Wall panels in the interior +75 example photos in design
The ideal option for creating a unique interior in your home or workplace, without capital investment of finance and labor, would be the decoration of the room with wall panels. A similar solution can be seen almost everywhere: in shops, cafes and restaurants, offices, administrative buildings, train stations, airports, residential buildings. A wide field for design gives the format of the products. They can be rack, tile and large format (sheet). A successful combination of elements of one series, but with different colors, creates unique solutions. The choice of material for the most part will be determined by the purpose of the room. For example, for offices, products made from chipboard or MDF are well suited. And stone and glass will be appropriate for rooms with high humidity, or on the external facade of a public or residential building. The tree will harmoniously fit into any interior style, only high room humidity will be a limitation for some species.
The main advantage of wall panels over other finishes is ease of installation. With them, the interior of the room will take on a different look, and this will be achieved without major repairs. In addition, they have the following advantages:
Sound and heat insulation. The mounting feature using guides allows you to lay insulation or sound insulation in the space between the plates and the wall;
A large number of options for color and design solutions. On the market you can buy products of various colors, shapes (embossed), types of coating (veneer, paint, plastic spraying, film), as well as semi-finished products for subsequent painting or applying another coating;
Low cost, comparable to the price of wallpaper, with a longer life;
Aesthetically attractive appearance;
Strength, resistance to the effects of care products. They can be washed using household chemicals, without fear of damage to the decorative coating.
Like any human creation, wall panels have disadvantages:
Fragility (applies only to plastic products).
They may crease or crack due to minor mechanical stress.
Fire hazard.
The materials from which the wall coatings are made are combustible and can be ignited by heat or open flame.
Toxicity.
When ignited, the material of the plates releases harmful substances that poison the body. With careful operation, compliance with fire safety measures, you can avoid the above situations.
Kinds
The assortment presented in construction stores is limited to three main types: stacked rack, stacked tiled, sheet.
Rack and pinion
Long (240-370 cm) and narrow (12.5-30 cm) elements, 8 to 12 mm thick, vaguely resemble slats, from where they got their name.Their dimensions are great for cladding rooms of small sizes with many angles. Installation provides for the preliminary creation of a metal or wooden crate. The panels are interconnected using the "tongue-and-groove" method, or using the tab if the elements have only grooves. The structure is fixed with special brackets that are inserted into the crate. Or self-tapping screws twisting into a groove. Made of MDF, particleboard, fiberboard, PVC. There is also additional accessories (stubs, plinths, corners, etc.).
Tiled
Available in the form of a square with a side of 30-98 cm. They are joined together according to the principle of "groove-insert-groove". For attaching to the wall, glue or clammers are used. The main difference is the ability to dock them with different faces, creating individual unique patterns on the wall.
Leafy
Of the three species, they have the largest sizes, comprising 1.22 m in width, 2.44 m in length and 6 mm in thickness. The front surface is ennobled with a multilayer structure with a drawing, or texture with imitation of natural elements. Installation is made on special glue. The joints are hidden with the moldings included in the delivery. Such panels can cover large areas in a short time. The materials used in the production are PVC, or impregnated with fiberboard resins.
Materials
For the production, both natural materials, or materials made on the basis of natural components, and products of the chemical industry are used. The first include: solid wood, fiberboard, particleboard, MDF, drywall, gypsum vinyl, glass. For the production of the second, PVC is used. Often, manufacturers use two or three types of materials at once, combining organics with artificial substances.
PVC
Panels made of this material make up the majority of those sold on the market. All three types of execution are issued. The popularity of this material is due to its versatility, i.e.the possibility of use in rooms for various purposes and in any climatic conditions. Polyvinyl chloride is easily processed, taking any form, directly on it you can apply various drawings, patterns, photos. You can easily reproduce the imitation of a brick, tile, board, stone or marble slab. The main flaws of PVC plates are fragility, combustibility, toxicity with strong heating.
MDF
The composition is similar to fiberboard, but have a lower density. For this reason, MDF is sometimes called “soft” fiberboard. But due to such "softness", the plates have increased heat and sound insulation properties. In the production process, they are given other properties. For example, using PVC as a cladding, you can achieve good moisture resistance of the plates. The special compositions with which the manufacturer often impregnates the panels make them fireproof. Such technological maneuvers cannot but affect the increase in value, but this is a completely justified trend.
Gypsum vinyl
They can be called modernization of drywall. The front layer of cardboard was replaced here with a vinyl layer. Walls, partitions, and ceilings can be made of such material. Drywall is noticeably inferior to gypsum vinyl in strength, durability, presentation. The latter does not require painting, because it already has a finished drawing or a different color. Initially, such a product was intended for public buildings with a large flow of people, but over time they began to be used for private housing.
