This Designer-Approved Trend Makes Small Living Rooms Look Way Bigger
Whether built-in or faux, architectural molding instantly takes any wall from drab to dimensional and visually interesting — think French-inspired picture-frame paneling, detailed millwork above a door frame, or even a painted trompe l’oeil effect. One traditional feature you can also never go wrong with is wainscoting, but design pros have recently started debuting a more creative, customizable take on this wall accent that needs to be on your radar for 2025.
In a recent Architectural Digest apartment tour, New York-based designer and architect Matt McKay revealed a way to integrate more pattern and color into the wainscoting trend. Throughout his entire rental (yes, it’s a rental!), McKay installed wallpaper in the bottom portion of the paneling — rather than above it — and then painted each piece of trim a contrasting color. The wallpapered portion also goes about three-fourths of the way up the wall, leaving just a tiny bit of blank white space near the top of the ceiling.
L.A.-based designer Linda Hayslett of LH.Designs, who recently weighed in on upcoming design trends as part of Apartment Therapy’s 2025 The State of Home Design Survey, also implemented this look in the bedroom pictured below. Here, Hayslett used light blue patterned wallpaper with a dark navy trim for an effect that she describes as “like putting your room in heels — suddenly, everything looks taller and more polished.”
This kind of wallpapered wainscoting with a bold painted trim — the latter of which resembles a chair rail but with a slimmer profile and mounted higher on the wall — can be styled in any room, regardless of ceiling height. “This look is a total chameleon — it works in bedrooms, dining rooms, hallways, and even a home office,” Hayslett says. “It’s especially great in smaller spaces because it tricks the eye into thinking the ceilings are taller than they are.” And the illusion of taller ceilings means just one thing: A room looks airier and therefore bigger in general.
Hayslett doesn’t recommend this type of wainscoting in a room that already has paneling or millwork. As for choosing the right wallpaper and trim combo, you can take a cue from McKay and opt for a neutral-toned foundation with a vibrant pop of red (he also painted the door frame and baseboards blue for even more of a colorful, dynamic design). Or try the same color in varying shades, like Hayslett’s blue-on-blue example. You can even choose to paint the wall (and/or ceiling!) above the trim, versus leaving the area untouched.
Ultimately, though, contrast is key, according to Hayslett. “If you go bold with the wallpaper, keep the upper half grounding and chill — think deep earthy tones, soft neutrals, or moody blues,” she explains. “If the wallpaper is more subtle, you can have fun with the paint color. I usually like wainscoting to hit around 36 to 42 inches high, but if your ceilings are on the shorter side, keep it a little lower so the room still feels open.”
However you style this wall treatment, it’s the perfect touch of personalization to add to any room while elongating the space. This also manages to look super high-end and luxurious, while still lending a cozy, homey feel, too. Plus, you can save a little bit of money on wallpaper since you’re not covering the entire room!
Further Reading
We Tested (and Rated!) All the Sofas at Ashley — Here Are the Best to Suit Your Style and Space
See How a Stager Used Paint to Transform a 1950s Living Room
We Asked 8 Pro Travelers What They Never Pack in Their Carry-On, and Here’s What They Said
