Today, designers are going back to the element's roots (pun intended), using real wood and high-quality craftsmanship to ensure the feature ages beautifully.

While traditionally crafted in natural wood, usually oak or pine, the 20th century saw the introduction of laminate and vinyl wood-look products that lowered the cost of the material significantly, making it widely accessible-and widely overused. Like any feature, you can always repaint or restain it to give it a fresh feel.' 'Wood paneling was overused at a certain point in time, but it remains a classic. 'Just because something was 'trendy' for a certain period of time does not disqualify it from ultimately being timeless,' Austin-based designer Shannon Eddings explains. A number of interior designers are reaching for the material again as a way to bring warmth, architectural interest, and character into both new build and restored historical homes. 'People are getting tired of white, smooth everything,' Emily Ward of the Los Angeles–based design duo Pierce & Ward says. It has shed its reputation as a dated feature just waiting to be torn out and fully stepped into the 21st century as, dare we say it, chic. But the warm-toned wallcovering is taking on a new life beyond rustic cabins and retro home videos. Wood paneling probably brings to mind 1970s family dens or-worse-1990s basements.

Making wooden lattice panels