As early as the late 15th century, the world was introduced to the paneled room: insulating the structure and protecting the home owners from severe drafts and cold weather.

Glazed paneling by Segreto Finishes. Designer Kara Childress.

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Becoming more decorative, intricately carved bosieries became popular in French interiors during the 17th and 18th centuries. Look at the Palace of Versailles or one of my favorite rooms: this dressing area Segreto glazed for designer Kara Childress, published in Architectural Digest, and used as the cover of Segreto Style!!!!

Glazed paneling by Segreto Finishes.

Today’s modern interiors still use paneling to create architecture. A diversion from the dark stained look, this room was painted and glazed to lend warmth without having a heavy feel. Adding modern touches, designer Julie Dodson created an updated look to the “traditional” paneled room.

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Painted options also create the same architecture as wood panel details. In 1939, interior designer Jean-Michel Frank commissioned painter Christian Bérard to design trompe-l’oeil paneling for L’Institut Guerlain in Paris. Also known as Bébé, Christian was a fashion illustrator, designer, set designer and an esteemed painter, with a client list that included Jean Cocteau, Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli. Bérard’s design captured a modish, whimsical ingenuity made up of architectural details and French design. British wallpaper house Fromental pays homage to these designs with their ‘Bérard’ wall covering that is hand-painted on a silk ground. The wall covering comes in various combinations of colors and architectural details.

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One of these inspirations by Fromental adorns the walls of a Ritz Carlton residence in Bangkok. The background is dyed silk with paper backing; painting and embroidery were used to create the pattern. At £300 a square metre, it creates an exquisite backdrop to this formal dining room.

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A less expensive option, found on the lovely blog desde my ventana, seems to have a similar design hand-painted over paint.

Hand painting over grasscloth by Segreto Finishes.

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Painted over installed grass cloth, this wall covering incorporates a beautiful texture to the room.

Stenciling by Segreto Finishes. Designer Ellie Bale.

Segreto crafted its own version of the paneled room in this powder bath under the stairs (with sloped ceilings and walls). We came up with the idea for designer Ellie Bale to create panel bordering the shape of the wall and ceiling and inset a stencil design in the middle. This made a place for the design to end, so there would be no worry about where the patterns would connect.

Hand painted paneling over plaster by Segreto Finishes. Designer Lisa Dalton

Hand painting over plaster by Segreto Finishes.

In an effort to warm up this large scale dining room, Segreto hand-painted a Greek Key design over plaster on both the walls and the ceiling. The resulting architecturally interesting room is minimalistic in effect, which showcases the its beautiful antiques and lovely rug.

Taping off plastered walls for hand-painted paneling by Segreto Finishes.

Designer Dani Stewart was inspired by the Greek Key design, but wanted a bolder effect. Segreto first plastered the room in a dramatic teal; then, we hand-drew and taped-off the design.

Hand-painted paneling over plaster by Segreto Finishes. Designer Dani Stewart.

We painted with a gold metallic, which created a wonderful wall treatment once the tape was removed! The final touch was to wax the walls. In this picture, the wall has a lot of movement — which fades as the wax dries.

Below are some painted-paneled room examples that I would love to paint from my Pinterest boards!! Any takers??!!

Segreto Boutique & Gallery.

 Wouldn’t a paneled wall treatment in a nursery be so sweet? Segreto Boutique has pretty pink boxes and baby’s memory books, closet dividers, and milestone stickers.  Makes me want my kids to hurry up. 

I hope you have a wonderful week!