This post was written after a press trip to the factory of Orac Decor with no obligation to post - it was just all so beautiful I couldn’t wait to share it with you all!

In an age when home improvement has never been more popular and diy never more accessible than now, many are turning towards products that will add character, setting our homes apart from others.

Amongst many of the trends that have been accelerated by the number of growing home renovation tv shows and interior inspiration online is wall panelling. Whether it’s the more traditional intricate moulding, tongue and groove panelling or a more modern fluted or ribbed panelling, this option provides your walls (or furniture) with interest and personality without the commitment to pattern that wallpaper requires.

Whilst for us personally many panelling styles are maybe not suited to the walls of our 400 year old cottage, I loved the fluted style of the valley mouldings from Orac Decor and first used it almost four years ago on the doors of our games cupboard. With the product leftover, I then turned the rib effect horizontally to build new kick boards for our kitchen cabinets - a vast improvement on the kick boards we had there previously which were wrapped in tin foil!

Having first used Orac Decor when they were just starting out with 3D wall coverings and their options were more limited, it was a pleasure to visit their factory in Ostende, Belgium, to see how they’ve expanded and developed the products available.

Whilst the valley remains a bestseller, they have since introduced many more styles which combined, provide endless opportunities to bring character to your home. From traditional and timeless mouldings and architrave, to modern fluting or quilted effects with classic and modern architraves, ceiling roses, skirting boards and dados.

Whilst of course there is a time and a place for using wooden products, especially sustainably sourced wood, the redemptive properties of Orac Decor are impressive. For one thing it is very easy to use, being light and easy to cut, it is an accessible product for any diyer and it can be glued on to most surfaces. It also comes pre-primed for you to paint in the colour of your choice.

The lightness of the product makes it a preferred option to decorative wood on cupboard doors, (decorative wooden trim can make the doors too heavy for the hinges,) and the flexible ranges look fantastic on a curved walled, ceiling, or you can even use the ribbon (a narrow trim) to create shapes and curves or to cap edges.

As for durability, we’ve had our kickboards for two years now and it gets bashed daily by a destructive combination of Henry the hoover and my son on his skateboard, and I can happily report back that it has remained in brilliant condition and held up to the rigours of busy family life well. If using in the kitchen I would recommend having the valleys horizontal as it makes it easier to clean.

The flexibility and strength of the moulding is a fantastic solution for tricky rooms with curves or angles. Due to it’s material, it will not warp or expand like wood can in fluctuating temperatures, and it will also not absorb water or moisture which means it can work well in a bathroom too.

I hand painted the fluted moulding I used, however many of the examples on display at the Orac Decor ‘House of Personality’ have been spray painted which certainly makes for a more professional finish. The paint colours they’ve used also caught my eye, as they’re were so many gorgeous muted tones and colour combinations that I love. I am waiting on confirmation for the full colour spec, but have been told they are all from French paint company Argile.

As well as the more modern styles, I loved seeing how the ornate detailing has been used to bring the spaces more character. This is a craft usually seen in plaster, however as a much cheaper and quicker alternative, these options from Orac Decor are certainly worth considering if you have a period house missing original character details.

All these projects really come to life when colour is added of course, and you can see the original panel being held in front of the panel that has been painted in a softer off-white. The green is the only bit of wall remaining to be seen and I love how the detailing stands out amongst the panelling.

This may feel a lot for your home or residential project however, texture like this could look beautiful in a cinema room, offices, bar or foyer. If you’re planning a smaller project, I would love this effect on cupboard doors or a headboard to provide a focal point in the room perhaps?

One thing that came across very clearly during my visit to the factory, is the passion and drive behind their efforts to become more sustainable. Not only do they use recycled plastic (from yoghurt pots and make up bottles for example) and bio based materials (from sugar cane and sugar beet for example), but their factory is also powered by solar energy they produce themselves. They are continually striving to reduce plastic waste, recycling all their ‘seconds’, reducing the material back down to grain to be used again for forming new products. Whilst Orac became carbon neutral in 2021, in an effort to become carbon positive they are offsetting any carbon they do produce by funding environmental projects in Rwanda and Sumatra.

Whilst sometimes on these trips the environmental impact of the company can feel like an afterthought or a surface level reference to placate those visiting, the sustainability ethos of Orac truly did impress me and felt completely genuine - however, I am certainly no expert on this topic so if you would like to read their sustainability report, you can do so here.

FAQs

What did you use to stick it to the wall/furniture?

Orac recommend their own adhesive as it is best for ensuring you don’t get any movement or gaps in the joints but I imagine something similar will do the trick. As this adhesive wasn’t available when I used the product a few years ago, I just used strong instant grip adhesive which has been fine for my smaller projects.

What paint did you use?

It comes pre-primed but I must confess I never trust a pre-primed product and nearly always love to prime it myself with my trusty Zinsser (but that is probably just me being over cautious.) I’ve then used an eggshell paint for the top coat and the kickboards I finished off with a clear protective lacquer spray by Rust-oleum.