Relaxing is easy in a living room where patterns are evenly balanced among white walls. An oversized wooden coffee table features a vintage design with round, black metal hardware adorning the drawers. White wainscoting appears subtly behind a studded beige sofa. The effect is sophisticated and understated when wainscoting is painted the same shade as the wall.
22 Elegant and Extraordinary Living Room Wainscoting Ideas
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Published: December 28, 2023
Updated: December 12, 2023
Expand your thoughts on wall décor with living room wainscoting ideas that exceed your expectations. While traditional wainscoting designs can create a classic look that will impress, there are fresh new ways to customize this detail to your existing living room design and give it a modern twist.
Try applying wainscoting a little higher on the walls to create an ultra-decorative look. This is a great approach when you include a picture railing at the top where you can display meaningful prints and photographs as part of your décor. A board and batten design will elevate a bland space and inspire you to expand this look into other areas of your home. Make the most of your new wall décor and enhance the upper walls with soft colors or wallpaper to contrast with the wainscoting. A simple and stunning example of this technique is to paint the upper walls gray while the wainscoting is painted pristine white.
Living room wainscoting ideas beyond your wildest dreams are waiting in our gallery below.
02 of Long Drapes Meet Living Room Wainscoting
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Create a feast for the eyes using window grilles and luxurious drapes to exhibit an elegant design. This room is no stranger to clean lines, joined by thin white paneling on the bottom of the walls. Long drapes are the ideal accessory to hide the seam where wainscoting meets window trim.
03 of Storage Beneath a Vintage Coffee Table
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Creativity comes from finding storage options in areas you wouldn’t expect. Slide some woven baskets under a vintage wooden coffee table to utilize every nook in a compact space. Instead of regular sconces, this room displays two black lanterns hanging from the light blue wall with board and batten paneling.
04 of Woven Accessories as Living Room Centerpiece
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Woven accessories offer a certain charm to farmhouse spaces because of the diverse ways they can be displayed. A woven pouf sits before a gray sofa, joining a tufted ottoman. Large ottomans can host multiple items if you can’t decide on one style.
05 of Wainscoting Decorates a Charming Seating Area
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Arranging an adorable seating area is as easy as placing a charming bench against a background of board and batten wainscoting. The blue details in the floral wallpaper are exaggerated by vibrant blue bench pillows. Instead of adding a footstool as a tool for comfort, use it to display a vase or a large accessory.
06 of White Rug Softens Wood Flooring
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This living room embodies the idea of a cozy space with a gray armchair and a stylish white sofa separated by a wooden side table. Large windows with white trim and matching grilles blend seamlessly with white wainscoting. A white and gray rug softens the look of wood flooring but leaves enough exposed to showcase the gorgeous wood grain.
07 of Light Gray Wall Decor Flows Between Spaces
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You won’t soon forget this soft, attractive light gray wainscoting flowing from the living room into a hallway. For a similar look, let the flooring differ between spaces while keeping a cohesive blend of wall decor. Neutral accessories work best with these designs to create a smooth transition.
08 of Accent Chairs for an Eye-catching Look
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Style your living room with perfectly selected accent chairs upholstered with eye-catching colors. This could mean reupholstering some of your favorite chairs or choosing new designs. In a sea of neutrals, include earth tones or deep browns with a red or orange undertone. This adds a deep contrast that pairs beautifully with light shades.
09 of Living Room Wainscoting Ideas for an Accent Wall
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Innovation is everywhere in this quirky living room that blends classic design with eccentric features. The wainscoting is painted black and white in a fun contrasting display as it differs between walls. Don’t underestimate the impact of an upper accent wall, and choose an eclectic wallpaper to apply above the wainscoting to make a bold statement.
10 of Furniture Sized Perfectly for the Space
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Plaid pillows direct attention to the corners of this white sectional and add a necessary pop of color to this room. Switch out old throw pillows for a more attention-grabbing design as a start to transforming your living room. A large coffee table sits in the center of the sectional, reminding us how important it is to consider the scale of furniture.
11 of Rustic Elements Accentuate Wainscoting Trim
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It is possible to give your wainscoting an additional flare by installing trim with a thin ledge across the top. Some use this space to display pictures or embellish with seasonal decorations. Because this room features a farmhouse aesthetic that welcomes rustic elements, the trim becomes essential to this design.
12 of Framed Pictures on a Floating Shelf
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A short, bronze drum side table sits upon wood flooring, absorbing the beautiful brown color of the wood. Vertical lines of board and batten guide your eyes upward to emphasize a floating wood shelf covered in black and white framed pictures. The use of prints gives this room an unexpected artistic look that relies on accessories over an eccentric base.
13 of Classic Furniture Welcomes Unique Accents
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Eclectic pieces can potentially create a look that appears ahead of its time. Start your design with classic furniture like a white sofa and branch out by incorporating colorful or unique decor. Keep table accessories simple so the attention gravitates towards the colorful pieces that bring an exciting twist to the design.
14 of Dark Wood Flooring Balances the Space
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A brown leather armchair sits comfortably in this corner, topped with a neutral throw. Moodiness becomes the aesthetic in this space thanks to an elegant black fireplace between white wall panels. Observe how the dark wood flooring balances the darker features on the upper walls.
15 of Tuxedo Sofa Among a Background of Neutrals
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Highlight your living room’s best qualities by surrounding them with neutral elements. Beige floor tile and white walls allow this gray tuxedo sofa to shine. The wooden side table keeps the decor simple, with a couple of vases resting in the candlelight.
16 of Stone Fireplace With a Modern Mantel
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Give your stone fireplace a boost, and surround it with a modern mantel that leaves some stone exposed. If you have an older home, try incorporating some of the incredible original features into your modernized design. The stone fireplace platform hosts a woven basket and a colorful potted plant.
17 of Wainscoting That Explores Design Boundaries
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Set your wainscoting designs apart by adding panels that differ from a typical style. This home displays small squares over rectangular panels, leaving the upper wall open for a framed painting. A dark console sits below the painting, giving the corner a distinguished, timeless look.
18 of Shiplap Living Room Wainscoting Ideas
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Stepping outside the box can help transform traditional elements into designs more suited to your space. Thin paneling is a typical look for wainscoting, but swapping out this technique for white shiplap can elevate farmhouse-style decor. Let the shiplap appear alone, or use this style for a feature wall.
19 of Abstract Artwork Accessorizes a Console Wall
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Enjoy the benefits of abstract artwork to add a stylish and less personal look. A plethora of family photos displayed on the walls of a living adds a homey touch, but over-console wall decor should be slightly more artistic. The dark shade of the console emphasizes the black lines in the artwork.
20 of Double Paneling for a Decorative Look
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Look to the walls of this living room for paneling inspiration that will upgrade your wall decor. Extend your wainscoting with double paneling if you are going for an ultra-decorative look. Custom drapes become an astounding feature when hung beside matching pillows.
21 of Beadboard Borders a Living Room
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Shaded lighting is a theme in this room, where different tones of white can be seen on all fixtures, from wall sconces to a floor lamp. Beige beadboard borders the room, leaving white upper walls to provide a welcoming backdrop for simple wall decor. A subtle splash of color is seen in the corner, with a rustic wooden chest beside the fireplace.
22 of Green Accent Table and Vintage Farmhouse Accessories
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A vivid green accent table is placed in the center of this living room, surrounded by neutral decor. A wall-mounted shelf is anchored to one wall with black brackets contrasting with white wainscoting. Vintage farmhouse accessories decorate the shelf and incorporate frames and small ornaments.
