Dining Room Wainscoting (39 Design Styles)  

Here we share our dining room wainscoting design gallery featuring the different styles, materials, colors, paneling height, and best wall paint ideas.

Improving the aesthetics of your home can come in different forms and methods, from painting to accessorizing. One of these forms you can apply is wainscoting – a decorative wall covering that serves as an additional architectural element in the interior space of your home.

It extends all the way up a certain portion of the wall’s face. It is a combination of panels, moldings, and boards that can be made from solid wood or other construction materials that can fulfill its purpose. 

In the past, wainscoting mainly aimed to insulate the stone walls and protect them from moisture. In the 1300s, the Dutch installed wainscoting in the bottom half of the wall as protection against damages from riding boots to swung scabbards and even jostled chairs.

Today, it’s leaning more towards the aesthetic function, hiding wall imperfections, cables, and wires. Wall paneling is pretty flexible, both in materials and colors.

While the most common is white, you can paint the panels in whatever color you choose. You can use them for additional decor or change the existing vibe of a room, from giving it more warmth and brightening the room up to adding a modern twist to it.

Wainscoting Styles for the Dining Room 

Types of Wainscoting	Design Features
Raised Panel	Raised woodwork or painted trim above the stiles and rails.
Flat Panel	Panels are set flush with the rails and stiles for a modern look.
Beadboard	Vertical, narrow planking gives a casual cottage feel.
Board and Batten	Wide vertical boards with narrower strips, used in Modern Farmhouse
Overlay	Combination of flat and raised panels for intricate detail.
Picture Frame	Molding trim creates the look of frames on the wall.
Shiplap	Horizontal or vertical boards.
Full Wall	Covers the entire wall from floor to ceiling with paneling.

The dining room is a common space you don’t just share with your family but also with visiting guests. This is why it is necessary for the room to be stylish yet have this comfortable and welcoming vibe at the same time. And wainscoting is an excellent element to make this possible. 

Wainscoting in the dining room adds value to the common area, especially since the space usually has limited furniture, with a dining table and chairs at the front and center.

You can throw in a cabinet or bookcase in the mix, but the dining room is mostly bare. With wainscoting, you can add texture to the room. 

The white paneling in this dining room is classic, matching perfectly with the rustic dining table set and cabinet and light-colored carpet floor and walls. The wainscoting adds another layer of texture to the almost bare room, with only a chandelier and mirror on the wall as decor. 

You can apply many types of wainscoting to your dining space, considering its flexibility and how easy it is to customize it. You can match the wainscot to the walls, ceiling, furniture, and your window’s pattern. You may even add a fireplace in the room for more elements.  

Wainscoting Panels 

Wooden panels were the popular materials for wainscoting in the 18th century, and this continues even today.  Vertical wall accent can tighten the common space, giving it a more welcoming ambiance. And these panels can also come in different forms. 

Flat Panels: Flat panels are used to create more uniformed-looking paneling. When organized side-by-side, they form a classic pattern you can apply to the lower part of your walls. These flat panels are separated by moldings, dividing the panels into individual framed squares. 

The individual thin strips are made of either beveled MDF molding or wood molding, which can form either a square or rectangle, depending on your preference.

This refreshing dinner space offers clean wainscoting with flat panels bordered on picture frame molding. The white wall cladding stands out amidst the cream-colored walls and granite tile flooring. 

Raised Panels: Raised panels can also be used for wainscoting, perfect for a dinner space’s formal look. With white raised paneling, you can add elegance and depth to the common space.

The panel is raised by creating clean and thin sunken strips forming a frame in the individual panel. These sunken strips allow the panels to be raised in their appearance. 

This design has a classic style of wainscoting with flat panels of similar sizes and shapes installed. The borders in the panel come in the form of hollow gaps between the white panels, giving these panels a “raised” look.

Board and Batten Wainscoting 

Board and batten are considered one of the simplest and most common wainscoting you can apply in your dining room. Compatible with various styles, this specific look of wainscot has crisp, clean lines that offer an easily refreshing aesthetic. 

Board and batten wainscoting panels were first used in barns and are now used for home interiors. The style is accomplished by using wide wood and narrow wooden strips, combining traditional and modern styles in these elements.

The old-world look inspires it but can be coupled with modern art or patterns that you can use for your wall or flooring. 

This well-lit dining room offers a board and batten wooden brown wainscoting that matches its dark wood dining set and wooden flooring. The dark brown wood finishes stands out in the cream walls and white ceiling. The large glass windows brighten the room and give an illusion of space.

This lux-design showcases a board and batten wainscoting that covers the lower half of the wall. The white raised panels blend well with the white walls and ceiling and matches the wooden dining set, flooring, and doors. 

The white board and batten paneling used in this modern dining room cover a quarter of the wall, giving way to the large glass windows.

