Oak Panelling - Design phase

[TrimTheKing]

Evenin' all

After finally getting hold of the basics of SketchUp I have managed to pull together a few drawings of how my study currently looks and the panelling I want to install (based on Brad's recent installation method).

I have knocked about various styles including different numbers of panels (worked on 3, 4 & 5) and settled on 3 graduated panels (bottom one is slightly longer than middle which is slightly longer than top). I (and more importantly the wife) think this looks best so I am now putting it out there to my peers for your ever respected critique and and hints, tips, design changes and general comments.

For info, the angled bit in the corner is a cupboard which hold boiler, consumer unit, UFH manifold etc and can't really be modified unfortunately. It is currently just MDF doors which I will replace with doors to match the panelling but haven't added these to the design as yet.

Anyhoo, enjoy and please fire away with your comments, I'm sure I've overlooked something spectacularly...

Current top down view, AWO flooring already down, panelling will also be in AWO unless someone tells me otherwise...

Another view

And another

Top down view with (proposed) panelling layout

Second view

And third

Close up of stop chamfer detail around all panels

This one is of the window wall. The other walls were easy to work out, the panels are consistent width across the wall but differ slightly on each wall (couldn't think of any other way to get round it, is there a traditional way or have I done right?).

The window wall however was more difficult. Obviously for aesthetics I had to make the panels fit to around the same size as the other walls but below the window they had to line up with the edges (or do they? Have I done right here???) so the panels to the left of the window are one size, below window panel differ and to the right they differ again. Only by about 20mm between them so not sure it will be too noticable but is this correct?

Look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Cheers

Mark

 

[harryc]

Never really understood the appeal of wood panelling. Just leave the walls alone and attach what ever shelving you have in mind unless of course you are after a 18th Century look.

harry

 

[Paul Chapman]

Dunno, Mark - from the drawings it all looks a bit too fussy. I wonder if you have too many panels. They look rather small in relation to the size of the window and doors. Maybe you need fewer but larger panels :-k

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Oryxdesign]

Less panels I think and perhaps make the top one shallower.

 

[MikeG.]

Mark,

I don't agree with our other two posters here..........I think that with a tweak or two that this will look fantastic.

My immediate thought was that you have just stopped at an un-important height 3/4 of the way up the wall. To my eye, you have to do something visual at that level to justify stopping. Why don't you carry on up to the ceiling? If you are set on stopping there, maybe fit an oak shelf on some oak brackets at that level, as a way of making sense of stopping.

The other thing I would do would be to use the level of the rails under the window as the determining factor for setting all of the heights out. This would mean that level of rail would run around the whole room, and all of the panels would be just slightly smaller as a result. That at least would give a visual reason for your panel size, and help forgive just stopping in the middle of nowhere up your wall.

Mike

 

[Mrs Oryx]

I can't see a dimension of the height of the room but using the door height I'm guessing the ceiling height is not excpetionally high. Stopping the pannelling short may make the ceiling feel lower.

The picture Oryx Design posted is of a room with high ceilings and has the detail the Mike G refers to at the top of the paneling. I'm with Oryx Design though - too many panels for my personal taste.

The drop in the rails under the window offends my eye and as Mike suggests I would use that height to run around the room at with perhaps one long panel below that line and a couple above extending higher than currently and with some detail at the top closer to the ceiling.

It is, of course, a matter of personal taste - you'll be the one staring at the walls for a while to come.

 

[TrimTheKing]

Thanks for all the comments guys. To address a few points first off...

My immediate thought was that you have just stopped at an un-important height 3/4 of the way up the wall. To my eye, you have to do something visual at that level to justify stopping. Why don't you carry on up to the ceiling? If you are set on stopping there, maybe fit an oak shelf on some oak brackets at that level, as a way of making sense of stopping.

I agree Mike, but SWMBO didn't like the look of it going all the way to the top and thinks it will make the ceiling seem too low (which I tended to agree with).

To be honest I wanted to take it to the height of the top of the door and panel the door too so that when you are in the room it appears that there is only a door to the outside. Might seem a bit silly but it goes with another part of the plan which I haven't shared as yet...

The other thing I would do would be to use the level of the rails under the window as the determining factor for setting all of the heights out. This would mean that level of rail would run around the whole room, and all of the panels would be just slightly smaller as a result. That at least would give a visual reason for your panel size, and help forgive just stopping in the middle of nowhere up your wall.

The drop in the rails under the window offends my eye and as Mike suggests I would use that height to run around the room at with perhaps one long panel below that line and a couple above extending higher than currently and with some detail at the top closer to the ceiling.

Yep, I think I agree with those comments. I will run off another attempt and see what I can come up with.

What do you think about the panel widths issue though? Because of the wall widths am I right in adjusting the panels slightly to fit the space or is there some kind of trick I'm missing?
I think this is going to take a few iterations before I'm completely happy with it so keep the comments coming, it's really helpful to me. I can get a bit blinded by the design process and stop seeing the obvious things so having them pointed out helps, cheers.

 

[SNight]

If you dont want to go all the way to the cieling with the panelling, you could fit a picture rail and stop it there maybe.