Fiberboard
Common material in the wall panel industry. In the manufacture of wood fibers are used, which are interconnected by hot pressing. The advantage of such plates is low cost, environmental friendliness, the possibility of lamination with veneer, plastic. Sometimes you can find fiberboard upholstered with a rail made of wood. They release all three types of performance.Plates are mounted directly on the wall, or on a pre-mounted crate. Between themselves they are connected by a castle method or by a thorn-groove method.
It is not recommended to decorate rooms with high humidity with fiberboard plates, because of the dampness they are strongly deformed and move away from the walls.
Chipboard
Produced from waste wood. Therefore, they are inferior in many respects to the natural massif of wood. But all the disadvantages are more than covered by the low price. To give the chipboard sheets a presentable appearance, they are covered with plastic. The color scheme of the plastic coating can be very diverse. In the manufacturing process, wood chips are mixed with the adhesive and pressed. The glue used is toxic and harmful to humans. But the presence of a plastic coating neutralizes this factor. Like fiberboard, chipboard does not withstand high humidity, swelling a lot. The large specific gravity (higher than that of common wood species) imposes restrictions on the form of chipboard production. They are produced only in sheets.
From wood
The rooms decorated with natural wood create a feeling of warmth and coziness. And these feelings appear for a reason. The heat-insulating properties of wood have long been known to people. And the essential oils contained in the fibers have a beneficial effect on the lungs, having a calming effect. The more expensive the array is, the more pronounced are the above properties. The most popular raw materials for the production of wood wall panels are such species as oak, alder, walnut, maple, linden, cedar, bamboo. Fans of the classic western style will really like the panels trimmed with natural veneer. And for fans of oriental notes in the interior of their home, bamboo mat panels are more suitable. They are weaved manually from strips of bamboo, impregnated with a special glue to give a presentation and extend the service life.
For those who decide to decorate the bathroom or sauna with wooden panels, there are products on sale that are coated with a special water-repellent varnish or wax, which, when heated, does not emit substances harmful to humans.
Embossed 3D Panels
The advent of 3D panel manufacturing technology can be considered shock therapy for the design of a modern interior. By building compositions from such elements, you can completely change the visual perception of the reality of the internal space of the premises. As a result of the work of numerous designers, a large number of spectacular interiors for private housing and public spaces appeared. The fundamental differences between such decorative elements from their two-dimensional counterparts can be characterized by the following points:
A correctly selected composition is able to create the effect of the transformation of reality, reducing or increasing the size of the walls, their geometry, zoning the room, without using bulky partitions;
It became possible to create a relief and texture that is not peculiar to the processed material;
Properly used lighting creates a special mood in the room, decorated with embossed panels, a sense of surrealism.
The opportunity to use the third dimension to create patterns on the coating, gave a powerful impetus to the creation of an infinite number of textures, which annually replenish the range of building catalogs. There are textures with a decorative coating already applied, and there are those requiring the application of a finishing layer (enamel, veneer, film, decorative plaster) after mounting on the walls. This provides an even greater field for creativity.
A new design find has expanded not only the boundaries of space, but also the range of materials, here are the most popular:
Polymer composites;
Leather or its imitation from a PVC film based on MDF;
Felt or felt. Such panels have excellent sound insulation;
Reed Begasse (squeezed green mass).
From the list you can see that the main raw materials for production are environmental natural materials.
Embossed panels are mounted on a metal profile, while a gap remains between the wall and the back side, which can be used for laying wiring, laying insulating material. The main disadvantage of such elements, as well as their advantage, is their embossed surface, which, although it looks spectacular, constantly collects dust on itself, requiring frequent wet cleaning.
Soft panels
The current trend of volumetric decor has added popularity to soft wall panels. In addition to the aesthetic component, this variety of finishes has a number of other advantages:
Ease of installation;
Great soundproofing;
Can be mounted on uneven walls. After installing such panels, all the bumps will be smoothed out by their texture;
The possibility of applying various color schemes.
Due to the design features, the list of materials for the front of the panels is limited to three positions:
Genuine Leather. Expensive and stylish material. Such upholstery will be appropriate in official places: conference rooms, restaurants for business meetings, office;
Imitation leather;
Textile. Although this is the most budget option, but at the same time providing the opportunity for a wide selection of colors. It fits well into the interior of the bedroom.
Foam and synthetic winterizer are used for filling. The first allows you to create lush and soft designs, and the second is lighter and does not clog over time. The basis can be a sheet of fiberboard or particleboard.
To fix such a coating on the wall, use sealant for massive decor items. This is the most popular installation method.The second method is to fasten the panels to the crate with screws or nails. After completion of installation work, it is necessary to close their caps with caps.
