A quick, easy, and inexpensive way to add depth and texture to the eat-in kitchen space is with board and batten.
Here is a step-by-step guide to designing a board and batten kitchen accent wall. We have a basic three-wall eat-in kitchen space that was boring and flat. Each of the walls has large windows or a sliding door. Making it a bright space without a lot of walls. Perfect for a unique board and batten accent wall that will add character and texture to the space.
Step 1 Picking the Design
Because there are so many windows and a sliding door I needed to be creative with my design. There was trim around the windows and door helping to guide the design of the board and batten.
The spacing is always tough, working around windows and doors was a challenge but after deciding on the width of the spaces between the boards. Making sure it would work with all the windows and sliding glass doors.
We have done a variety of wood accent walls in our home. The size and design of each space help dictate the design of the accent wall.
Here are a few of the accent wood walls we have done in our home.
Step 2 Finding and Marking the Studs
Before you start cutting wood it helps to locate the studs. So you know how where to nail. You can also use liquid nails which are as strong if not stronger than nails. If you’re missing studs don’t be afraid to use liquid nails and brad nails on an angle. There are a variety of stud finders on the market and here’s some liquid nails.
Step 3 Shop for Supplies
Thanks to my DIY project planning sheets creating the design is much easier. Grab the FREE project planning guide so your projects go smoothly. You will have a supply list, a shopping list, and steps to take to finish your project. The planning sheets make projects so much easier. After deciding on my design I measured what I would need, and checked for caulk, paint, nails, and liquid nails. Making a list of what I have and a list and what I need to purchase.
Step 4 Cutting and Nailing
Cutting and nailing is where the magic happens. Start with the horizontal boards. We have small pieces to install between the windows and sliding doors. Because we have 10′ ceilings I wanted to take the horizontal boards about 2/3rds of the way up. Since our horizontal pieces were so short we didn’t have to worry about seams.
If you can manage without seams be sure to do that but if you need seams use wood filler so the seams are invisible.
Begin by framing the wall, the top, bottom, and sides. We have beautiful wide baseboards so we didn’t need to remove them. If you have narrow baseboards step one would be taking them off and replacing them with matching boards that you are using.
Step 5 Add the Boards
After the walls are framed it is time to add vertical boards. The options are endless with wood accent walls. You can keep it simple and modern or more elegant with added trim to the boards.
The size of the wall will help dictate the design of your wood accent wall. I wanted the eat-in kitchen space to be modern but add some texture to the walls. Keeping the gaps between the boards decently large so it wasn’t too busy.
To figure out the spacing I measure the space. Minus the total width of the boards you are using and divide it by the openings you have. This will give you the measurement for the spaces.
Step 6 Caulk and Fill
The way to get a professional finish to your board and batten wood accent wall is by caulking and filling.
Caulk the edges of all the boards. Then fill the nail holes and any seams. When you run the caulking along the boards and walls, then run your finger and baby wipe or damp paper towel along the bead of caulking for a smooth finish.
I use the caulk for the nail holes. After it sits for a few minutes wipe the excess off with a baby wipe or damp paper towel.
If you have wood joints use wood filler. Apply it with a small putty knife when it dries sand it smooth so you are ready for paint.
You can grab the links to the wood filler and caulk above.
Step 7 Paint
The wood filler takes about an hour to dry before it is ready to sand then paint. Caulk is ready to paint after 20 minutes.
Caulking is a fun step. It gives you a beautiful finish to the project, ready for paint. After everything is dry you can get busy painting. Brush the edges, roll the face of the boards and all the walls.
Once it is painted you are left with a beautiful space that has a fresh space and a beautiful amount of texture.
