include:

A contemporary bedroom with dark blue-painted walls, white trim, a cream-colored platform bed, a modern nightstand, and a standing lamp with two round, oversized lightbulbs. A contemporary bedroom with dark blue-painted walls, white trim, a cream-colored platform bed, a modern nightstand, and a standing lamp with two round, oversized lightbulbs.
Photography by: @justin.tse

2. True Blue Wainscoting

Blue paint colors remain a favorite among homeowners, and with good reason: it can pretty much be used anywhere, even wainscoting. While our top-selling Hale Navy HC-154 is a phenomenal choice for blue wainscoting, you can use any shade you choose. Try one of these for a true blue design statement:

A charming kitchen table nook with green-painted wainscoting and bench, white upper wall, wooden table and chair, and potted lavender beneath a contemporary globe chandelier. A charming kitchen table nook with green-painted wainscoting and bench, white upper wall, wooden table and chair, and potted lavender beneath a contemporary globe chandelier.

3. Bring the Drama with Green Wainscoting

Pair green wainscoting and white-painted walls to give any space a dignified, refined elegance. Color combinations to try:

A bathroom with a pink-painted wall and wainscoting, a white clawfoot tub, a wall sconce and a basket. A bathroom with a pink-painted wall and wainscoting, a white clawfoot tub, a wall sconce and a basket.

4. Fall in Love with Pink Wainscoting

A versatile pink, like Fruit Shake 2088-60, shown here, on bathroom wainscoting will help start your day on a positive note and give you an oasis to relax in when you return. Other fun, fresh pinks we love include:

A pale green-painted entry hallway with dark green front door, area rug and a cozy seating area in neutral tones seen through an open doorway. A pale green-painted entry hallway with dark green front door, area rug and a cozy seating area in neutral tones seen through an open doorway.

5. Neutral & Gray Wainscoting: Always Popular

You don’t have to use a bold hue to add richness. Gray or neutral paint colors can weave a luxurious touch throughout your home. Try one of these hues in popular gathering spaces or entryways for an especially lush look.

Bathroom walls painted brown contrasting against a green iron-claw bathtub. Bathroom walls painted brown contrasting against a green iron-claw bathtub.

6. See the Beauty in Brown Wainscoting

Get back to nature with earthy brown paint colors. Rustic, and relaxing, brown tones are especially comforting in spaces where you’d love to find your Zen, like a bedroom or bathroom. Colors we love for brown wainscoting include:

A hallway with dark gray painted walls, wainscoting and door, a bright red chair, and a blue and white striped rug. A hallway with dark gray painted walls, wainscoting and door, a bright red chair, and a blue and white striped rug.

7. Deep & Intriguing: Paint Colors for Black Wainscoting

For a modern take on monochrome, choose a deep jewel tone or black paint color for your wainscoting and use it throughout your space in different sheens. Hues we love for this include:

In a peachy-pink painted dining room adorned with decorative plates on the walls, a wooden table, four chairs and a side table sit atop a burgundy rug on a light hardwood floor. In a peachy-pink painted dining room adorned with decorative plates on the walls, a wooden table, four chairs and a side table sit atop a burgundy rug on a light hardwood floor.

8. Pastels & White Wainscoting

Add additional airiness to an already sunny space with fanciful wainscoting color combinations. By pairing pastel hues with bright white paint colors, you’ll have a welcoming, happy space for your family and friends to enjoy. Some light and bright wainscoting color combinations we love include:

DIY “Feign”-scoting: Creating Unique Design with Color

What is “Feign”-scoting?

If your space doesn't have wainscoting, why not create your own with feign-scoting? Use the power of paint to mimic the contrast that wainscoting provides in a space—without the traditional millwork.

An office with a two-tone green painted wall, a white door, a modern desk with shelves and colored vases, and a green chair. An office with a two-tone green painted wall, a white door, a modern desk with shelves and colored vases, and a green chair.

Go bold with color combinations for maximum visual impact. Here, a stylish home office uses a grounding green hue on the lower wall with Cushing Green HC-125, and a brighter green on the upper wall in Crystalline AF-485.

Looking for more color inspiration for “feign”-scoting? Pairing jewel tones with a softer hue can bring gentle drama to your space. Try:

A bathroom with modern fixtures, an oval mirror and décor modeled after an ancient bust features a two-toned wall with bright pink on the upper and a deep green on the lower. A bathroom with modern fixtures, an oval mirror and décor modeled after an ancient bust features a two-toned wall with bright pink on the upper and a deep green on the lower.

Showstopping “Feign”-Scoting Color Combinations

Further the statement-making prowess of “feign”-scoting with a truly unexpected color combination, like this two-toned wall in Pink Punch 2006-50 and Rainforest Foliage 2040-10. Other bold “feign”-scoting combos we love are:

“Whether you want a pop of color or dramatic contrast, you can achieve a beautiful transformation with the power of wainscoting.”

-Arianna Barone, Color & Design Expert

Looking for the Perfect Wainscoting Color Combination?

A bathroom with dark gray-painted walls, white wainscoting, trim and ceiling, a pedestal sink and eclectic artwork. A bathroom with dark gray-painted walls, white wainscoting, trim and ceiling, a pedestal sink and eclectic artwork.

Choosing the best wainscoting paint color for your space can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Benjamin Moore’s Affinity® Collection takes the guesswork out of selecting color combinations, with 144 paint colors that have been expertly curated to mix and match seamlessly, resulting in beautiful results every time.

Use color samples to help you narrow down your selections and find paint color combinations for wainscoting that you’ll love.

As always, visit your locally owned Benjamin Moore Store for help with all your painting needs.

Frequently Asked Questions


Q. What is Wainscoting?

A. Wainscoting is a decorative wall molding that typically sits about a third of the way up the wall but can go higher depending on the overall look of the space. Typically done with beadboard or board-and-batten paneling, the function of wainscoting in historical homes was to protect walls from scuffs and marks.

Elegantly painted wainscoting makes any room more appealing, especially when color is used to add contrast between the wainscoting and the wall above it.



Q. What is the “golden rule” for wainscoting?

A. While the size of wainscoting depends on your space and your personal preference, it is traditionally sized using the “rule of thirds,” meaning your wainscoting would be a third of the way up your wall.



Q. What is the best color for wainscoting?

A. When it comes to choosing paint color for wainscoting—or anywhere else in your home, really—there are no hard and fast rules about which hue to choose.

Though most wainscoting is painted white or off-white, you can create a standout focal point in your home with more boldly painted wainscoting—make a statement with green, blue, or even a dramatic purple paint color.



Q. Does wainscoting make a room look bigger or smaller?

A. Wainscoting shouldn’t affect how big or small your room appears; however, if you’re looking to impart an airy feel, try an off-white paint color. For a sleek, streamlined color flow, consider using the same color on the walls, wainscoting, trim, and doors.

If you need help choosing colors for small spaces, you can find ideas and inspiration here.



Q. What rooms should have wainscoting?

A. Any room can have wainscoting! Painted wainscoting has a striking appeal in any room, especially when color is used to add contrast between the wainscoting and the wall above it. 



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