# What Is Thie Kind of Wall Decoration Called? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 30, 2015, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-thie-kind-of-wall-decoration-called/739032 "2015-11-30T15:02:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![botsgotme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@botsgotme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/botsgotme)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-thie-kind-of-wall-decoration-called/739032/1 "2015-11-30T15:02:21Z")
In movies of the 1930s and 1940s, upper-class homes had living rooms with walls that had rectangles of molding on the walls, with chair rails. Often, they were painted in contrasting colors. This wall treatment is rarely seen today, but I like it. Is there a name for it? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-thie-kind-of-wall-decoration-called/739032/2 "2015-11-30T15:11:34Z")
> [@botsgotme](#): > > In movies of the 1930s and 1940s, upper-class homes had living rooms with walls that had rectangles of molding on the walls, with chair rails. Often, they were painted in contrasting colors. This wall treatment is rarely seen today, but I like it. Is there a name for it? Are you talking about [wainscoting](https://www.google.com/search?q=wainscoting&num=30&safe=off&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjK2cHFt7jJAhUEuhQKHZgIBZQQ7AkINg&biw=1366&bih=563)? Or [lincrusta](https://www.google.com/search?q=Lincrusta&num=30&safe=off&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj-5tXEuLjJAhWKXhQKHShVAeMQ_AUICCgC&biw=1366&bih=563)? ---
**Author:** ![davida03801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@davida03801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davida03801)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-thie-kind-of-wall-decoration-called/739032/3 "2015-11-30T15:12:30Z")
If you mean wood wall panels from the floor baseboard up to the chair rail. That is **Wainscoting**. Many different styles and types. [This is one manufacturer of that.](http://www.windsorone.com/moldings_wainscot_panel.php) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-thie-kind-of-wall-decoration-called/739032/4 "2015-11-30T15:35:12Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Are you talking about [wainscoting](https://www.google.com/search?q=wainscoting&num=30&safe=off&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjK2cHFt7jJAhUEuhQKHZgIBZQQ7AkINg&biw=1366&bih=563)? Or [lincrusta](https://www.google.com/search?q=Lincrusta&num=30&safe=off&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj-5tXEuLjJAhWKXhQKHShVAeMQ_AUICCgC&biw=1366&bih=563)? Given the chair rail reference, wainscoting is almost certainly the answer. In particular, the OP seems to be talking about paneled wainscoting, since it can be made of almost any material. Contrary to what the OP says, though, it’s pretty common in higher end homes even today. ---
**Author:** ![davida03801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@davida03801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davida03801)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-thie-kind-of-wall-decoration-called/739032/5 "2015-11-30T16:10:53Z")
Personally I associated dark stained wainscot to the 1930’s time frame. The recent installed ones that I see are all lighter colors. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-thie-kind-of-wall-decoration-called/739032/6 "2015-11-30T18:31:53Z")
It’s called wall frame molding, or picture frame molding, and it’s usually installed under the chair rail. Like [this](http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/intro/0,,20252367,00.html). ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-thie-kind-of-wall-decoration-called/739032/7 "2015-11-30T19:18:55Z")
> [@Honey](#): > > It’s called wall frame molding, or picture frame molding, and it’s usually installed under the chair rail. > > Like [this](http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/intro/0,,20252367,00.html). It’s called wainscoting. From your link: “…creating the look of wainscoting…” ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-thie-kind-of-wall-decoration-called/739032/8 "2015-11-30T20:08:56Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Given the chair rail reference, wainscoting is almost certainly the answer. While I agree it’s more likely the former, note that [lincrusta with dado rails](https://www.google.com/search?safe=off&biw=1366&bih=563&tbm=isch&q=lincrusta+dado+panels&revid=136161677&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiR6_KT-bjJAhXFtxQKHSKJCUAQ1QIIIg) (chair rails) is also a thing. It depends on if the OP was using molding in the [correct technical sense](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molding_%28decorative%29) or in a looser sense just to mean “molded pattern” ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-thie-kind-of-wall-decoration-called/739032/9 "2015-11-30T21:41:20Z")
I had to google what “chair rails” are. Why are they called that? ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-thie-kind-of-wall-decoration-called/739032/10 "2015-11-30T21:45:46Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > I had to google what “chair rails” are. Why are they called that? So when you back up your chair into the wall by accident it hits the raised chair rail instead of denting the wall. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-thie-kind-of-wall-decoration-called/739032/11 "2015-11-30T22:53:13Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > It’s called wainscoting. From your link: “…creating the look of wainscoting…” The specific detail of the rectangular boxes created with molding, is call picture frame molding. Do a google image search for picture frame molding. It is a type of wainscoting, but the OP asked for the name of this specific detail. ---
**Author:** ![FluffyBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@FluffyBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FluffyBob)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-thie-kind-of-wall-decoration-called/739032/12 "2015-11-30T23:02:20Z")
Oak Wainscotting was pretty popular back in the 80’s and 90’s (along with salmon paint and stucco, and brass look hardware). I restore water damaged wainscoting several times a year. It was usually installed cheaply and personally I think it looks like crap anyway.