The Future of Wood Panelling: Trends and Innovations

The future of wood panelling is looking up as trends and innovations in 2026 favour eco-friendly, non-toxic building materials created using sustainable practices, and warmer aesthetics.

Wood panelling trends in 2026 & beyond

• Eco-friendly 
• Non-toxic 
• Sustainable
• Warm, natural aesthetics

There’s currently a huge shift in the home design market with consumers preferring environmentally friendly building solutions over more artificially manufactured materials. 

For instance, chemical off-gassing is a growing concern. In response, homeowners, particularly those with children, are opting for cleaner, more natural products like wood. Wood panelling can be sealed with eco-friendly sealants, like resins, oils, and waxes, or left unfinished. This further cuts down on VOC chemicals introduced into the family’s living areas.

Sustainability is also on people’s minds when designing or renovating their homes. Many simply reject overly processed, non-renewable, and unrecyclable materials. Fortunately, wood panelling makes a clean sweep in all of these categories as a completely renewable, recyclable, biodegradable and minimally processed, natural resource. Furthermore, Canada has invested in responsible forest management for nearly 80 years. The result is the regrowth rate of trees is now greater than the amount harvested.

Trends in previous decades saw increases in the use of drywall. However people have missed the warm glow and natural feeling of wood. Advice to anyone looking to remodel or update their decor this year is to add wood back into the mix. Wood feels cosy and inviting, has insulating properties, and even helps with sound management–a real boon for home offices and open-concept areas.

Interest in wood panelling is surging in 2026 because house designers, home renovators, and homeowners find it fits all their needs. It’s a beautiful and timeless addition that instantly adds value to homes across Canada

Alpine Mouldings is a premier Canadian lumber remanufacturer specializing in wall panelling, siding, flooring, and mouldings. We make our products directly at our facility in southern Alberta with local materials. Give us a call, 403-627-8873