What Is Beadboard? 30+ Ways to Use It in Your Home

What Is Beadboard?

Beadboard is a type of wall covering that comes in large sheets, features a linear pattern, and is readily available at most large hardware stores. Its longtime popularity can be attributed to its visual appeal, durability, and affordability.

"Beadboard is a classic design element that harks back to nostalgic American design," says Joey Conicella, president of SOCO Interiors. Whether your home leans towards modern or coastal design, "It's an inexpensive way to add warmth and character to your walls," he says.

In addition to its quaint appearance, interior designer Leah Huisken of Forge & Bow attributes the popularity of beadboard to how practical the material is. "Its appeal lies in its remarkable durability, making it a great choice for utility spaces like mudrooms and laundry rooms," she says. "The classic paneling serves those who seek not just beauty, but longevity in their home design."

Beadboard can quickly transform a blank wall into a focal point, is easy to paint, and blends easily with almost every decorating style. "Adding beadboard cultivates intentional design that withstands the test of time amidst the ever-evolving landscape of design trends, contributing enduring charm to every environment," Huisken says.

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Beadboard-Lined Reading Nook

Day bed in a nook with pillows, a blanket, and books on it — Werner Straube

Beadboard's nostalgic quality ushers in a cozy feel into any space you install it in—including this modern reading nook. It emphasizes the depth of the nook and draws the eye in, creating slight variation with the surrounding walls while providing a linear backdrop for an organically layered collection of throw pillows.

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Painted Beadboard

A hall tree helps maximize space in this small entryway and a striking charcoal paint color makes it pop against the wall and highlights the beadboard back. Subtle details such as the beadboard add extra layers of interest which is what makes a room more memorable and personalized.

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Modern Beadboard Wall

Beadboard takes on a modern look in this contemporary dining room. Its clean lines and minimalist design complement an elongated light fixutre, light wood floor planks, and a streamlined table. To make a neutral color palette such as this one look varied and interesting, create contrast by layering different materials, from wood and leather to metal and ceramics.

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Beadboard and Tile

two pedestal sinks and two gold mirrors in bathroom with tile floor — Nathan Schroder Photography

Create a luxurious aesthetic in a bathroom by combining tile and beadboard. Tile can be expensive, so using painted beadboard is an easy way to stay on budget without sacrificing the sophisticated feel. Here, painted beadboard breaks up the hexagon tiles used behind the mirrors and the classic penny tile covering the floor.

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Beadboard Backsplash

Beadboard is a beautiful and inexpensive alternative to a traditional tile backsplash. It provides a practical, wipeable surface that's essential in a space such as a laundry room, while also adding a visually pleasing element. Paint the beadboard to contrast the cabinets or continue the same paint color for a seamless, built-in look.

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Painted Beadboard Island

blue kitchen island with vase of flowers — EDMUND BARR

A blue painted beadboard detail on the side of this kitchen island immediately takes it from standard builder-grade to custom designed. Painting the beadboard the same color as the rest of the island turns it into an integral part of the fixture and ushers in vintage charm that's echoed by brushed nickel bin pulls on the island drawers.

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Beadboard and Wallpaper

Orange and gold powder room — Werner Straube

Wallpaper is a great way to make a bold design statement, but it can also be a pricey investment. To cut costs, install wallpaper on the top half or third of the wall and supplement the lower portion with beadboard. Not only does this trick of the trade save money, it creates contrast and a layered effect.

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Natural Wood Beadboard

white kitchen with wood beadboard — PANICHGUL STUDIOS

While we typically see painted beadboard, using a natural wood version of the wall covering is a beautiful way to create a more rustic aesthetic. The neutral color and organic material lend themselves well to a soft color palette of creams, whites, and greiges popped with antique copper, brass, or silver accents for a vintage-inspired feel.

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Black Soapstone and Beadboard

black marble and beadboard detail in kitchen — Ellie Lillstrom

Beadboard is a casual juxtaposition to a luxurious-looking slab of black soapstone in this stunning kitchen nook. The contrast in color, material, and aesthetic delivers a dramatic and unexpected statement. Here, a beautiful farmhouse sink echoes the white beadboard and oversized black cabinet handles are a nod to the dark stone. To break up the two-tone look, a brass faucet and wall sconces add a warm, shiny element.

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Rustic Beadboard Ceiling

living room with white and wood ceiling — James Nathan Schroder

A white beardboard ceiling forms the base for chunky wood beams in this rustic living room. The rawness of the beams contrasts the delicate and precise nature of the beadboard, and a black wire pendant light introduces curved lines and a new material.

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Built-Ins with Beadboard

Add interest to built-ins in a small mudroom using beadboard. Extend it onto the walls surrounding the built-ins and paint it the same color for visual continuity. If you paint built-ins white, warm up the space by bringing in natural elements such as a jute floor runner and wicker storage baskets.

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Cottage-Style Kitchen

blue kitchen cabinets and beadboard — James Nathan Schroder

Beadboard is the star of the show in this cottage-style kitchen. It acts as the backsplash and extends to the upper cabinets, where it's exposed thanks to the glass-front doors. The light blue paint color adds to the room's quaint design, while marble countertops and brass hardware dress it up.

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Modern Dining Nook with Beadboard Walls

white dining space with wood benches — KIM CORNELISON

Beadboard is an unexpected choice for the walls and ceiling in this midcentury modern-inspired dining nook. The crisp white walls and ceiling complement the warmth of the built-in wood banquette, while black accents such as the three-arm light fixture bring stark contrast in both color and style.

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Dining Room Beadboard Accent

white dining room with wood table — James Nathan Schroder

Beadboard below the chair rail in this traditional dining room adds visual interest to a limited color palette. If you don't necessarily want to introduce a new color, install beadboard on the bottom half of the walls to add contrast. For subtle distinction, use two different paint finishes—eggshell on the wall and a semi-gloss finish on the beadboard.

