Wainscoting

Wainscoting is wood paneling applied to the lower portion of an interior wall, typically 3 to 4 feet high, capped with a horizontal rail or moulding. Traditionally built from frame-and-panel construction (and, in simpler modern versions, from shiplap or beadboard instead), it originated as much for function as looks -- wood paneling on the lower wall, right at the height furniture and foot traffic actually contact, protects plaster or drywall from the daily wear that section of a wall takes far more than the upper wall does.