Decorative wall panels and dado panelling in solid wood

A wooden wall panel does more than dress a wall: it brings order to it. Framed with mouldings, set out as dado panelling or carved like a picture, it gives the wall a sense of scale and a texture that paint alone cannot provide.

The whole collection grows from this principle: decorative interior wall panels, wood appliqués with animal motifs, trumeaux (overmantel panels), headboard decorations and ceiling coffers. All of them are carved from solid French wood in our workshop in Cornebarrieu, just outside Toulouse. They sit as happily in a classic interior as in a contemporary scheme.

Before wallpaper and modern paint, wood was the first answer to cold, damp walls. From the Middle Ages onwards, rooms were panelled to insulate, protect and adorn them: to panel a wall is to clad it in joinery. In the 17th and 18th centuries, it became an art. Half-height panelling rose to dado-rail height, full-height panelling covered the entire wall, and moulded panels and trumeaux were composed like architecture. Dado panelling is simply panelling confined to the lower part of the wall. It caught on because it met an obvious need: the bottom of a wall is where the wear happens, from furniture rubbing against it to constant comings and goings. The Haussmann-era buildings of the 19th century made it widespread. Our panels and dado panelling descend directly from this dual purpose: to adorn the part of the wall that catches the eye, and to protect the part that takes the knocks.

Adornment comes first, in the simplest way there is: a single piece hung on the wall. A decorative wooden wall panel behaves like a work of art: it holds the eye and can carry a whole stretch of wall on its own. Our animal panels are carved from the solid. The Flamboyant Owl, the Lion, the Graceful Stag: every feather and every muscle is modelled in depth. The Ornamental Panel, for its part, draws on the classical ornamental carver's repertoire of scrolling foliage, shells and acanthus leaves. True relief offers what no flat surface can: crisp shadows, sharp edges and wood that develops a patina over the years. And because the material always has its say in the result, no two pieces are identical. Each has its own figure and grain, and catches the light in its own way.

Protection comes next, and it is the very reason dado panelling exists. Wooden dado panelling covers the lower third of the wall with a set of moulded panels, topped by a dado rail at chair height. It shields the wall from knocks and scuffs, restores classical proportions to the room and allows a two-tone scheme, deep below and light above. A hallway gains character, a dining room poise, a contemporary interior a Haussmann-era accent. A dado panelling kit is designed for standard walls; we compose yours to your measurements, with matching panels and dado rail, and a panel layout drawn up for the room. We deliver it with its plan, for you or your joiner to install, and the workshop can liaise with your joiner. The same method guides any wall composition: a rhythmic run of panels across a large wall, a door surround, a scheme that runs from one corner to the next.

That leaves placement, which decides the effect. A carved panel belongs where the eye comes to rest: above a console table or a fireplace, in an entrance hall, at the head of a bed, or in a series across a large wall to create a rhythmic scheme. In a corridor or up a staircase, a sequence of small panels sets the rhythm of a gallery; above a sideboard, a single piece is enough to anchor the wall. It pairs naturally with our dado rails and friezes, which frame it and give it order. The background matters as much as the piece: against a deep colour, pale wood stands out; on a pale wall, a stained or waxed finish adds depth. The workshop is glad to advise on this. Tell us about the room, the wall and which way it faces.

The final look comes down to the choice of species. Each panel is carved from solid French wood, chosen according to how it will be used. Poplar, with its fine, discreet grain, leaves the stage to the motif: it is the species for panels that are painted, limed or left pale. Oak brings its density and figure to stained or waxed finishes, with the depth of material that makes pieces of character. Walnut, darker still, is the natural choice when the wood is to be left bare. Depending on the project, the workshop's range extends to other French species, and each product page states which are offered. The relief is shaped from the solid timber, then reworked and refined in the workshop before the finish, which is applied by hand after sanding: raw wood ready for painting, wax that nourishes and leaves a soft sheen, stain, varnish, and even gilding for the finest ornaments. If you are unsure, describe the room and its light to us: we will steer you towards the pairing of species and finish that best serves the relief.

The same principles change scale once the wood rises from floor to ceiling. Panelling means dressing a wall in joinery, from tongue-and-groove boarding to the moulded panelling of classical drawing rooms. Workshop-made panelling owes its value to traditional joints and carved profiles: it is work shaped in depth, and it improves with age. We also make the pieces that complete a scheme: trumeaux, carved overdoors, coffers and ornamented ceilings. A trumeau is the panel that adorns the space above a fireplace or a door. These ensembles are usually bespoke: each project is studied from plans or a survey, because every wall has its constraints and every period its own vocabulary.

Once the piece is chosen, two practical questions remain: fixing and care. Our catalogue panels are light and are fixed to the wall: a fixing suited to their weight is enough, and the workshop will gladly give you any information you need. Trumeaux and large wall schemes are screwed, or glued and screwed, onto battens, like any joinery. Care is simple: regular dusting with a soft, dry cloth, and a fresh coat of wax every so often on waxed finishes. Solid wood is at home in living spaces, kitchens and hallways included, as long as the finish is suitable. For a very humid room such as a bathroom, ask us when you order: the species, the finish and the ventilation decide whether it can be done. Well cared for, a carved panel does not deteriorate: it acquires a patina. A final word on hanging. Give the piece light from the side, almost raking: it deepens the relief and brings the carving to life when the sun is low.

The collection therefore works on two levels. The first is ready to ship: the carved panels in our catalogue, carefully packed and delivered anywhere in France. The second is designed entirely for you: complete dado panelling, a wall boiserie, a panel made to your dimensions or your own motif, an openwork wooden screen for an interior, a ceiling coffer or an ornamented ceiling. Either way, the wood is solid and French, and it is worked in our Cornebarrieu workshop. For a bespoke project, tell us about the room, its style and its intended use: the workshop will assess its feasibility, draw up a design and send you a detailed proposal.