Planks on interior walls is a Classic Cottage look that has seen a revival over the past 3 years or so in the Interior Design world. It hasn’t particularly hit my radar until just recently when I’ve been thinking about adding planking to a back stairwell in a house to add a little character. When and where would you consider adding planks? Here are a few inspiration photo’s I’ve been looking at recently. Maybe one of them will strike a cord with you!
I particularly like seeing planks in areas of transition such as an entry. Whether installed vertically or horizontally they have a great indoor/outdoor feel to them and can take a beating better than drywall. This is from A&H Architecture. Click on the photo to a link to their site – I love their work!
Stairways and stairwells are also fabulous areas for planked walls for the same reason that entries are naturally “planky.” They are particularly pretty in back stairways (if you are lucky enough to have one). Click on the photo to see more lovely photo’s of this beach house.
Powder rooms and bathrooms are a great place to add planks – especially if you’re trying to hide uneven walls scarred by moving plumbing or taking out old tile.
Note the circular mirror in this powder room and the one above – the linear nature of planks and their slightly nautical air go great with a round mirror (click on the photo to see more photo’s of this home).
I don’t love planked walls in a bedroom because they tend to have an outdoor connotation to me. However, they clearly can look fabulous – especially on a headboard wall.Planking in Kitchens is frequently seen on the ceiling too – it really amps up the charm in a renovated bungalow or cottage kitchen. It can also save you money on tile…This renovated farmhouse tends toward the severe and I think it’s warmed up by the texture of the wall and ceiling planking. Click on the photo for a link to photo’s of the entire home.Four Generations One Roof has a great tutorial on how to install a plank wall (click on the photo for a link)- a lot of other blogs do as well. Adding a planked wall to new construction helps add character and age – just keep in mind that it does add an outdoor feel to an indoor room so be mindful of where you install it.
Laura is a Denver Interior Designer who runs an Interior Design Studio based in sunny Colorado with a strong commitment to livable and interesting interiors. She also runs The Colorado Nest, a Denver blog about Design, Art and Life in the Mountain West and co-hosts the book podcast "The Inside Flap" on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play.
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2 thoughts on “Planking Interior Walls: Where it Works Best”
Hi Lara ! Enjoyed your article. Is there a difference between planking and what is referred to as “clapboard” ?
Hi! Yes – the interior planks that have been seeing a resurgence in popularity are a uniform thickness and are not overlayed – a lot of people space them using a coin to get a little bit of a reveal. In clapboard – the boards are overlapped and they are usually thicker on one end than the other (a bit of a wedge). Planking is more akin to beadboard and other types of interior wainscot types of finishes/trim. It does remind me of clapboard though which must be why I think of it as “outdoorsy”! Good question!
The Colorado Nest 
Hi Lara ! Enjoyed your article. Is there a difference between planking and what is referred to as “clapboard” ?
Hi! Yes – the interior planks that have been seeing a resurgence in popularity are a uniform thickness and are not overlayed – a lot of people space them using a coin to get a little bit of a reveal. In clapboard – the boards are overlapped and they are usually thicker on one end than the other (a bit of a wedge). Planking is more akin to beadboard and other types of interior wainscot types of finishes/trim. It does remind me of clapboard though which must be why I think of it as “outdoorsy”! Good question!