Design New England - January/February 2008

Wainscot Primer

baseboard The
baseboard, or skirting
board, covers the joint between
the floor and lower part of
the plaster wall and protects it
from scuffs.
panels Rectangular
panels are separated by
stiles between the chair rail
and baseboard. The panels can
be either flat or raised.
chair rail Generally, the
chair rail — sometimes
also called a dado cap — is sited
above the wainscoting, usually
at about hip level.

Wainscoting is an easy way to add a sense of history to a newly built residence. In a formal dining room, the paneling can provide a warm backdrop for spare dining chairs or credenzas. But wainscoting can also give a room a contemporary look. Designers Paul Nault and David

White of Weena & Spook in Osterville, Massachusetts, recently used rough barn-board wainscoting updated with a gray glaze to bring a modern look to the foyer in a show house at the Boston Design Center.

Taking advantage of the decorative element

without the commitment to full paneling, some designers simply use trim appliqué to suggest the appearance of wainscoting. “Some new houses have extraordinarily high ceilings, and the rooms can feel really cavernous,” says interior designer Darlene Gentle, principal of Turtle Bay Interiors in Cambridge, Massachusetts. “One trick you can use with faux wainscoting is to add trim above the existing baseboard, and then paint the baseboard, new trim, and part of the wall all the same color to make the room feel more intimate.”

But if it’s historical accuracy you’re after, then head to Kennebunk, Maine, where The

Old House Parts Company is located. There, architectural salvage dating from 1730 to 1930 is up for grabs, including bead board and panels for wainscoting. And reusing architectural salvage for protective wainscoting is undoubtedly one way to stay true-blue to two Yankee canons: saving things for best, and never throwing anything away.