Despite being one of the most infamous design elements of the 1970s, wood paneling appears to be gaining popularity again in recent years.
As a child, I recall seeing a lot of wood paneling, but for better or worse, the style has largely disappeared over the past few decades. To be completely honest, I have never detested this style of interior design. In fact, as someone with a “old soul,” I kind of enjoy it, and it makes me long for the days of record players, the rock music of the 1970s, and maybe even bell bottoms. The latter has been successfully revived by Lainey Wilson, but it appears that other people are attempting to do the same with wood paneling.
The Rise and Fall of Wood Paneling
Although wood paneling appears to be the anthem of 1970s interior design, its application goes considerably earlier back in time. Records of wood paneling for walls go all the way back to ancient Greece, Japan, China, and even Rome, according to Walston Architectural Products. Originally, wood panels served utilitarian functions including protection and insulation. But people didn’t start to notice a more imaginative application of the pattern until the Gothic era.
The usage of synthetic wood paneling gained significant attention in the latter half of the 20th century. As a child, you might have even seen some in your grandparents’ retro-finished basement or even had it on your walls. This style of wall paneling gained popularity because it was inexpensive and simple to install, in addition to having a hip (at the time) appearance. In my opinion, it still looks nicer than the outdated floral wallpaper that I’m still removing from my own walls. However, wood paneling rapidly went out of style around the turn of the century, much like my flower-adorned walls.
Wood Paneling and Interior Design 2025
According to the home décor publication House Beautiful, wood paneling is returning and is “better than ever.” This assertion is supported, in part, by the fact that designers are moving away from late 20th-century synthetic laminate paneling and toward more realistic options. It appears that a range of paneling options, including shiplap constructed from solid wood planks, board-and-batten, V-groove, beadboard, and wainscoting, are also popular in 2025.
Nowadays, I also see people painting an ancient house with wood paneling when they renovate it. I don’t think it looks all that horrible most of the time, and in the past few years, I’ve definitely come to like it. Interior design trends in homes change, but wood paneling is undoubtedly not going away easily. However, I don’t think the dark brown laminate planks from the 1970s will be popular again anytime soon. You never know, though.