The large windows make the entire room look spacious, and the wainscoting and chandelier add texture to the space. The light-colored walls and white moldings also contrast the dark brown wooden flooring and black dining set. 

This board and batten design with large panels followed by thin boards looks refreshing against the dark, contrasting navy blue wall paint. tie in the navy shades by buying matching accent chairs with the same color upholstery fabric.

Farmhouse Style Wainscoting 

A farmhouse dining room wainscoting has an old-fashioned look made possible with clean lines and a uniform appearance. On-and-off trend, this type of wainscoting delivers a classic look that features and accents the beauty of the material used.  

The panels used in a farmhouse style are usually in medium size and shape of a square. Colors also vary from stained wood to painted in the color of your choice.

When farmhouse wainscoting is paired with grand chandeliers and loud decor, you will feel like you’ve been somehow transported to the past and to another era. 

This luxurious dining room showcases an elegant interior with a vintage dining set and cabinet, light brown walls, and white farmhouse paneling. Its stunning chandelier is the cherry on top.

For added intrigue and character, consider adding a raised tray ceiling, a coffered feature of exposed wood beams.

The farmhouse wall panel molding used in this dining room covers almost half of the lower part of the walls. The white wainscot stands out in a room with bright beige walls and cherry hardwood flooring. 

This inviting design showcases farmhouse wall panel molding with clean and clear lines. The white wainscot matches the white cloth on the dining table, and the curtains give the room additional character.

DIY Wainscoting 

Can wall panel molding be a DIY project? Yes, that’s definitely possible! Like any DIY project, it helps you save money since you won’t have to pay for labor.

Of course, you would still have to pay for the materials you need for the wall cladding, but the good news is that you also get to increase the value of your home in the process. 

This spacious floor plan showcases DIY wooden wall cladding surrounding the space and is attached to the lower part of the wall (Almost the same height as the dining table!).

The beige walls, white ceiling, and wood cladding are a perfect backdrop for the hardwood flooring and upholstered wood dining set. 

This clean white wainscoting is installed in this craftsman-style design, matching its color perfectly with the neutral elements in the space. Decor elements include a sisal rug, bentwood chairs, and oval dining table. The white coffered ceiling over the dining set enhances the simplicity of style in the room. Visit this guide for choosing dining room rug sizes.

Modern Wainscoting 

A dining room modern wainscoting comes in a quirky shape or style that’s way different from the classic look. While traditional-looking wainscoting involves square panels, modern options use rectangular and other quirky shapes and materials.  

This dining room showcases large wainscoting panels that cover more than half of the lower part of the walls, complete with white molding. The walls and cladding are simplistic in style, but the dining table, furniture, and carpet all have quirky styles that may be considered modern in nature. 

This dining area that’s viewed from the foyer uses white wainscoting installed on the cream walls. The molding comes in different sizes, most having rectangular shapes.  

Grouped with beadboard paneling, the trendy blue chairs and unique style can automatically be considered modern. This rustic ambiance also comes with using materials, especially with the dining set. 

This colorful dining room has orange peach walls, a classic wood dining set, a rustic chandelier, and a large oriental rug under the dining set.

Everything is put together and unified by the white wainscoting surrounding the room, the white linings, and the large white glass doors with blinds, giving the room a modern element. 

Filled with gray and white, this minimalist dining room showcases modern white decorative raised details on gray walls, large glass windows, a gray rug, gray upholstered chairs, and dark brown hardwood flooring that round up the look. 

Beadboard Wainscoting 

A beadboard is a series of thin wooden strips with little grooves that connect these panels. It is a modern element that you can use as paneling that adds flair and sleekness to the space. It is also considered one of the most popular wainscoting styles used today. 

This rustic and spacious dining room and kitchen combo is integrated with thin white wooden planks in the room’s flooring and for its wainscoting.

The room is dominated by white, making it appear wider and even more spacious. Its wooden ceiling and gray kitchen counters add a rustic feel to the open area room. 

The beadboard paneling in this space offers a rustic appeal, matching its wooden panel flooring and wooden dining set. 

The white beadboard in this living room with a built-in eating nook fits perfectly, and the pastel bluish-gray walls it is installed in. With the limited space, the thin horizontal white panels, the white windows, and the white ceiling make the space look taller. 

This studio apartment offers rustic-looking beadboard that covers the lower half of the walls. The entire space is minimalist in style, with white wooden flooring, a white dining set, white coaches, and white walls. The light brown beadboard wainscot gives the room the added texture it needs. See more beadboard kitchen backsplash designs here.

Gray Wainscoting 

Gray is a neutral color that can match many colors and styles. This is the same way when it comes to wainscoting in dining rooms. 

This elegant dining room showcases gray wainscoting matched with cream walls and light brown wooden flooring. This combination of neutral colors allows the focus to be centered on the dining set, carpet, and brown curtain hanging on the window. Compared to other options, this seems to be painted without molding to separate the panels. 

