What Are The Different Types Of Wall Panels?

Wall panels are thought to date back as far as the 17th century, making them one of the most timeless interior design features to exist. In recent times, there has been a huge resurgence of their popularity and there are now more wall panel types to choose from than ever before. 

Crucially, it’s not the case that one type of wall panel is better than another. Rather, it’s important to choose a panel type that offers up the right properties for your project based on the panel style and overall features. 

At WoodWall, our core specialism is wood slat panels that enhance both the acoustics and the aesthetics of your interior spaces. 

Here is an overview of acoustic panels, plus the other types of wall panels that exist to help you choose the right wall panel type for your project.

Acoustic Wall Panels (Wood Slat)

Acoustic wall panels have two core functions, in that they improve the acoustics of the room while their attractive vertical slat design also adds a contemporary visual appeal.

In spaces where the noise tends to echo or reverberate around the room, acoustic wall panels add cushioning to the walls. This makes acoustic wall panels ideal for open plan spaces, as well as any environments where the quality of sound matters such as media rooms or podcast studios. 

Even if you aren’t looking to record or listen to audio in the room, acoustic wall panels will update the look of the space, making them truly multi-purpose. 

Acoustic Wall Panel Benefits

• Improves room acoustics 
• Instant visual impact
• Readymade design 
• Easy to install
• Suitable for residential and commercial settings
• Contemporary wall panel option
• Multiple colour options to choose from
• Cost effective

Shop all Acoustic wood wall slat panelling 

Bathroom Wall Panels

Bathroom wall panels installed in showers or next to a bathtub need to be resistant to the likes of moisture, mould and bacteria. For this reason, bathroom wall panels tend to be made out of PVC, which also makes them easy to clean. 

Typically, bathroom wall panels are installed as a cheap, cost effective alternative to tiles. They can replicate the look of various materials and textures such as marble, stone and wood. 

However, one downside of PVC bathroom wall panels is that they don’t always offer that high-end finish, especially compared to contemporary wood slat panels that can be used elsewhere in your home or commercial building.

Decorative Wall Panels

Many wall panel types can be described as decorative, including WoodWall acoustic wood slat panels. However, not all decorative panels contain acoustic enhancing properties, especially if they are made purely from wood or MDF.

Instead, decorative panels can also include any type of wall panel that simply offers a decorative enhancement. This can range from traditional styles of wall panels to textured wall panels.

Crucially, most decorative wall panels are there to purely enhance aesthetics. Therefore, they won’t provide the likes of acoustic treatment or insulation unless otherwise stated. 

Geometric Wall Panels

Geometric wall panels can include 3D, textured, laser cut or modular wall panels. 

Similar to decorative wall panels, geometric panels are used purely for aesthetic purposes. However, they tend to be highly stylised especially if they contain any angular, textured or rippled effects.

A huge consideration with geometric wall panels is that they can become dated quite quickly. Also, unlike with wood slat wall panels, geometric wall panels don’t always offer perfect synergy with different decor styles. Instead, they command the attention of the room making them a focal feature. 

While geometric wall panels can look incredible, a skilled eye is needed to choose the right panel style, lighting and overall colours to ensure a professional result. 

PVC Wall Panels

Beyond using PVC wall panels in your bathroom, it’s also possible to purchase generic PVC panelling that can be used on walls or ceilings elsewhere in your home or commercial environment.

In particular, PVC wall panels are ideal in environments where the walls need to offer a wipe clean surface such as in leisure facilities or hospitality venues. 

An advantage of PVC wall panelling is that there is no shortage of the colours or styles they are available in. However, PVC isn’t considered a long lasting material as it’s easy to damage. In addition, PVC is a flammable material and can also release toxic chemicals when burned. 

Therefore, while PVC wall panels can offer a cheap solution, they aren’t always the perfect fit looks or practically wise. 

Shaker Wall Panels

With a design that is based on the Shaker philosophy of the art of simplicity, shaker wall panels offer more of a basic look. Usually, the panels contain simple squares or rectangles with no other flourishes. These panels are purely decorative and do not offer an acoustic enhancement to the room. 

Unlike acoustic wood wall panels, shaker panels will also require painting. They can be created by using pre-built shaker wall panels. Otherwise, you will need to create the panels from scratch which can be costly and time consuming. 

Shaker panels can be used to brighten up the look of hallways, but they are commonly installed in bedrooms too. Overall, they offer a classic look making them especially ideal for older properties. 

Traditional Wall Panels

In the Edwardian, Georgian and Victorian eras, it was very common to see wall panels in use as a decorative feature. Therefore, traditional wall panels are often found as original features in homes. Though if your budget permits, a carpenter can also create sympathetic replicas.

Adding or retaining traditional wall panels in keeping with the age of the property can often add charm. However, in modern homes, adding bygone features can create a mismatch with the overall style of the interiors. Therefore, traditional wall panelling is best suited to older properties.

It’s also worth noting that contemporary acoustic wall panels can be added to any property, regardless of its age. In particular, acoustic panels can reduce echo and reverb in media rooms, or any spaces where you record podcast or video content. Therefore, you may wish to consider mixing and matching your wall panel styles if you want to gain improved acoustics as well as a traditional look. 

Upholstered Wall Panels

Upholstered wall panels are made from a variety of fabrics and can add a decorative touch, particularly when installed in place of a headboard. They can also be used in children’s bedrooms while they are going through the learning to walk the stage to help prevent collisions with the wall. 

There is no doubt that upholstered wall panels can look glamorous. However, an obvious downside is that due to these panels being made of fabric, upholstered wall panels absorb liquids making them difficult to clean and unfortunately, easy to ruin. 

Sometimes, upholstered wall panels are installed to improve acoustics in the room. However, if this is your aim, an acoustic wood wall panel may prove more practical rather than using panels that are solely made of fabric. 

WoodWall Wall Panels – Shop Our Stunning Range Of Acoustic Wall Panels!

We hope you’ve found the above guide on the different types of wall panels useful. Before you purchase any wall panel, we recommend reviewing the product details carefully since as we’ve demonstrated, it’s essential to choose a wall panel that offers up the right properties. 

If you are in search of a wall panel that will improve the aesthetics and acoustics of your space in one easy move, then acoustic wall panels are the way to go!

Scroll up and head to our ‘shop’ page to view our acoustic wall panels. Available in four different colour options, we’ll deliver your wall panels to wherever you’re based in the UK.