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Pair with Molding and Baseboards

black white farmhouse bedroom buffalo check wall panels — Christina Schmidhofer

To double the wow factor, pair beadboard with decorative baseboard and crown molding. The mix of decorative features creates the opportunity for contrast in color, material, and the direction of the linear pattern for a quaint and cozy space.

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Beadboard Shelf Backing

blue shelves with beadboard and colorful dishes — Michael Partenio

Give standard cabinets or a basic bookcase a custom look by covering the backs with beadboard. Paint it the same color as the shelves for a built-in, always-been-there appearance, or create contrast with a different paint color. It's a highly impactful way to upgrade furniture, built-ins, and cabinets without spending a lot of money or having to hire a professional.

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Beadboard Shelf Storage

kitchen storage beadboard — Kritsada Panichgul

Install beadboard in a farmhouse-style kitchen to add character. Instead of using it in the form of traditional wall covering, create a custom floor-to-ceiling plate rack using beadboard. Paint it the same color and finish as the surrounding walls and trim for a seamless transition and built-in quality to give it a timeless look.

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Beadboard Porch Ceiling

Beadboard isn't just reserved for interiors, as this welcoming front porch proves. A wooden double door stands out against white siding and a beadboard-covered ceiling for an inviting exterior that boasts rustic charm. Lantern-style wall sconces and tall topiaries in woven planters complete the look to welcome guests in style.

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Black and White Bathroom

Black beadboard pops against white walls in this rustic bathroom. Beadboard is the perfect vehicle for creating a monochrome palette since it naturally divides a wall. To echo the two-tone look, black and white penny tile on the floor introduces a new shape and maintains the vintage-inspired aesthetic.

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Add Crown Molding

Dress up plain beadboard with decorative crown molding that gives it a sophisticated finishing touch and juxtaposes its vertical design. Depending on the depth of the molding, it can double as a surface to layer artwork and decorative items for a unique wall display.

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Kitchen Island Beadboard Detail

beadboard kitchen island — Michael Partenio

If you want to add visual interest to your kitchen island but don't want to go as bold as painting it a different color, opt for beadboard on the sides. It's an affordable update that elevates the island and gives it a custom look. Paint the beadboard the same color as the kitchen cabinets to maintain a cohesive color palette while introducing slight contrast and an interesting detail.

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Contrasting Paneling

white mudroom with beadboard ceiling — Stacy Zarin Goldberg

For subtle contrast, pair a beadboard ceiling with wainscoting on the walls. Both have a linear pattern for visual uniformity, but the spacing is different to create slight differentiation. This trick is especially impactful in a small space where you want to use the same paint color on the walls, ceiling, cabinets, and trim, but also want to add a little bit of contrast.

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Beadboard Above Fireplace

Use a beadboard accent wall to highlight a fireplace as a focal point within a room. Here, beadboard installed above the mantel is layered with a raised arch-shaped wood detail to create extra dimension and contrasts a decorative tile fireplace surround for an elegant and timeless look.

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Countertop-to-Ceiling Beadboard

Small built-in bookshelf pantry — Werner Straube

When using beadboard as an alternative to a traditional kitchen backsplash, extend it all the way to the ceiling. This visually expands the height of the ceiling thanks to the beadboard's vertical lines that draw the eye up. Here, white beadboard makes for a clean and crisp design, especially when contrasted with dark cabinets and accented with vintage-style wall sconces and mixed metal hardware.

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Beadboard Shelf Idea

beadboard in bathroom with shelf — JEFF HERR

Take inspiration from this white bathroom and turn decorative beadboard into a functional shelf. Install a ledge on top of the beadboard and lean small pictures on it as an alternative to hanging them. Then, mount wood pegs on the beadboard—and paint them to match—to keep bathroom essentials such as towels on hand.

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Bathroom Beadboard Ideas

bathroom with beadboard and pink wallpaper — Paul Costello

Simple white beadboard tones down a busy wallpaper pattern in this traditional powder room. Its crisp color and unfussy appearance are in stark contrast with the highly ornate red and white wallpaper, giving the eye a resting spot and allowing the pastoral scene to be the focal point.

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Horizontal Beadboard

Laundry room with washer and dryer — Jay Wilde

While beadboard is typically installed vertically, it can be positioned horizontally. This works especially well in a small space such as this laundry room, where it visually extends ceiling height and highlights a fresh seafoam green paint color that pops against crisp white trim.

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Blue and White Bathroom

Blue and white is a foolproof color pairing when it comes to a bathroom. Instead of simply painting the walls white, install beadboard to elevate the crisp color. A natural element such as wood is always a great tool to ground a two-tone space and prevent it from looking flat or too matchy-matchy.

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Beadboard-Covered Ceiling

Instead of defaulting to standard "ceiling white" paint when it comes to the fifth wall, cover it with beadboard for an unexpected twist. The subtle stripe detail instantly infuses a space with charm, making it a great way to add character to a utilitarian space such as a small mudroom, laundry room, or hallway.

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Coastal-Inspired Beadboard

Coastal style with seashell collection — Brian McWeeney

Beadboard is perfectly fitting for a coastal-inspired space such as this charming living room and sets a lovely backdrop for an eclectic collection of seashells, paintings, and vintage treasures. If you want to add color to your walls in a small dose, take cues from this space and paint the top third, then supplement the rest of the wall with simple white beadboard.

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Floor-to-Ceiling Beadboard

While beadboard is often used on a portion of a wall, there's no reason you can't install it from floor to ceiling. In this bathroom, it sets a nostalgic tone for vintage-inspired features such as a clawfoot tub, a ruffled shower curtain, and a console vanity.

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