8 Ways to Use Oak Wall Paneling in Your Interior Design

Wall paneling has become a very popular way of adding texture and interest to a room. Wood is well known for having a lot of visual appeal, as well as for adding a natural touch to a room which may have a positive effect on people’s mental health and stress. 

Oak wall paneling can be used in a lot of ways that can help bring interest to a room. Whether you opt for new cut oak paneling or you’re looking for some antique or reclaimed wood for your walls, there are numerous ways you can use this versatile material to enrich any room.

Oak Wall Paneling Design Ideas

If you’re looking for ways to incorporate oak wall paneling into your interior design, consider any of these 8 design ideas:

1. Contemporary Panels

Wood is a wonderful accent in contemporary spaces. Very modern offices and homes can often look cold and stark, as many of the materials have clean lines and surfaces with little warmth or visual comfort. Oak wall paneling can help offset that effect. Oak is warm and rich in color, and has a depth and grain to it that instantly livens up a cold or sterile room, inviting people in. These oak panels have been finished with the same clean lines as the rest of the room, so they easily blend in and complement the space.

2. Full Wall Panels

There are many ways to use oak paneling in a room. Many people like to use it as an accent – lining part of a wall or a section of the space. This setting uses paneling on one complete wall, covering it from floor to ceiling. This adds a lot of interest and warmth to the space. The colors in the oak can be the inspiration for the rest of the decor in the room, with the chairs picking up the lightest tones and the panel nearby taking some of the darker hues.

3. Bar Front Paneling

Wall paneling doesn’t have to be installed on walls. In fact, it can be installed on nearly any flat surface that you want to have a unique look. This outdoor bar seating area uses a rustic, reclaimed oak paneling along the front. The wood has a lot of different colors and textures to it, that instantly draws the eyes to this area. It also complements the pavers used underfoot, as well as the brick nearby. The already weathered wood will hold up well in this setting, too.

4. Unique Garage Doors

Unique garage doors are topping the lists of what’s hot in exterior home design. Using reclaimed oak wood paneling on your garage doors will instantly set them apart and improve your curb appeal. Oak paneling can be cut, shaped, and fit to any doors just like new cut wood. The difference is that these doors have a unique patina and color to them that blends beautifully with the brick facade nearby.

5. Cubbies and Dividers

Open office spaces often have difficulties with finding or creating private spaces. These cubbies are built using oak wall paneling on their surround. The panels have a contemporary style to them, which fits in well with the rest of the office’s interior design. The wood also helps contrast the concrete floors, bringing some warmth to the design and keeping it from looking too sterile. 

This, in turn, calls attention to the area, so it becomes a focus within the room; everyone who enters will automatically turn toward the cubicle. This is a great way to play up conference rooms, offices, or other areas that have special importance within an office setting.

6. Textured Ceiling

Oak wall paneling not only creates beautiful, rich, and warm looking walls, it can also transform ceilings. 

This ceiling is done in reclaimed oak paneling that has a natural patina. This, combined with the visible saw marks and nail holes creates a unique ceiling that has a lot of interest to it. It really warms up the room, which is necessary in a space with so much glass. The square lights installed in the ceiling add some contrast to the rustic wood, which sets it off even more and creates a rustic modern style for the space that gives you a lot of options for how you can finish the rest of the interior design.

7. Detailed Ceiling

When you combine reclaimed oak paneling with other wood accents, you can create a beautiful focal point within a room. 

This circular ceiling is complemented and highlighted beautifully by the wood paneling. Each section of the wood is perfectly tailored to fit together, with light-colored lumber contrasting it on top. The weathered wood has a patina to it that picks up the color of the chandelier hanging from the center, while the deeper colors in the wood pick up the colors of the walls nearby. This creates a cohesive look that will draw eyes upward as soon as anyone enters the room.

8. Column Accents

Wall panels can also be used as accents in areas that don’t have a lot of wall space. These columns do the same thing visually that full oak wall panels do in other contemporary office spaces. They add warmth and character and contrast some of the more modern materials, so that the space is more visually appealing, inviting, and less sterile. The panels can be installed on any type of column as well, so you can dress up even the most utilitarian materials.

Warm Up Your Interior Spaces with Oak Wall Paneling

Oak wall paneling is beautiful, versatile, and sure to warm up any interior space. Wood has long been associated with inviting spaces and lowered stress levels, which is why it’s so popular. Whether you want to add an accent or cover a complete wall or ceiling, oak paneling can give you the look and feel you want. 

Go contemporary or rustic with reclaimed wood; no matter what the style, oak paneling is sure to bring you all the benefits you need to complement your interior design.