Wainscoting in hallway

[Jessica Dickson]

We have a real "bastuhall" but untreated paneling on both the ceiling and the walls, as well as a pine staircase. I've checked out some different wainscoting that I would like to build in the hallway, meaning not just halving the wall paneling that is there now, but making it a bit more turn-of-the-century style. We will enclose the staircase in the hallway to create a small storage space underneath. My question now is if I can leave the paneling behind the staircase as it is and build a completely different wainscoting right next to it? Will it look strange? It will be a huge job if I have to remove the paneling behind the staircase too!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Testarn]

I guess that if the existing panel and the new panel are similar in width and profile and then painted in the same color with the same type of paint, it should work. It will be noticeable that it is not exactly the same but not "an eyesore."

On the other hand, it is part of the house's history, so it becomes part of the house's charm; not everything can (or should) look like it's newly built in my opinion.