Love the Look of Cedar, But Not the Cost? A Smarter Way to Clad Walls and Ceilings
- Feb 8
- 3 min read
Cedar has long held a special place in New Zealand architecture. From coastal homes to alpine lodges, cedar-lined walls and ceilings are associated with warmth, craftsmanship, and a relaxed sense of luxury. Many of our clients walk into our studios with cedar already in mind for interior linings. They have seen it in magazines, on social media, or in beautiful architectural homes, and they love the feeling it creates.
Then the pricing arrives.
For many homeowners, cedar is one of those materials that feels emotionally right but financially challenging. Once priced by the lineal metre, and multiplied across large wall and ceiling areas, cedar can quickly become one of the most expensive line items in a build or renovation. We often see clients having to make tough calls, scaling back feature ceilings, reducing areas of timber lining, or cutting back in other parts of the project to make the numbers work.
If you love the look and warmth of timber-lined walls and ceilings, but need a more achievable way to bring that into your home, there is a smarter, more considered alternative.
A More Affordable Way to Achieve the Timber Look
Our Marchand Luxury Oak wall and ceiling boards are designed specifically for interior spaces where you want warmth, texture, and architectural impact, without the cost associated with cedar.
Our wall and ceiling boards offer a far more accessible way to clad large areas of wall or ceiling in real timber. This makes it possible to:
Line an entire living room ceiling instead of just a small feature
Create timber-lined hallways, galleries or bedrooms
Add warmth to entry spaces and stairwells
Carry timber detailing through multiple rooms, not just one
Wrap floor colour and texture up throughout walls and ceilings
Rather than timber becoming a small accent because of cost, it can become a defining design feature of your home.
Designed for Modern Interiors
Designed specifically for walls and ceilings, our wall boards are a slimmer profile than our flooring, making them lighter and easier to install vertically and overhead. Because walls and ceilings do not experience the same wear and tear as floors, they do not require the thicker 6 mm oak wear layer used in our flooring, allowing for a more efficient, fit-for-purpose design.
The Design Advantage: Matching Walls, Ceilings, and Floors
One of the most powerful design benefits of using Marchand wall and ceiling boards is cohesion.
Because our wall and ceiling boards are part of the same family as our flooring, you can choose to match your walls and ceilings to your floors. This creates a level of design consistency that is very difficult to achieve with cedar.
Matching timber finishes across floors, walls, and ceilings creates:
A calm, intentional aesthetic
A sense of architectural flow between spaces
A refined, high-end feel without relying on multiple materials
A cohesive palette that designers love to work with
This approach works beautifully in open-plan living areas, bedrooms, and even in spaces like home offices or media rooms where you want a sense of warmth and enclosure without visual clutter.
Creating Impact Without Overcapitalising
In any build or renovation, there is always a balancing act between where to invest and where to be pragmatic. Timber-lined walls and ceilings can be incredibly impactful, but they should not come at the cost of the overall quality of your home.
Choosing a more affordable wall and ceiling lining allows you to:
Invest in higher quality joinery
Allocate budget to lighting design, which dramatically affects how timber looks
Upgrade flooring, hardware, or appliances
Create a more cohesive overall result rather than one standout feature and multiple compromises
It is about making design choices that serve the whole home, not just one element.
A Thoughtful Alternative to Cedar
If you love cedar for the warmth and natural beauty it brings, our wall and ceiling boards deliver that same sense of comfort and texture, while offering greater flexibility and affordability. They allow you to achieve timber-lined spaces that feel considered, timeless, and luxurious, without the financial pressure that often comes with cedar in New Zealand.
Timber should not feel like a luxury reserved for a single feature wall or a small section of ceiling. With the right product choice, it can become a consistent, grounding material that flows through your home and elevates everyday living.
If you are weighing up cedar versus wall and ceiling boards, we always recommend seeing the materials in person. Touching the surface, seeing the tones in natural light, and understanding how the boards can work alongside your flooring makes the decision much clearer. Our studios are designed to help you visualise these combinations and find a timber solution that suits both your aesthetic and your budget.
