Updating My Kitchen/Diner with Timber Cladding

A couple of weeks ago on the blog I revealed my plans to revamp the second half of our kitchen/dining space.  The project is my lockdown sanity saver – giving me something to focus on other than Twinkl worksheets and how little it turns out I know about how to calculate and teach improper fractions. The space is fairly non descript at the moment meaning I have a blank canvas to work with but it is also quite narrow and doesn’t get much natural daylight so it is potentially a bit of a tricky beast to breathe some Scandi Rustic style into.

Top left image from Plain English, Top middle, Middle left and Bottom Left images from Neptune

One of my main revamp conundrums is what to do with the wall that I over enthusiastically stripped wallpaper off before Christmas with no real plan as to what to replace it with. In hindsight that gin fuelled decision may have been slightly hasty as the wall below the paper was not in great condition and in its naked state it is currently lending the kitchen more of a 1970s squat than Scandi feel. Over Christmas I added a festive sprinkle to it with three rustic wreaths but with Saint Nicholas having long since returned to the North Pole it is time to find a more permanent solution to the problem.

The wall after my Friday night wall paper stripping frenzy

Because the dining space doesn’t really have any distinguishing/interesting features I don’t just want to paint the wall as I feel like it needs something that can help to add (non seventies squat) character and texture to the room.  On a pre-lockdown visit to the Wimbledon branch of Neptune I stumbled across the perfect solution. The ceilings of the store (which is a new build) were clad in a really gorgeous timber with a white washed/grey finish that created my ideal Scandi- Coastal look.  Upon quizzing the store manager (yep I know I have great chat) I discovered that it was in fact Neptune’s own Cranbrook Shiplap cladding which I already had pinned to lots of my Pinterest boards! It is made from Norwegian Spruce (no less) and comes with a silver birch finish but can also be customised to any of the other colours in the Neptune paint range.

Because the dining space is quite narrow and doesn’t get much natural daylight the light wash of the Cranbrook Shiplap cladding is perfect for adding texture without making the space feel gloomy or oppressive.  With Neptune having made all my interior dreams come true by teaming up with me on the revamp I can actually now give you guys a first peek at what it looks like in my house because work had actually begun on installing the cladding before lockdown began ( I was just a little behind on my blog writing and Instagram documentation of the project!)

Goodbye depressing wall hello Cape Cod Clapboard vibes

As you can probably tell from the amount of power tools in the above picture this was a task above my DIY pay grade but if you have a better grasp of a spirit level than I do and wanted to take on a cladding project of your own then the basic principles are pretty straightforward. The first step is to attach batons (hark at me with my technical terms) to the wall to create a frame on which to attach the cladding and then, once this is done, saw the planks to size to fit the wall and affix them to the batons with screws.

Although work had to stop when lock down began so some of the boards still need a colour wash applied it has made such a huge difference to how the space feels. I can’t wait to get to work painting the floor to take the David Dickinson factor down several notches.

When lockdown is lifted and work can resume all that is left to do is to colour wash the remaining boards with the silver birch finish so that it has a consistent look overall. Hopefully by then I will have also made more progress on the other aspects of the revamp like the painting of the bench seat, floor and other walls so that I can give you a better idea of the final look. However, I already absolutely love how the cladding has transformed the space - it is giving me all the Cape Cod Clapboard feels.

I love the rustic natural feel of the Norwegian spruce boards. When we do the longer term renovation of the kitchen we will reuse these planks in the utility.

Five Great Ways to Use Timber Cladding to Update your Decor

If you fancy taking on a cladding project of your own I have rounded up below some of my favourite ideas for how you can use it in your home. From hallways to bedrooms and lots of rooms in between there are plenty of ideas to get your timber juices flowing. The cladding I have used in our dining space has a rustic appearance but I also love how both more contemporary cladding or traditional tongue and groove style boards can look.

Image Credits. Top left image Domino Magazine, Top Right Project Felix via the Local Project, Bottom Left Mollies Motel and Bottom Right from Remonis

Whilst I ultimately used panelling rather than cladding in our hall it was a very close call because I think cladding can be a really great way to zone a space like a hallway. For example, I love how the contemporary cedarwood cladding in the first picture below has been used to create a backdrop to the pegs. But it can be equally effective if you go bold and clad the entire space

Image Credit Oak House, Derek Swalwell . Pictures below left hand Vosges Paris, right hand M Arkitekur

When the dining room revamp is done (some time in 2025 judging by my current rate of progress) I have my sights set on updating the wardrobes in our master bedroom and the boys bedroom. They are fitted and although structurally sound I would love to bring them more up to date. I have a whole pinterest board devoted to them (no you are too much fun) and one of my favourite ideas is have new cladding style doors made to fit the carcasses. I absolutely love how Simply Scandi Kate has done something very similar in her bedroom so that it looks like a wall of cladding rather than wardrobes. The blush pink wardrobes below are actually MDF with lines scored into them to make them look like Tongue & Groove.

Image credits Top Image Suzy Hoodless

Although we don’t have a kitchen island in our current kitchen (unless you count our jazzy breakfast bar) I think using cladding on an island can be a great way to make it stand out. If you don’t have an island or wanted to keep yours more neutral then you could look to the walls or the cupboards to clad instead. The tongue and groove style cupboards in the kitchen of Imperfect Interiors are some of my favourite on Instagram.

Image credits Main image EST Magazine, Bottom left Gloria.Fi and Bottom Right Imperfect Interiors

There has been a lot of talk about the ceiling being the fifth wall of late and if you can get up there with a drill and some timber without ending up accidentally adding rustic character to your head it is the perfect place for some cladding. I think it looks particularly good in more modern style or new build homes where it can introduce real character and warmth.

Image credits Main Image M Arkitekur , Bottom left House Doctor and Bottom Right EST Magazine

I know not everyone is a fan of wood in a bathroom as they worry about it getting damp and mouldy but we had tongue & grovve pannelling to a half height in our old ensuite and we never had any problem with it. If you are on a budget and want to make use of reclaimed materials then using scaffold boards like in the picture below is a great way to add an industrial edge in an eco friendly way.

Image Credits Main Image Project Felix via the Local Project Bottom left Unique Home Stays and Bottom Right EST Magazine

I am a particular fan of using cladding to add texture and interest in loft bedrooms as they can very often feel like bland spaces. Adding a scaffold plank wall to our old loft bedroom was certainly a game changer for me. and using reclaimed boards is an inexpensive and environmentally friendly way to add a statement wall. I also love the idea of using cladding as an inexpensive way to create a statement headboard. If you are after inspiration for this idea when lock down ends then book yourself a night a Mollies Motel where I loved the contemporary cladding headboards in red cedar wood.

Image Credits Main Image Remonis , Bottom Left unknown source Pinterest, Bottom Right Malmo & Moss old bedroom

I hope that round up has given you some ideas for creating statement wooden walls in your own homes. With the cladding part of my revamp now almost complete the next task I am planning to tackle is my radiator cover colossus. Brace yourself for big questions coming your way about my best option for minimising its presence in the room!

The Cranbrook Cladding was supplied to me as part of my paid partnership with Neptune