Use this simple & easy DIY board and batten wainscoting tutorial to add tons of character to your home on a budget!
Now, I know that everyone and their mother has tried Board and Batten, or at least it seems that way. And I have been semi-stalking all things Board and Batten since we moved into our home last February. But what we have here is how I installed Board and Batten. You can learn from my mistakes and hopefully not repeat them!
I installed B&B in my Living Room because it is just this wide open space with tall ceilings and I thought it needed a bit more structure. I wanted to help define the space in an open floor plan. And I think it did just that!
Let’s take a look at the before and after side-by-side shot. You know, cause that’s what we do in the blogland. Errrbody loves and good before and after. 🙂 (You can find all of the glorious details about this room in my Living Room Reveal post.)
And since, like I said before, everyone and their mom has done this in their home, I’ll just share with you what I did. I was majorly inspired by these other great tutorials: Jackie’s, Emily’s, Ana’s, Kate’s, Mandi’s and Anna’s. And while I wish I had done this project sooner, I knew it was going to be a big undertaking … and it was. Ginormous. (Of course it would take much less time in a smaller room, mine is just a big room.) I grossly underestimated the time it would take to get everything painted and nailed to the wall, caulked, spackled, sanded and painted some more. A lot of the time factor was due to having to work around a 2-year-old. I couldn’t nail up the boards while she was sleeping because her room shares a wall with the living room. And I couldn’t use my nail gun while she was awake because it’s too loud and she cries. So, that was the biggest hang up … just waiting for a time when someone else (like my hubby or my mom) could take her outside or somewhere (anywhere) else while I put the boards up. So, if you have a little one, plan to have your husband or friend take your child while you put the boards up.
So here’s how I did it:
I figured out where I wanted to place the top of my boards. This was quite the decision because I had to work with the fireplace. I had originally decided to put the boards just above the fireplace, but I’m so glad a good friend of mine helped me re-think that decision. It would have placed the boards almost in the exact middle of the wall, cutting it in half. And we all know that design works best with the rule of thirds, right? So then I decided to place the top board just below the “sticking-out-top, not-sure-what-you-call-it” part of the fireplace. I love how it still leaves the architecture of the fireplace in tact, and now divides the room not exactly in half. Design crisis averted! I think it looks so much better the way I did it in the end.
Once I decided where to place the top boards, I drew a line around the room using my laser level (those things are awesome by the way!) and painted gray on top and white on the bottom. I learned from several other tutorials that is saves a ton of time and hand cramping to paint the walls first! So glad I did my research. (Read about how I Picked the Perfect Gray.)
So at this point you have to figure out what boards you’re going to use. It’s probably best to figure out that first, but I’ll talk about it here. One night I went by myself (alone time, hallelujah!) to Lowe’s and priced out all of the options. I looked at furring strips, pine white board and MDF. Furring strips are definitely the cheapest, but it’s hard to find straight boards. I was going to go with this option (and just search for straight boards by laying them on the floor and creating a huge mess in the back corner of Lowe’s), but at my store they all had rounded edges and I wanted a straighter line for my boards. Pine boards were way too expensive for my large room, but would be my first pick if money was not a factor. And so I decided to go with MDF. I had the guys at Lowe’s rip it there. I bought two sheets and had quite a bit left over. (Perfect for my next room reveal!!)
Side note: I asked for them to rip it in 8 foot long 4-inch strips, but their saw wouldn’t cut it that way; it kept getting stuck. So, they ended up having to rip the boards in 4 foot long strips. Except they tried to rip a few 8 foot long pieces for me, and when it didn’t go well, they had to cut it the other way and I ended up with a bunch of 3 feet 4 inch long strips. And I ended up having to piece together a lot of places on my walls. (See step #8.) It made for a lot of extra caulking, spackling and sanding. I’d highly recommend making double double sure that they can cut them in 8 foot long strips before committing to the MDF. And if they mess up mid-cutting, I’d ask for them to start over with a new piece at their cost.
Once I got the MDF boards home, I primed and painted them. I used my all-time favorite primer: Zinsser Cover Stain. You can get it your local home improvement store. And then painted them one coat of paint. (They got another coat of paint once they were on the wall.)
It might be fine just to paint them once you’ve put them up on the walls and caulked and spackled them. Maybe just as easy and less time-consuming. I’ll try it that way on my next project and let you know. 🙂 Don’t look at the messy garage. It’s on my to-do list to organize it this summer. I even started a new Pin Board last week: Garage Organization. 🙂
Side note: I thought I could just grab white paint from the shelf and go with it, but when I started to use it on the walls it was like fluorescent white. I HATED it. I don’t know the color of my trim since it was painted before we moved in and our home was a foreclosure. (No extra paint samples here.) And the trim and fluorescent white looked terrible next to each other. So then I pulled out my paint swatches, my many paint swatches, and picked Benjamin Moore’s Simply White. I returned my off-the-shelf white and had Lowe’s color match to the paint swatch. Sooooo much better!!
