Hello there! I hope everyone had a fabulous 4th of July – I know we did! Today I wanted to share with you my recently completed Board & Batten wall in my laundry room. If you haven’t already, check out the design board where I laid out all the BIG plans I have for this small space.
Here’s a list of supplies you’ll need:
2) 1″x2″ pine
3) decorative trim molding
4) white paint and paint supplies
5) nail gun & compressor
6) multitool
7) mitre saw
8) decorative hooks (optional)
The first thing I did was paint the entire space in Benjamin Moore’s Revere Pewter. It was yet another difficult paint color decision which is why Choosing Paint Colors Drive Me Crazy. But alas, I’m really happy with how it turned out. The next thing I did was tape off the bottom 2/3 of the wall and paint it a pure white interior satin. I wish I could say I used some technical way to determine how far up to tape off the wall, but I literally went in there with the tape and put it where it “felt right”. It ended up being 56″ from the floor.
Next I removed the baseboards by first scoring them with a razor knife, then cutting through the corners with my multitool. I was able to then pry them off with a screwdriver. [If you’d like more details on my tools, or links to them, check out my post on What’s in my Tool Bag.]
The boards I used for the wall were all cut from one 4’x8′ sheet of MDF (1/2″ thick). Lowe’s or Home Depot cut it into strips for me for free. The only other pieces I used were a 1″x2″ piece of pine for the “shelf” at the top, and a thin piece of decorative trim underneath that. Here is a breakdown of the sizes:
1) “baseboard” is 5″ tall
2) vertical boards are 3.25″ wide
3) top rail is 3.75″ tall
I gave all the boards 3 coats of pure white paint. MDF soaks up paint something fierce so unfortunately all 3 coats are necessary.
I started the install by first nailing in the top and bottom 2 boards. I simply used a level to ensure it was straight and put in a finishing nail every 12-18″ or so. I’m pretty sure I probably hit a stud or two along the way somewhere. Yes, I’m gonna go with that.
Here’s a close up of how the new “baseboard” goes in. I worried about it being a different height than the old baseboards at first, but you’ll see later how it doesn’t matter. I wanted that chunky look so I’m glad I stuck with my gut here.
My wall was about 94″ long so I cut pieces with my mitre saw to complete the length of the wall.
Next I nailed in the top 1″x2″ pine board directly into the top rail, like pictured below.
And the vertical boards. I saved these for last because it helped to measure the exact distance between the top and bottom boards to make sure I was going to have perfect fit for the vertical boards. I spaced them 18″ apart and simply used a level to ensure they were straight, and nailed away. I’m sure most of these were not nailed into the studs and that’s completely fine. They are sturdy and not moving anywhere.
And here it is once I had everything except the small trim nailed up.
Here it is with the small trim underneath the “shelf. I think it’s a nice finishing touch. I don’t have a direct link to it, but it’s a small ‘L’ shaped trim and there are multiple versions of it at the hardware store and you can choose any one that you like. I also caulked every single edge and seam.
And the finished product with the hooks!
It’s extremely hard to photograph in such a small space, so please forgive me!
What do you think? A pretty quick weekend project that adds huge pizazz to any space! Comment and let me know if it’s something you plan on trying or if you have any questions!