Dezeen Magazine

Bedroom in Ukraine with wood panelling and skylights

Eight bedrooms wrapped in tactile wood panelling

For our latest lookbook, we've selected eight homes with bedrooms clad in wood panelling, ranging from a mid-century house in London with a "horror film" feel to a redwood-clad house in California.

Wood panelling comes in a wide variety of styles, tones and grain patterns, each creating a different atmosphere.

Whether they're made from oak, redwood, walnut or pine, timber panelling can add depth and character to a space and often brings a sense of warmth and cosiness to bedrooms.

Here, we spotlight eight homes that feature bedrooms that have been wood-panelled in various ways.

Included in the collection of projects are a bedroom clad in warm-toned wood in Ukraine, a guest bedroom in Perth with dark timber lining the walls and floors, and a child's bedroom in São Paulo where wood panelling covers almost all of the surfaces.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring bathrooms with see-through walls, light-filled London house extensions and living rooms with warming fireplaces.


Bed with stainless steel border and warm wood walls
Photo is by Andrey Bezuglov and Maryan Beresh

Relogged House, Ukraine, by Balbek Bureau

Architecture studio Balbek Bureau revamped this house in Ukraine to create a modern interpretation of a log cabin, in which the master bedroom walls are clad in rich, warm-toned wood.

Standing in contrast to the timber walls, a low custom-made bed with stainless steel sides sits alongside a retro bulbous standing lamp that arches over the bed.

Find out more about Relogged House ›


Bedroom with wood panelling and red carpet
Photo is by Mariell Lind Hansen

Zero House, UK, by Ben Garrett and Rae Morris

Recording artists Ben Garrett and Rae Morris renovated this house in north London for themselves, adding timber walls and ceilings to the main bedroom as part of the mid-century informed interior palette.

Light timber wall panelling was coupled with a red-stained wooden ceiling and dark mahogany window panelling, complemented by a burnt orange carpet and matching upholstery on the wooden bed frame.

This contributed to what Garrett called the "horror film slash Stanley Kubrick feel of the upstairs".

Find out more about Zero House ›


Bedroom with dark wood panelling and fluffy stools
Photo is by Chris Mottalini

Big Sur House, USA, by Electric Bowery

The co-founder of studio Electric Bowery renovated this house with a curved roof in Big Sur for her family, with redwood millwork added to the interior to match the exterior cladding.

Redwood panelling lines the bedroom walls, alongside a darker timber used for the custom-made bed and matching furniture pieces. These wooden elements are balanced with textured pillows, pale green bedsheets and a soft brown rug covering the bedroom floor, culminating in a warm, earthy colour palette.

Find out more about Big Sur House ›


Dark tones for bedroom with wooden walls
Photo is by Jack Lovel

Shadow House, Australia, by Grotto Studio

Dark tones were chosen for the guest room inside this charred-timber cottage extension by Australian practice Grotto Studio in Perth. The walls and floors were lined in a dark jarrah timber sourced from the demolition of the back of the existing cottage.

"The choice of dark timber for the interior was motivated by a desire to create a rich, intimate, and immersive atmosphere," explained the studio.

"The dark tones add depth and character to the spaces, creating a warm and inviting ambience."

Find out more about Grotto Studio ›


Wood panelled walls of light bedroom in Estonia
Photo is by Tõnu Tunnel

Moonsund Holiday Home, Estonia, by Hanna Karits

Interior architect Hanna Karits used a natural material scheme throughout this holiday home in Estonia's Moonsund archipelago.

In the light, airy bedroom, wood panelling features on the ceiling and wall behind the bed, in a nod to the surrounding forest that also creates a relaxing environment.

Find out more about Moonsund Holiday Home ›


Child's bedroom with large window and wood walls
Photo is by Fran Parente

Aurora Apartment, Brazil, by Pascali Semerdjian Arquitetos

Wood panelling covers almost all of the surfaces of this São Paulo apartment bedroom, which was designed for the youngest child in the family.

With a pitched ceiling, the room was intended to resemble a small house, with the bed and a sofa raised to create space for a "hide-and-seek" tunnel underneath.

Find out more about Aurora Apartment ›


House with transparent roof and wooden walls
Photo is by Simon Devitt

The Chodge, New Zealand, by DCA Architects of Transformation

A translucent skin of corrugated polycarbonate panels wraps around this holiday lodge in New Zealand, allowing light into the bedrooms.

Within a layout described by the studio as "a house within a house", private spaces including bedrooms and bathrooms sit at the centre of the space and are fully enclosed by the central timber walls.

Find out more about The Chodge ›


Dark wood panelling in bedroom
Photo is by César Béjar Studio

Casa Los Tigres, Mexico, by César Béjar Studio and Fernando Sánchez Zepeda

Inside this beach house on Mexico's Pacific Coast, dark wood panelling adds depth against the beige plasterwork, pale stone flooring, and select decor accessories.

Designed by César Béjar Studio and Fernando Sánchez Zepeda, the dark wood partially conceals doors and storage and was part of a restrained material and colour palette applied throughout both the indoor and outdoor spaces.

Find out more about Casa Los Tigres ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring transparent bathrooms, warming fireplaces and sleek metal kitchens.