This classic dining room uses a white wainscot installed on its gray walls. The cladding covers more than half of the wall’s lower part and even has custom built-in window seating under the large picture window.

The white features of the panels stand out aginst the medium-tone hardwood flooring. The striped carpet below the dining set gives the room more texture. 

This simplistic yet welcoming dining room features large painted square panels for its walls, which also cover the lower half of the walls.

The gray walls and chairs give the room a cooler vibe, while the wooden dining table and hardwood flooring round up the entire look. See more types of dining room chairs on this page.

The white wainscotin this dining room features medium-sized square panels that cover almost half of the gray walls. The bay windows allow natural light, brightening up this common space.

Neutral colors can look bare, and this design is somehow a testament to that. The dark wooden table at the center and the hardwood flooring try to give the room some color. 

Covering a third of the lower area of the walls, the wainscot in this dining area is white and has rectangular moldings. A light wooden dining table and grey parsons dining chairs are the centers of attraction in the room. The glass windows allow natural light to enter the room, making it appear even more spacious. 

Red Room with White Wainscoting 

Red is a bold color that screams for attention, but it can also be a trendy color you can match with your white wainscoting for your dining room. The layout can include red walls, furniture, decor, and additional accessories, and these elements will stand out more once matched with white raised panels. 

This color combination is a bold choice, primarily because the color red increases the energy level in the room which encourages conversation. It is a color known to promote hunger that makes you want to eat more and improve your eating habits. 

Craftsman Wainscoting 

Craftsman wainscoting in a dining room comes in the form of bigger and taller panels and decorative woodwork. And since they are taller, they produce this illusion that the room is also taller with a higher ceiling. 

This dining room features mustard walls, white trim paneling, built-in antique white cabinets and drawers, and large white windows.

The light brown hardwood floor matches the color of the walls and the coffered ceiling. The dark brown chairs accent the room and the rustic chandelier is the cherry on top. 

This craftsman-style dining room features white wainscot that covers the lower half of the wall when in the dining area, while the cladding in the hallway falls only a third of the wall. The white coffered ceiling matches the paneling.

And the wooden dining table with grey chairs gives the entire room a rustic vibe, as well as the sisal rug below the dining set. A large potted plant offers a refreshing element in the room. 

Wainscoting for Formal Dining Rooms

A traditionally formal dining room is the perfect venue for holiday feasts and fancy dinner parties, both for business and pleasure. And this is the best area to put all the stops you can to improve the aesthetics of the room.

Adding wainscoting and paneling will help add a more elegant vibe yet, at the same time, preserve the cozy and welcoming ambiance that it should have. The panels of the wainscot usually come with moldings. 

This formal dining room features cream wainscoting with white moldings that form rectangular frames. The colors of the cladding materials, walls, flooring, and cushioned chairs all match each other for a cohesive, elegant look.

The dark wooden table and mirror wall accessories deliver this elegant and grand ambiance that formal spaces have. The wall sconces and chandelier feature this low lighting that offers a cozy ambiance amidst the sleek setup. 

This luxurious dinner space features a sleek, stylish wooden table and cushioned chairs. The room showcases white wainscot surrounding the dining area and the large glass windows allow natural lighting to be used in the room. 

Like most dining rooms, this space only has limited furniture, including a wooden dining set and antique pieces of furniture. The white chair rail is barely noticeable in the room because it almost has the same color as the walls, ceiling, and flooring. The antique chandelier gives the room an additional rustic vibe that goes well with the antique-style furnishings and armoire.

Tall Wainscoting

Tall wainscoting can also be applied in the dinner space, especially if you want to make the room appear taller. While most wainscoting measurements are as high as the furniture, you can also increase its height to cover more walls in the process.

The wainscoting can even reach up to two-thirds of the wall and serve as a chair rail backdrop for the furniture. 

Tall panels are beneficial as they cover more wall space and will protect more surfaces from blemishes, dents, and stains. Small windows will appear bigger when paired with tall panel wainscot.

Normally, a chandelier serves as the measurement for the wainscoting since the lowest part of the chandelier is where the top part starts.

This luxury dinner space features tall wainscoting covering over half the walls and large glass windows. The tan walls make the white raised panels stand out, along with the wooden dining set, brown patterned carpet, and formal chandelier. 

This small olive and white dinner space has a portion of the wall that features tall white wainscot that almost reaches the ceiling and is installed just beside the door. It features a glass table, wooden chairs, and a silver vase with dry branches to accent the dining set. 

In this modern dinner space, tall white Shaker-style paneling covers two-thirds of the walls with a wooden table, cushioned chairs, hardwood flooring, and a modern yet minimalist chandelier hanging atop the dining set. 

