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Panelling in the Bathroom

September 21, 2015 - 10 Comments - 2 min read

Back to updates of our own bathroom renovation – I am so pleased to say, we are literally days away from 95% completion!! There’s always a few little niggly things that still need finishing – but the bathroom is now is a very-near state of COMPLETE usability! Can you believe it has taken this long?! 
This update is all about the panelling! My decision for panelling was purely decorative. It was the style bathroom I was after – and whilst it was an additional (and kind of unnecessary) cost, I was happy to spend the money!

This was such an easy DIY to do – each panel is tongue and groove and basically slots into the next one. I attached them to the wall simply by the power of grab adhesive! It took barely an hour to get most of the panels up! The only tricky part was cutting around the toilet pipes and cutting the panels lengthways at the corners. Since our house is old and none of the walls are perfect, this meant cutting the panels in weird diagonal lines, which isn’t easy to achieve when you just have a handsaw. So hide my dodgy cuts, I added some corner beads to each corner.
Panelling in the Bathroom

DIY How to use Panelling
To finish off the panelling, I purchased some dado rails and some skirting board. I’d read a few DIY-tutorial guides via B&Q and Homebase, which both suggested using dado rails; however, I came to learn that they were much thinner than the panels, so they didn’t butt up together properly.

Annoying-ly, I had already cut the dado rail to size and since I’d purchased a 4-pack I couldn’t return them! I guess I’ll just have to find a use for them elsewhere in the house. So, instead I went back out and checked what mouldings Wickes had to offer. I found the perfect solution which had a lip cut out at the bottom, which meant it could sit perfectly on top of the panelling. At £7.99 a length, these were much pricier than dado rails, but well worth it, since it looks MUCH better.

Dado Rail for Panelling
Room with Panels in Bathroom

DIY Panelling

The skirting boards were a slight pain to cut since our mitre box wasn’t quite deep enough for them, so it was a bit of a winging-it cut. Luckily they didn’t turn out so bad.. with the help of a bit of caulk and filler at least 😉 What I would give for an electronic mitre saw!

As for paint, I used ‘Skylight’ in Eggshell by Farrow and Ball. I freaking love it!

Farrow and Ball Panelling

Skylight Painted Panelling

Panelling in Bathroom

I think panelling really adds a bit of luxury and sophistication to this room. I’m so glad I went for it! What do you think to panelling in a bathroom?

COSTS

(rounded to the nearest pound)

New Tools Purchased:
None

Materials Used:
9x Packs of Panelling £55
Grab Adhesive £12
Caulk £2
Skirting Board £22
Mouldings & Corner Beads £27

Total: £118

Kezzabeth

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10 Comments

  • Jen M November 5, 2020 at 7:11 pm

    Hi, I had a few qstns about the panelling – looks great! Can I ask where you bought these planks from all those years ago?! And have they stood the test of time with respect to moisture damage, warping etc. Struggling to find solid wood beadboard style planks in the UK! Thanks 🙂

    • Kezzabeth November 14, 2020 at 3:07 pm

      Hey! These were from B&Q – I’ll link you here, although there’s a few different lengths/styles to choose from: https://www.diy.com/departments/smooth-spruce-tongue-groove-cladding-w-95mm-t-7-5mm-pack-of-5/258055_BQ.prd

      We’ve had no problems with ours – no warping/moisture damage!

      • Ian October 7, 2022 at 8:16 am

        Hi – do you have a shower in that room? We’ve been advised to use MDF if you do so wondering whether the pine would take that much moisture. Thanks, Ian

        • Kezzabeth November 3, 2022 at 12:04 pm

          We do have a shower in the room and the pine has been fine – though we have quite a powerful extractor fan so that possibly helps!

  • Phil Brennan January 19, 2021 at 7:52 pm

    Hello, thanks so much for your article. Any chance you could advise the exact moulding you used, as I have sifted through every one available at wickes and could not find it. Thanks

  • Becky November 21, 2021 at 4:42 pm

    Did you have to cut around any toilets or sinks? Ours is practically attached to the wall and not sure how I deal with this! Thanks

    • Kezzabeth November 27, 2021 at 10:55 am

      Hi! We removed both the sink and toilet cistern to do ours. You might be able to just unscrew them from the wall and work around them, without having to take them completely out. You should only need a small amount of wriggle room so there might be enough flex – but yeah, we drained and removed ours I’m afraid!

  • Ross March 10, 2022 at 4:44 pm

    Hi, have this lasted ok? Im familiar with the b&q cladding but it seems pretty flimsy. Im intending to do this in my bathroom but hoping they dont end up warped or split. Did you treat the wood or just paint? Thanks

    • Kezzabeth March 12, 2022 at 12:48 pm

      Ours have lasted fine although our bathroom doesn’t get too moist/humid. We also just painted ours, no treatment. We do now have a toddler though, so who knows how well they’ll be looking in a few years from now… We’ll have to see!

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    Hi - I'm Kezzabeth! Self-taught DIYer, Renovator and Blogger on a mission to turn our house into a home. Seven years ago I was clueless and skill-less, but since then I've learnt how to build, tile, plumb and more. This is my little place on the web where I share everything I've learnt so you can learn too. Read More

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    DIY Content: We’re not builders or experts in the trade industry, so please take any information on this blog as a rough guide and just our own experiences. This blog relates to our home only and you should always consult a professional in you’re in any doubt of work. Please also be aware Building Regulations change often, so always do your own research as well.
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