The main difficulty that you will have to face after installation is fixing on the wall additional interior items: paintings, hangers, sconces, sockets. You can still figure out the small elements by attaching them to a soft base, but hanging a heavy shelf or TV bracket will not work out that easily. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare for such difficulties in advance by making adjustments to the upholstery plan.
Where to use in decoration
Wall panels in the interior can perform a variety of tasks: from the decorative function, to conceal the wiring, various wall defects, insulation, noise insulation of the room. If the practical side of things is simple, then the decor is much more complicated. There are several methods of distributing panels on the wall plane, which will help achieve maximum aesthetic effect:
Only part of the wall. The traditional technique is when panels are attached to the bottom of the wall. At the same time, try to observe a ratio of 1: 3, i.e. they should be located no higher than the lower third of the wall. This will create the effect of high ceilings. Well suited for living room, corridor, hallway, nursery, kitchen, bathroom;
On the whole wall. This option is a classic, emphasizes the status of the premises. It is better to abandon its use for rooms that are too small with low ceilings, since the design will make the room's atmosphere heavier. You should not resort to such a reception in the rooms where you spend most of the time. Here, the most appropriate are wood panels. Suitable for library, billiard room.
Emphasis on decor. With this option, select a specific section of the wall or several intervals for decoration panels. In this case, you do not need to tie the height of the furniture and decor to a certain value, as in the very first reception.Here you can’t make the space heavier if you place all the interior items correctly. It will look good in the bedroom, living room, hallway.
And do not forget - the final choice is always yours!
The ideal option for creating a unique interior in your home or workplace, without capital investment of finance and labor, would be the decoration of the room with wall panels. A similar solution can be seen almost everywhere: in shops, cafes and restaurants, offices, administrative buildings, train stations, airports, residential buildings. A wide field for design gives the format of the products. They can be rack, tile and large format (sheet). A successful combination of elements of one series, but with different colors, creates unique solutions. The choice of material for the most part will be determined by the purpose of the room. For example, for offices, products made from chipboard or MDF are well suited. And stone and glass will be appropriate for rooms with high humidity, or on the external facade of a public or residential building. The tree will harmoniously fit into any interior style, only high room humidity will be a limitation for some species.
Content
Advantages and disadvantages
The main advantage of wall panels over other finishes is ease of installation. With them, the interior of the room will take on a different look, and this will be achieved without major repairs. In addition, they have the following advantages:
Like any human creation, wall panels have disadvantages:
With careful operation, compliance with fire safety measures, you can avoid the above situations.
Kinds
The assortment presented in construction stores is limited to three main types: stacked rack, stacked tiled, sheet.
Rack and pinion
Long (240-370 cm) and narrow (12.5-30 cm) elements, 8 to 12 mm thick, vaguely resemble slats, from where they got their name.Their dimensions are great for cladding rooms of small sizes with many angles. Installation provides for the preliminary creation of a metal or wooden crate. The panels are interconnected using the "tongue-and-groove" method, or using the tab if the elements have only grooves. The structure is fixed with special brackets that are inserted into the crate. Or self-tapping screws twisting into a groove. Made of MDF, particleboard, fiberboard, PVC. There is also additional accessories (stubs, plinths, corners, etc.).
Tiled
Available in the form of a square with a side of 30-98 cm. They are joined together according to the principle of "groove-insert-groove". For attaching to the wall, glue or clammers are used. The main difference is the ability to dock them with different faces, creating individual unique patterns on the wall.
Leafy
Of the three species, they have the largest sizes, comprising 1.22 m in width, 2.44 m in length and 6 mm in thickness. The front surface is ennobled with a multilayer structure with a drawing, or texture with imitation of natural elements. Installation is made on special glue. The joints are hidden with the moldings included in the delivery. Such panels can cover large areas in a short time. The materials used in the production are PVC, or impregnated with fiberboard resins.
Materials
For the production, both natural materials, or materials made on the basis of natural components, and products of the chemical industry are used. The first include: solid wood, fiberboard, particleboard, MDF, drywall, gypsum vinyl, glass. For the production of the second, PVC is used. Often, manufacturers use two or three types of materials at once, combining organics with artificial substances.
PVC
Panels made of this material make up the majority of those sold on the market. All three types of execution are issued. The popularity of this material is due to its versatility, i.e.the possibility of use in rooms for various purposes and in any climatic conditions. Polyvinyl chloride is easily processed, taking any form, directly on it you can apply various drawings, patterns, photos. You can easily reproduce the imitation of a brick, tile, board, stone or marble slab. The main flaws of PVC plates are fragility, combustibility, toxicity with strong heating.