Dark Wainscoting 

Dark colors can be mysterious and elegant to look at, which can also be applied when it comes to wall panel molding. You can choose a dark-colored paint or stain for panels or for your walls and pair them with white panels to have that exciting pop of color in your dinner space. 

This floor plan features dark brown painted walls, a chair rail molding, and creamy yellow walls. Both colors allow each other to stand out, and they also match the dark brown dining set at the center and the cream ceiling and tan flooring. 

This classic-looking dinner space features a green wall that pops out because of the white wainscot and the wooden elements. The vintage wooden cupboard and hardwood flooring add a more natural element to the space, along with the vase of fresh roses on the dining table.

This dinner space features tall white 3/4 high paneling with dark navy blue walls that offer a bold look. Its distressed country wood dining table and lucite bench and chairs are fascinating elements added to the room. The pink chandelier and cushion on the bench soften this dining room’s edgy look.

Wainscoting Height 

When considering the height of the wainscoting in the dinner space, the general rule is to cover the lower 1/3 area of the wall to protect it from dents and stains, which can come in the form of footprints or even splashed food.

But one of the main reasons why it’s installed in the lower part of the wall is to protect the plaster from moisture problems that can come from underneath. This doesn’t mean you can’t extend the paneling in the higher part of the wall, though. 

The height of the wainscoting you choose will depend primarily on the total height of your walls. However, 36″ to 48″ is the common size range. Read more about dining room dimensions here.

How Tall Should Wainscoting Be?

While most wainscot covers the lower portion of the walls as they have been used centuries ago due to their function, they can now extend higher towards the ceiling for aesthetic appeal. 

The most common height for wainscoting is a third of the wall. So, depending on how tall your wall is, your paneling must consider that ratio. A 9-foot wall will normally have 3-foot high paneling. 

Tall wainscoting, on the other hand can come up to half of the wall to two-thirds the way up. The higher the panels, the more it may feel unbalanced when you are in the room.

And yes, this may mean eye-level or lower if you need it to be. And don’t forget to include the cap and moldings in your measurements.  

Wainscoting Paint Ideas 

Is white the only option for a wainscot? Definitely not! You can paint your paneling in other colors you feel will fit the style of your home. Consider your home’s color palette and match your wall panels with it.

Here are some wainscoting ideas to consider:

• Soft Neutrals: Consider cream and light yellow as a substitute for white, since these colors might not be the traditional color but can offer the same light and warm vibe to the room. The brighter the wall panel molding color is, the brighter the room will be. 

• Bold Colors: Choose the entire opposite of white and go for popping colors for something dramatic like fire-engine red to electric blue for your cladding.

How to choose the paint finish to use for wall paneling:

Type of Paint	Characteristics	When To Use
Acrylic Latex Paint	Durable, easy clean-up, less cracking, and smooth finish.	General use for wainscot
Semi-Gloss Finish	Durable, easy to clean, and high sheen.	Areas where durability and ease of maintenance are needed.
Gloss Finish	Highly durable, easy to clean, and reflective.	High-traffic areas, like bathrooms & kitchens.
Oil-Based Paint	Very durable, smooth finish (High VOC content)	Traditional finishes and classic period homes.
Alkyd Paint	Durable, easy to clean, and good for high-moisture areas.	Kitchens & bathrooms where moisture is a factor.

Paint Colors to Pair with White Wainscoting 

White wainscot is a classic look for a reason, and more than just its compatibility with all colors, it also looks clean and offers more room for customization and design.

If you want a bold, popping red color for your walls, you can do that without thinking about the color clashing with your wainscot. It even accentuates the color you choose and lets it pop even more. And yes, this even works with patterned walls so if you have a quirky wallpaper, it won’t be a problem either. 

White wall panel molding also allows you to put more attention to the style and other elements and accents in the room. Besides accentuating the color of your walls, it can also emphasize the size of your room or the height of your ceiling. 

Some of the variants of white you can choose are muted white, cream white, light beige, and even light gray and light blue. 

This dinner space uses classic white cladding paired with beige walls and wooden furniture, from the dining set to the cabinet and small bench.

The lovely pattern on the chair cushions and on top of the cabinet can be fully appreciated because of how muted the walls, flooring, and wall panel molding colors are. 

What Rooms Should Have Wainscoting?

Wall panel molding is perfect in the rooms in your home that are considered common areas for the element to be fully appreciated. It can transform a room from a boring and bare one to an elegant and historical piece of art. 

Besides the dinner space, you can apply wainscot to your foyer and create an excellent first impression on guests. The kitchen is also an excellent area for wall panels, elevating the workspace to a more stylish room, which, like the dinner space, can be an area where you casually entertain guests.

The living room is where guests would likely spend a lot of time, and sprucing it up for them with wall panel molding is a good idea to consider. 

See more related content in our article about the best bathroom wainscoting ideas on this page.