31 Days of Building Character: Board and Batten


Welcome to day two of my 31 day series,  Building Character.  I am sharing 31 simple ways we have given our newly built, builder grade, spec home character.



Our master bedroom felt large, cold and empty when we first moved in.  It was a great space with a large tray ceiling but it lacked the cozy intimate feeling a bedroom should have.  My solution was to wrap the room in board and batten style wainscoting...


This project was super cheap and super simple.  It's a great project for a beginner (as long as the beginner knows how to properly operate the tools required to complete the job and takes all the necessary safety precautions).


There are a ton of internet tutorials out there.  
I used basic pine 1 x 4's and 1 x 6's.  The entire project cost less than $100.


I started by replacing the door trim with primed and sanded 1x4's and the baseboards with 1x 6's.  Then, I installed the horizontal boards all the way around the room.  I measured each wall separately to determine the spacing of the vertical slats.  


After the boards were up, I used latex caulk to fill the seams.  I gave the entire area two coats of cream colored latex paint in a satin finish.  That's it.  Very simple and the semi rough texture of the cheap boards adds to the character.  One tip I have is to make sure the boards are straight before purchasing.  Some pine boards are warped and curved so be extra picky.

Thanks for stopping by, see you tomorrow!
To view the entire 31 Day Series, Please click here.

30 comments:

  1. I am just about to start a board & batten project in my home and love to see how yours came out! Thanks for sharing and look forward to the rest of this series!

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  2. so i just decided, last night, to participate in the 31 day series too! this is all so new to me. i love your series idea ... building character!

    and what a great project! i want add more moldings and things around my house! i didn't know it could be so inexpensive!

    thanks for sharing!

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  3. I love all of the trim in your house. Keep telling us how you did it! Your master bedroom is an inspiration.

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  4. My master bedroom is exactly like yours (that wall with the two windows a bed in between anyway) but, alas, is no where near as lovely as yours. I am following you every day for inspiration. Maybe some day...

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  5. Looks great!
    Question, I bought a bamboo shade like the ones you have, at Target, then they stopped selling them. I now need more and was wondering where you bought yours.
    If you have a moment, I would really appreciate it.

    Annelie

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  6. Annelie, I bought mine at Target also :( JCpenney has a similar version. Sorry I am not much help! Regards, Sarah

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  7. Your bedroom is lovely and has a cozy feel and great colours. We added thick board and batten in our kitchen and when time permits will be wrapping around the wall into the family room. I can't imagine not having it now. Off to see day 3!

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  8. HI- I was wondering was it hard to take off your baseboards? I am wanting to do this in my babys room but was told that is too much work to take them off. and it wouldnt match the rest of the house?

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  9. Anonymous, I found it to be a pretty simple task. Please email me at theyellowcapecod@yahoo.com and we can talk. :)
    Sarah

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  10. This looks terrific! Our bedroom is very similar. Are your walls textured? I've been thinking about doing faux board and batten, but I'm worried that it will look weird because of the drywall texture. Thanks so much for sharing all of this! I am very inspired! :)

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  11. I'm so glad I stumbled onto your blog from Pinterest. Can you tell me where you bought the candleholders? I love them! I look forward to exploring this site more. Best, Lori

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  12. You are amazing!! What an inspiration!
    I have a question about the size boards you used...you said you used 1x4's for the doors and 1x6's for the floorboards...it looks like you used 1x4's for the upper horizonal boards and the vertical boards on the walls, is that correct?
    I love doing stuff like this and I so desperately need a project to do on my own, I'm driving my husband crazy!

    Thanks so much,
    Christine

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  13. I am about to tackle board and batten in our basement family room. I was worried about how high up I could do it since we are mounting our TV on the wall. I noticd your TV hangs over yours. Could you explain how you did that? Thanks so much! Love your blog! Lindsay

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  14. where did you get those lanterns?!? love them!!!

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  15. I also love those lanterns/candle holders! Please share where you got them!!

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  16. Yes! Pray-tell where you got those sconces!!! I love them.

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    1. Allison and Erianne, Thank you. They came from JCPenney years ago. They have a similar version now at Michaels in the candle section. They come in pairs. Best of luck, Sarah

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  17. Love this room makeover. In the process of buying a new home and have ear-marked your blog to copy-cat your style. Also, just found out you are in MI too. I'm in Grand Blanc, may be giving you a call soon!! Can you tell me what color of cream your used on your walls? Also, what is the other color in your bedroom?
    Thanks,
    Miranda

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  18. Thank you, Miranda. The walls are Ralph Lauren Brown Fox and the BandB is custom color similar to Martha Stewart Tailors Chalk. Best, Sarah

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  19. How do you decide the spacing on the b&b walls? Each of my walls are a different size?

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    1. Hi Becky, I measured each wall and divided it until I was able to get spacing that was similar on each wall. Each wall has different spacing but it is as close to being the same as I could get. Home Depot has a great book "walls and trim" that has detailed information and professional tips for measuring specifically for this type of wall treatment.
      Hope that helps!
      Best, Sarah

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  20. Is the spacing between boards different for each wall?

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous, Yes, the spacing is different on each wall. :)

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  21. Wow! I love your site! I have been inspired to copy cat so many of your ideas and creations! We will be attempting crown, base, and board batten for the first time as soon as we close on our house. I have taken your 31 day challenge to my never ending list of things to get done. I must ask though, which pneumatic nailer did you use for your board batten? I seem to be running back and forth trying to figure out which one is best for the job. Thanks!

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  22. Where did you find your candle holders on the wall/how did you make them? They are absolutely beautiful. I'm in love with them.

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  23. Sarah-This is a lovely room. How far up from the floor did you go to the top of the cream trim? I really am looking forward to doing this in our living room. Thanks for the inspiration!

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  24. Your home is beautiful. Where did you get the candle holders that are in the bedroom above the chest of drawers?

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  25. I also love your sconces. Could you tell me where you got them? kellygwillette@gmail.com. Thanks :)

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  26. Thanks for the suggestion on the spacing & materials. If I'm understanding this correctly, it sounds like you just installed the baseboards & door trims. Did you use some kind of paneling on the walls to hide the drywall texture or did you just let that show through the paint? Thanks!

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  27. Hi! I love your website!!' ️️Thankyou for posting and sharing your beautiful and creative designs. I am considering doing board and batton in my dining room. Do you have any guidance on the general height of the board and batton. I have heard that if you do it too high it will make a room feel smaller. Also, do you have Any suggestions or pictures of how to do the corners. Thanks in advance for your help!

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