The Plan
I’ve received many questions about our board and batten lately on Instagram, so I decided to document in this blog post. I have researched and looked over Pinterest numerous times to figure out the easiest way to install board and batten in our dining area. We live in a 1980s bilevel/raised ranch home (whatever you call them in your neck of the woods). So, our dining room and kitchen are all open to each other. We had a simple chair rail that was previously installed (lower than chair height if you ask me). We had previously painted the upper portion Colonnade Grey and the lower portion was whatever bright white they had painted all over the house originally. I know that white is the ‘trend’ on Pinterest and Instagram, but after living in rentals for a few years I was sick of white. I need some warmer, cozy tones in my life.
We left the lower portion white because I knew I wanted to do something with that wall. So, I thought board and batten would be a simple but HUGE impact. I chose to install a ledge because I wanted to go more ‘colonial’ inspired. Plus, this allows me to display different things throughout the seasons. We also intended to install pegs (again going with the more colonial look) so I can hang my herbs to dry and again, display various things throughout the year.
Get Started
When choosing wood- you can basically use any kind of wood but we chose regular 1x3s and 1x4s that were primed (so we could skip a step) and they didn’t cost much more. Some have used pine and MDF.
What you will need:
1x3s (for the vertical strips)- measure how high you want to go on your wall and figure out what spacing you want.
1x4s for lower and upper horizontal- measure the width of your wall and multiple by three.
wood filler
paint (we used Swiss Coffee by Behr- however this can be formulated in any paint brand)
paintable caulk
spackle (if filling in nail holes on wall)
narrow crown staples
narrow crown staple gun
brad nails
brad gun
mitre saw
measuring tape
pencil
(the last two are obvious)
The Process
We chose to do 7 big openings and one smaller one for sake of the width I wanted in openings between strips and the sheer fact of what our wall measured. We decided to not continue it to the side walls because they were shorter and it would complicate things and it would look wonky. I wanted the big, main wall to the the focal point/feature wall.
The 1x3s were cut down to the length/height I wanted on the wall. I wanted it to be most of the wall but have room on top to hang my chalkboard. Measure the width of your wall to get the length of the 1x4s. You will need three 1x4s to install this version of board and batten with a ledge. Cut all pieces.
Find the center of each stud (most homes are 16″ on center) and make a mark so you have something solid to nail the boards onto. Next, install the bottom 1×4 and nail to the wall. Then, install the 1x3s by trying to space them all the same while being able to nail to the stud. Next, install the top horizontal piece and nail. Then, place the last 1×4 on top as a ledge and staple into the previous horizontal piece.
Fill in the nail/staple holes with wood filler. Use wood filler/caulk to fill in where the boards do not create a tight fit. You will then want to use the paintable caulk and go over all the seams where the wood meets the wall. Allow that to cure and then you can paint the wall.
My husband used a 1/2 inch drill bit to cut a hole in the top horizontal board and centered in the middle of each opening. We bought bare wood pegs at the hardware store and painted them the same color as the wall.
The Result
I am in love! It does so much for the wall and the kitchen/dining room. I decided to install the big vintage chalkboard on the top portion and it makes the wall look even more profound. If you are thinking about installing board and batten, I definitely recommend it! You won’t be disappointed. I wish we would have done it sooner! It definitely does so much for a room and wall. If you decide to go for it as a result of this post, please share with me! I love to hear back from people who are inspired by my posts.
Have a great week!