MDF
The composition is similar to fiberboard, but have a lower density. For this reason, MDF is sometimes called “soft” fiberboard. But due to such "softness", the plates have increased heat and sound insulation properties. In the production process, they are given other properties. For example, using PVC as a cladding, you can achieve good moisture resistance of the plates. The special compositions with which the manufacturer often impregnates the panels make them fireproof. Such technological maneuvers cannot but affect the increase in value, but this is a completely justified trend.
Gypsum vinyl
They can be called modernization of drywall. The front layer of cardboard was replaced here with a vinyl layer. Walls, partitions, and ceilings can be made of such material. Drywall is noticeably inferior to gypsum vinyl in strength, durability, presentation. The latter does not require painting, because it already has a finished drawing or a different color. Initially, such a product was intended for public buildings with a large flow of people, but over time they began to be used for private housing.
Fiberboard
Common material in the wall panel industry. In the manufacture of wood fibers are used, which are interconnected by hot pressing. The advantage of such plates is low cost, environmental friendliness, the possibility of lamination with veneer, plastic. Sometimes you can find fiberboard upholstered with a rail made of wood. They release all three types of performance.Plates are mounted directly on the wall, or on a pre-mounted crate. Between themselves they are connected by a castle method or by a thorn-groove method.
Chipboard
Produced from waste wood. Therefore, they are inferior in many respects to the natural massif of wood. But all the disadvantages are more than covered by the low price. To give the chipboard sheets a presentable appearance, they are covered with plastic. The color scheme of the plastic coating can be very diverse. In the manufacturing process, wood chips are mixed with the adhesive and pressed. The glue used is toxic and harmful to humans. But the presence of a plastic coating neutralizes this factor. Like fiberboard, chipboard does not withstand high humidity, swelling a lot. The large specific gravity (higher than that of common wood species) imposes restrictions on the form of chipboard production. They are produced only in sheets.
From wood
The rooms decorated with natural wood create a feeling of warmth and coziness. And these feelings appear for a reason. The heat-insulating properties of wood have long been known to people. And the essential oils contained in the fibers have a beneficial effect on the lungs, having a calming effect. The more expensive the array is, the more pronounced are the above properties. The most popular raw materials for the production of wood wall panels are such species as oak, alder, walnut, maple, linden, cedar, bamboo. Fans of the classic western style will really like the panels trimmed with natural veneer. And for fans of oriental notes in the interior of their home, bamboo mat panels are more suitable. They are weaved manually from strips of bamboo, impregnated with a special glue to give a presentation and extend the service life.
Embossed 3D Panels
The advent of 3D panel manufacturing technology can be considered shock therapy for the design of a modern interior. By building compositions from such elements, you can completely change the visual perception of the reality of the internal space of the premises. As a result of the work of numerous designers, a large number of spectacular interiors for private housing and public spaces appeared. The fundamental differences between such decorative elements from their two-dimensional counterparts can be characterized by the following points:
The opportunity to use the third dimension to create patterns on the coating, gave a powerful impetus to the creation of an infinite number of textures, which annually replenish the range of building catalogs. There are textures with a decorative coating already applied, and there are those requiring the application of a finishing layer (enamel, veneer, film, decorative plaster) after mounting on the walls. This provides an even greater field for creativity.
A new design find has expanded not only the boundaries of space, but also the range of materials, here are the most popular:
From the list you can see that the main raw materials for production are environmental natural materials.
Embossed panels are mounted on a metal profile, while a gap remains between the wall and the back side, which can be used for laying wiring, laying insulating material. The main disadvantage of such elements, as well as their advantage, is their embossed surface, which, although it looks spectacular, constantly collects dust on itself, requiring frequent wet cleaning.
Soft panels
The current trend of volumetric decor has added popularity to soft wall panels. In addition to the aesthetic component, this variety of finishes has a number of other advantages:
Due to the design features, the list of materials for the front of the panels is limited to three positions:
Foam and synthetic winterizer are used for filling. The first allows you to create lush and soft designs, and the second is lighter and does not clog over time. The basis can be a sheet of fiberboard or particleboard.
To fix such a coating on the wall, use sealant for massive decor items. This is the most popular installation method.The second method is to fasten the panels to the crate with screws or nails. After completion of installation work, it is necessary to close their caps with caps.
The main difficulty that you will have to face after installation is fixing on the wall additional interior items: paintings, hangers, sconces, sockets. You can still figure out the small elements by attaching them to a soft base, but hanging a heavy shelf or TV bracket will not work out that easily. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare for such difficulties in advance by making adjustments to the upholstery plan.
Where to use in decoration
Wall panels in the interior can perform a variety of tasks: from the decorative function, to conceal the wiring, various wall defects, insulation, noise insulation of the room. If the practical side of things is simple, then the decor is much more complicated. There are several methods of distributing panels on the wall plane, which will help achieve maximum aesthetic effect:
And do not forget - the final choice is always yours!