The Dimensions of our Dining Room Recessed Paneling

Recessed paneling has a quiet way of transforming a room. It’s subtle, classic, and architectural in a way that immediately makes a space feel more thoughtful and complete. When we started dreaming about ways to elevate our dining room, adding millwork was one of the first ideas that came to mind. The room already had beautiful natural light and good bones, but it needed that extra layer of detail that makes a space feel truly finished.

One of the things I love most about recessed paneling is that it feels timeless without being overly formal. It brings depth and visual interest to the walls while still allowing the rest of the room to shine. In our dining room, the paneling adds just enough structure to frame the space and highlight the pieces we love—the wallpaper, vintage finds, and simple seasonal decor.

Millwork also has a way of making a room feel more intentional. Even simple trim work can completely change how a space feels. The recessed panels add texture and dimension, breaking up large wall areas and giving the room that layered, collected look we’re always drawn to. It’s one of those projects that looks custom and high-end but can actually be fairly approachable with a little planning.

Before starting the project, we spent some time mapping out the panel layout and proportions. Getting the spacing right was important so the panels would feel balanced across the wall. Below you’ll find the exact dimensions we used in our dining room so you can reference them if you’re planning something similar in your own home.

Pictured above: Our baseboard trim, which is original to the house, is 7.5 inches tall.

Pictured above: then we used a 1×4s as our frame for the paneling (except the top piece of our paneling; that is a 1×6).

Pictured above: and spaced our first box 13 inches from the top of the bottom 1×4.

Pictured above: we used 1” molding for the insets of our boxes.

Pictured above: followed by another 1×4

Pictured above: then we made our upper boxes 39 inches tall.

Pictured above: then we added a 1×6 to the top

Pictured above: and finished it off with a 1.5 inch piece of chair rail.

Every room is a little different, so these measurements may shift depending on ceiling height, wall length, or trim size, but this layout worked beautifully for our space. Hopefully these dimensions help take some of the guesswork out of planning your own recessed paneling project.

Our recessed panels truly shine in this space and bring such a beautiful sense of structure to the entire room. It’s been so much fun styling around these walls and watching the dining room come together. If you’d like to explore the full space and sources, you can visit our dining room source page here.

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