 

[Jake]

I don't know about wood panelling, not my thing, but the equivalent problem in tiling (where they are necessarily using fixed unit widths) is to use the fixed widths of whatever and divide the remaining space evenly either side. If this results in slivers at the side, stick another panel in the middle to shunt the edge ones over so you removing the sliver from a full panel. That's a really bad explanation of something quite simple, but have a quick google on setting out tile and you'll find better explanations.

 

[wizer]

Never really understood the appeal of wood panelling. Just leave the walls alone and attach what ever shelving you have in mind unless of course you are after a 18th Century look.

harry

I'm assuming, as he's gone to the trouble of learning how to use sketchup just to draw this room with wooden panelling and the fact he didn't ask for opinions on whether he should install it or not, that he likes panelling and very much wants it in this room. So clearly he does not want to bung a load of spur shelving up! :roll:

Mark I think it looks great. Having seen your house, I think the panelling with look very good and fit in well. I can fully understand the look your going for and I'd certainly consider doing it myself.

I'm not sure about the technicalities, not my area, but I don't think the way you've drawn it is too bad actually. What colour are you thinking for above the panelling?

Where is the secret bookcase door going ? :lol:

 

[Doug B]

The problem i see with using the same product (AWO) on the walls & floors, is it leaves no scope for change of look in the room, a few years down the line.

If you broke up the paneling heights etc, to allow for some decoration then at least the changes can be rung when you tire of the look of the room.

 

[Chris Knight]

Are you intending the panels' grain to run horizontally or have you simply not rotated it in SU?

 

[Mattty]

Are you intending the panels' grain to run horizontally or have you simply not rotated it in SU?

I agree the Panels need to run up and down.
I would personally not do it in AWO either. It would look so much classier in European Oak with QS panels (more expensive too). Whilst i realise it wouldn't be a perfect match to the floor i would still use Euro Oak.

Like the others have commented i think you need a reason to stop it at that height, a small shelf with brackets would look good.

Well done for mastering Sketchup..If only i could..

 

[wizer]

Matt, I owe Mark a borrow of my Sketchup tutorial DVD. I've taken so long to send it to him that it look like he's mastered it. Would you like it??

 

[Mattty]

Matt, I owe Mark a borrow of my Sketchup tutorial DVD. I've taken so long to send it to him that it look like he's mastered it. Would you like it??

That would be superb mate thanks. Do you still have my address?

 

[wizer]

Nope, pm me. ta

 

[TrimTheKing]

Matt, I owe Mark a borrow of my Sketchup tutorial DVD. I've taken so long to send it to him that it look like he's mastered it. Would you like it??

Haha, certainly not mastered it mate, but got the hang of the basics. Will still borrow from you in the future just to see if it has anything else to teach, but Mattty can have a go first

 

[jedmc571]

Looks like a plan Trim :lol:

When do we start, I'm in.......... :wink:

 

[TrimTheKing]

What colour are you thinking for above the panelling?

Thinking of a nice deep drawing room red, I want the room to be a plush, Gentlemans' retreat, study/smoking room kind of feel (not that I smoke, but I may take up the pipe if I get the room right ) Unfortunately The Mrs doesn't like the red idea and fancies a cool blue colour. Will try some out and see, it's only a small amount of wall so even if it's wrong it won't take much to overpaint it.

Where is the secret bookcase door going ? :lol:

Did I tell you about that or just a guess? The reason I might panel the back of the door too, to disguise it, is that that door leads into the lounge and I plan to make a secret bookcase door to fill the alcove on the lounge side

I have always loved Batman and wanted a Batcave since I was a kid, this is as close as I'm going to get to the secret room :lol:

The problem i see with using the same product (AWO) on the walls & floors, is it leaves no scope for change of look in the room, a few years down the line.

If you broke up the paneling heights etc, to allow for some decoration then at least the changes can be rung when you tire of the look of the room.

I know what you mean about wood type but not sure what you mean about 'scope for change' and 'some decoration' Doug, can you expand?

Are you intending the panels' grain to run horizontally or have you simply not rotated it in SU?

Modified now, just forgot to change the orientation.

I would personally not do it in AWO either. It would look so much classier in European Oak with QS panels (more expensive too). Whilst i realise it wouldn't be a perfect match to the floor i would still use Euro Oak.

The reason for AWO was not really to match the floor, more because I want it to be timber but not too dark as the room isn;t massive so I don't want it to close in. Would Euro Oak be much darker? If not then I'm happy to go with that.

The other thing was that I don't want separate panels, I was going to follow Brad's recent construction method (stiles/rails stuck onto an oak ply backer) for ease/speed. Can you get euro oak ply?

 

[TrimTheKing]

Thanks for all the replies boys and girls, here are modified diagrams for your critique...

I have removed the bottom panel and brought the mid rail to the below window height all round the room. I have also graduated the two panels above as I think this is probably better, aesthetically, than two long panels (but I am going back to SketchUp to try another couple of ideas too...)

I plan to have a small shel with some brackets or some kind of other detail at the top of the panelling, just not sure what yet so have left it off for now.

I am also going off to try some wider panels with differing top numbers to see how that looks.

So, better or worse than first attempt?

I know that it is all personal taste and I will be living with it, but I am very much still knocking ideas about and haven't set myself on anything as yet so your comments are all valid and welcomed.