How Beadboard Paneling Brings Warmth and Character to the Kitchen—Without the Tile Price Tag

PublishedMar 21, 2026 2:44 AM EDT

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Led by Emily Ward and Louisa Pierce, the studio Pierce & Ward has built a reputation for interiors that feel layered, lived-in, and deeply considered—spaces where texture does the heavy lifting. Their rooms favor patina and warmth over polish, often pairing storied vintage finds with accessible staples from retailers like Crate & Barrel and Nickey Kehoe. Nothing reads as precious, and that same unpretentious philosophy extends to how they treat the walls themselves.

Ward recently took to Instagram to champion the material she and Pierce reach for whenever they need to balance budget, durability, and a sense of warmth. “Louisa and I love beadboard as a less expensive alternative to tile, and it holds up better than drywall,” she explains. Once you spot the grooved paneling in one of their kitchens, you start seeing it everywhere across their portfolio—washed in a salmon tone, framing a stone range wall, or playing counterpoint to a checkerboard floor.

“For wainscoting-height applications, you can pick up sheet beadboard from The Home Depot and paint it yourself,” says Ward. “It’s an excellent choice for kitchens and baths because it wipes clean easily—it simply feels more sanitary than painted drywall.” That kind of practicality is hard to argue with.

Samantha Weiss-Hills is the managing editor for Domino. She edits and writes home tours and features, and she’s the friend who everyone texts for glassware, sofa, and sheet recommendations. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Alex, and their beagle-corgi, Elsa.

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