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December 4, 2006

Beadboard and the Meaning of Life

room
The Times raised an issue last week that's up there with global warming and world peace: the appropriateness of beadboard. First, a little history:

Beadboard began as the Victorian equivalent of Formica, a millwork sheathing used only for rustic retreats, and for kitchens, back halls and other rooms hidden from public view. Because it was made from scraps, it was inexpensive, and it could be installed by practically anyone. Beadboard is milled with a thin ridge or tongue on one edge and a groove on the opposite edge so that the panels fit together easily.

After years of being relegated to the country house, the "lumberyard’s answer to blue jeans" is taking urban homes by storm. We generally like it but think it should be used in moderation in the city, with bathrooms being the obvious place. Kitchens can work, too. What do you think? Hot or not-so-hot?
Room to Improve [NY Times]




Posted by Brownstoner at 10:22 AM | Comments (16)
Categories: Interiors

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Comments

put it in my bathroom. looks awesome.

Posted by: Anonymous at December 4, 2006 10:35 AM

I agree - it would be cool in a bathroom. I like something fresh - subway tile is way overused.

Posted by: Anonymous at December 4, 2006 10:37 AM

In my experience, beadboard seems almost ubiquitous in its use in Brooklyn row houses in utilitarian areas. In my house the garden level has its original beadboard wainscoting. I used new beadboard in one area of the kitchen and in the bathroom upstairs to try to keep an original look.

I think it looks great, and apparently it's experienced a resurgence in popularity. I think it can be overused, however, as in the example provided above.

Posted by: Hal at December 4, 2006 10:46 AM

We used it in the bathroom, too (which we did in quasi-'vintage' style); looks nice, and gives the cats something to scratch besides the kitchen woodwork. And since the scratchmarks are usually vertical, the pattern of the beadboard makes them less visible.

Posted by: Brenda from Flatbush at December 4, 2006 10:55 AM

I used it for a country home once and it looked great. But I intend to use raised panel wainscoting for my current brownstone bath renovation. Dykes has it on the front of their counter. I did the subway tiles in the other baths and love them, but I need to vary things or I'll get bored.

Posted by: yente at December 4, 2006 10:57 AM

It's got a dollhouse quality to it. It's certainly quaint, but frankly, I find it to be a bit silly looking. I much prefer subway tiles. They are both traditional and modern.

Posted by: Ed at December 4, 2006 11:09 AM

I'd use it as wainscoting with moldings underneath and a 2x3 header on the top, but all the way up the wall like they have in that photo? I'd get vertigo looking at that all day (and it looks funny in colors other than white).

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at December 4, 2006 11:16 AM

I think looking to the past is one way to use beadboard, however I would much prefer beadboard to be used in new interesting and inventive ways.

Posted by: Anonymous at December 4, 2006 11:17 AM

Ten years ago we used beadboard in our Vanderbilt Ave brownstone bathroom. Looked great. We entered the design in a magazine contest and it won first prize -- a Chevy Blazer.

Posted by: Anonymous at December 4, 2006 12:19 PM

has anyone had problems with warping in the bathroom? I've read that it should not be used in bathroomss due to the high humidity which can cause the boards to warp. Fact? Fiction?

Posted by: Anonymous at December 4, 2006 2:01 PM

The use shown isn't necessarily over the top, depending on the context; in the middle of a kitchen restoration in the Hudson Valley earlier this year, I pulled off the nasty 50s paneling and found late 19th century beadboard under it, floor to ceiling. With a little cleaning up and a fresh coat of paint it looks great.

Posted by: Anon at December 4, 2006 2:30 PM

We've had no problems with our bathroom beadboard warping after 15 years of nightly steamy showers, although the foot molding against the floor has bowed a bit. And that's after it was installed by a contractor whom we nicknamed "Mr. Stupid," so it must be rather forgiving.

Posted by: Brenda from Flatbush at December 4, 2006 4:12 PM

We have a "cheater" (ie. 4 storeys but only 3 visible from the street) and we put beadboard on the sloping ceiling of the front room at the top of the house. The ceiling is of course the most conspicuous visible element in the room. We love the Cape Cod look of it and get lots of compliments.

Posted by: NeoGrec at December 4, 2006 6:03 PM

Looks rather cheesy, im my humble opinion. It looks like painted corrugated cardboard.

Posted by: Anonymous at December 4, 2006 6:39 PM

2:01, to be safe, we primed the back of the panels as well as the front before installing them in the bathroom. You should always make sure to have good ventilation in the bath and use it whenever showering or all of your walls will start to peel.

Posted by: yente at December 4, 2006 6:47 PM

Just did beadboard in our mudroom, up to 5.5", topped off with a peg rail. Looks great, and with good paint it's washable. MUCH cheaper than tile, too. I used the thin stuff from Home Depot, the trick is to use a ton of panel adhesive, then it doesn't warp. I'd never use it in a more formal space though, and going up to the ceiling is a no-no.

Posted by: mikros at December 8, 2006 1:52 PM

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