Recessed panelling · Wainscoting · Shaker
Hand-designed recessed panelling, wainscoting and shaker panelling — set out, cut and fitted in Dublin homes, then filled, sanded and finished smooth. One craftsman, over a decade of experience, a flawless finish every time.
What I do — and I do it perfectly
Panelling is having a moment — but the difference between a feature wall and a forgettable one is millimetres. Every panel I fit is measured to the room and finished by hand so the joints simply disappear.
From traditional recessed panelling to dado wainscoting and classic shaker panels — and the careful wall preparation that makes each one look built-in, not bolted-on.
Preparation is everything
Panels are cut and scribed tight so surfaces meet clean, then filled and sanded smooth. Preparing and finishing walls for more than a decade means I paint the panelling myself too — same hands, same eye, right through to the final coat.
Services
Each project is bespoke. Tell me the room and the feeling you want — I take care of the rest, from first cut to final coat.
The traditional method, sometimes called judges panelling. Top and bottom rails and uprights are fitted to the wall, the wall behind is covered in board, then mouldings are set inside each square — so the panels sit genuinely recessed, with real depth and shadow. The period way, and the one that looks built into the house.
Find out more →Traditional dado-height wainscoting — two matching mouldings, a wider one running the dado line and a narrower one forming the squares beneath. Suits staircases, hallways and landings, where it takes the knocks and gives a long run of plain wall some character.
Find out more →Classic framed shaker panels — clean, timeless proportions that suit period homes and modern rooms alike. With no decorative moulding inside the frame, the whole thing rests on the layout, so everything is made to measure on site and the squares are sized around your wall and the look you are after.
Find out more →Before any paint goes on, I fill every joint and nail hole and sand the whole wall glass-smooth — the step that makes panelling look flawless.
Find out more →A slatted, sound-absorbing wall that takes the edge off a hard, echoey room — measured to the wall, cut and joined flush, and fixed so it stays put for good.
Find out more →Where I started, and still do — full interior painting, and the deeper work period homes need: cracks cut out and filled properly, damaged cornice, architrave and mouldings rebuilt, old surfaces brought back to former glory before a drop of paint goes on.
Find out more →Most home repairs are covered too, and they get the same care as the panelling. Kitchen cabinets rehung and doors realigned so they close properly, internal doors hung, handles, hinges and locks fitted, shelving and TV brackets put up straight and into something solid, skirting, architrave and flooring trims replaced, flat-pack furniture built. Anything that needs plumbing or electrical work I will leave to the trade that is certified for it.
My work
Designed, custom cut and fitted across Dublin homes. Many are shown unpainted, so the carpentry, the joints and the flush fit are all visible. Tap any image to see it larger — or open the full gallery.
How it works
I come to you, look at the space, talk through ideas and give honest advice — at no cost and no obligation.
This is a conversation, not a set menu. The first thing I do is ask what you want — I fit your idea, not just what I'd pick. If you're after a particular look, like an offset broken-square pattern instead of plain even squares, we build around that. Not sure yet? Then I'll suggest what suits the room and we work it out together. Either way it's all measured on site, so the proportions are right before a single cut is made.
Custom cut, fitted, filled and finished to a flawless paint-ready (or painted) surface. I always keep my workspace tidy — you'd never know I was there.
About Perfect Panelling
Perfect Panelling Dublin — it's just myself, Thomas, a bespoke wall-panelling and finishing craftsman with over ten years behind the tools. I specialise in recessed panelling, wainscoting and shaker panelling — and the wall preparation behind them: filling, sanding and finishing every surface smooth before a drop of paint goes on.
I came to carpentry the long way round. I started in painting and decorating, working on deep restorations — bringing old houses back to life, learning what a surface should really look like once every layer is stripped, repaired and brought back to former glory. A master craftsman took me under his wing and taught me the trade properly, and from there I kept pushing myself, teaching myself the joinery until I could finally call myself a carpenter. That painter's eye never left me, though — it's why I'm as fussy about the finish as I am about the cut.
Honestly, I just love cutting wood and making people's homes last. There's nothing like turning a plain wall into the best-looking thing in the room — and knowing it'll still be standing proud long after I've packed up the tools.
When you call me, I'm the one who gives the quote, measures the job and sees it through — every cut and every finish. No rotating crew, no subcontractors, no middleman. Nothing gets lost in translation, and the standard never slips.
I love carpentry done the old way, and I build for it to last like it used to — with the best of the new methods where they earn their place. Every panel is packed and propped until it sits dead flush, then bonded with modern foam adhesive that grabs and holds for good, so nothing lifts, springs or comes away down the line. The joints are tight because the fit is right, not because they're buried in filler. If an angle isn't right, it comes off and goes back to the saw. I'd rather measure and cut twice than caulk over a bad mitre — no shortcuts.
A wall like this is on show for the next ten years plus, so it should be something you keep noticing for the right reasons. If I'm painting it, I take it right through to the final coat. If I'm not, I fill the nail holes and joints before I leave — bear in mind it will still need a sand and any additional filling after the first coat, at the painter's discretion.
The way I see it — if I'm back in a few years for another room, I want to walk past the first job and find it every bit as tight as the day I fitted it. That's the standard I build to.
The standard
Every panel is packed and propped until it sits dead flush, then bonded with modern foam adhesive that grabs and holds for good. The joints are tight because the fit is right.
If an angle isn't right, it comes off and goes back to the saw. I'd rather measure and cut twice and know the mitre is clean.
Carpentry done the old way, built to last like it used to — a wall you'll still be happy to look at in ten years' time.
If I'm not painting it myself, I fill the nail holes and joints before I leave. It will still need a sand and any additional filling after the first coat, at the painter's discretion.
Where I work
Based in Knocklyon, South Dublin — I travel to jobs right across the city and county. No shop front, no showroom: I come to your room, which is where the measuring matters anyway.
Free quote & consultation
I'll come to you, look at the space, discuss your ideas and give honest advice — all completely free and with no obligation. You'll know exactly what you're getting before anything is agreed.