Once I had the first round painted {I had limited space to lay the boards as they dried, so I had to do painting rounds}, I nailed up the horizontal boards first. I didn’t get a picture of this, but you’ll want to make extra sure that your horizontal boards are level with your level. {side note: I don’t know how I lived before I had a level. Best tool evahhhh!) I didn’t get pictures because it took me and my husband to help hold the boards in place while I nailed them in with my nail gun and made sure they were level. 🙂 Don’t use your baseboards as a leveling guide because chances are they aren’t level.
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Carrie @ My Favorite Finds says
Very awesome! I love it! Thanks for sharing at Pinworthy Projects.
Rachel and her Brasileiros says
This looks amazing! I want to do this so bad! Great tutorial! New follower from Shades of Blue!
Laura says
Thank you, Rachel … welcome!!
Angela Betlewicz says
Wow, what an awesome job! Everything look really nice! Following from HickoryTrail
the cul-de-sac says
Looks great! And very helpful tutorial! New follower!
Ellora Drinnen says
It looks great! I’ve been wanting to do some good ol’ board and batten too! You are not the last person to do this… it will be me by far! ha! You have some great tips in your post, especially about getting the boards cut and using caulk and spackle to make up for a few mishaps. Love the project and can’t wait to get going on this in my home too!
Laura says
You can do it!! It took me quite some time from start to finish … several week. Just pace yourself, ask for help, and you can do it!!
xo, Laura
Jody and Stan says
What a project, but well worth it! It’s fantastic. New Follower.
Jody
Laura says
Thank you Jody!
Diana Miller says
Amazing!! I love board and batten and I’m too chicken to try it!!! Thanks so much for linking up to The Weekly Creative! Pinning this project and featuring it next week! XOXO
Laura says
Thank you so much!! {and don’t be chicken … 🙂 if I can do it, you can too!}
Robin Johnson says
I have got to try this somewhere in my house. I have always loved the look. Everytime I see it I’m reminded of just how much I love it. Your room looks so cozy and chic.
Laura says
Thank you … you’re too sweet!!
Tina says
I think this living room is very stunning – I adore the color choices and just love all you did. Thanks for the tutorial – in my forever home – one day.
I just became your newest follower and maybe you can stop by when you have a chance
tina
one crafty mess
[email protected]'s Mansion says
A lot of work but the results are stunning!
Diana - FreeStyleMama says
Gorgeous!
Rachel O. says
Oh your living room is gorgeous!! I want to install board and batten in our place – it would really make our front room pop.
Julia Kendrick says
So pretty! I would love to do this in my hallway! Thanks for sharing! Julia
Carissa Rasmussen says
looks great! i splurged and used pine in my entry way and love how it turned out. can’t wait to try the mdf method for a larger room
Laree says
I saw your living room on pintrest and came on over. But that post didn’t say how you did the board and batten, so I continued clicking – so glad I did! I’m smack dab in the middle of my first board and batten – just pulled off all the baseboards before the 9 month old woke up. (and I considered not replacing the baseboards. But my house is 50 years old, and they are just yucky old and not my style.)
Yours looks awesome! I hope mine looks as good when I’m done.
One question: how wide are your pieces?
Laura says
Hi Laree, they are 4 inches wide. Good luck with your project!!
Come back and link up if you post your B&B to your blog. I’d love to see it!
[email protected] says
Hi Laura! You have done a fabulous job in your living room . . . your entire home for that matter. Being a turquoise lover myself the name of your blog had me from the start. Thank you for sharing the beauty you have created and blessings to you, Patti
Laura says
Thank you Patti!! I’m glad you dropped by!
Tanya Runkle says
Laura this is fantastic! I would love to add some vintage charm to our home this way too. I would love for you to share with us at the Pretty Things party (live now!)
xo, Tanya
Selene @ Restoration Beauty says
Wow! What a difference they make to the whole room! Adds so much character..love it!
Jamie Alanna says
Wow, this is amazing! I’d love it if you could link this up to our party, Give Me The Goods Monday! {1 party, 5 blogs}
Have a great week!
Jamie @ somuchbetterwithage.com
[email protected] says
The whole room looks beautiful and the board and batten is the icing on the cake!
Laura says
Thank you Natalie!! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!!
Abby @ Just a Girl and Her Blog says
WOW! It looks SO amazing! We are thinking of doing board and batten in our bathroom, so I’m pinning this for future reference! Thank you for doing such a detailed and helpful tutorial! I popped over from Home Stories A to Z–thanks for sharing!
~Abby =)