This DIY board and batten wall brings loads of charm and character to our farmhouse style dining space and it was SO simple to create!
So, it’s been nearly a month now since we revealed our new farmhouse style dining room and not only have you seemed to love it as much as we do, but ya’ll have had all sorts of questions about that beautiful board and batten wall treatment we added to the space.
It’s brought so much charm and character to our dining space and friends, believe me when I tell you, it was SO simple to do!
Y’all may remember that empty space we started with – it looked kind of like this …
You know, minus that beautiful buffet that we put to work in our main bathroom and that pretty old china cabinet that’s now hanging out in my office.
Basically, it was a table with four sad little chairs that made you feel like they’d snap right under you if you moved the wrong way (in fact, that’s how we wound up with just the four).
So, if I was going to look at it from a glass-half-full point of view, I guess you could say our dining room was total blank slate, filled with nothing but possibility (quite literally in fact).
Brady and I came up with some pretty grand plans for this little space…
The first of which was that lovely board and batten wall, which truly set the stage with that vintage farmhouse feel I love so much…
The very first step was figuring out some approximate measurements for things:
– I knew I wanted this wall to make a big impact, which meant a bit of height for sure. We settled on 6ft, which would leave us with a bit of blank space above the wall to decorate still.
– I was also pretty sure that I wanted there to be some squares running along the top with a longer rectangle shape below. We used some spare lumber we had laying around to eyeball a layout, with Brady holding the boards up while I directed him to shift things around until I found what I liked best. Once we’d settle on things, we took some approximate measurements of things to build a base for our layout.
Then of course, we worked those approximate numbers into the actual length of our wall to create the best fit possible. We certainly didn’t want there to be any spaces left on either end, so we played around with the numbers a bit, making sure to factor in the width of our trim to create the look we wanted.
If you’re anything like me, this part sounds most daunting of all. These are the moments in life that I am most grateful for my super smart husband! #kiddingnotkidding
Actually, it really wasn’t as difficult as I’m making it sound. Once we had an approximate width for our sections, we simply divided our wall into those sections, adjusting our numbers as needed to make sure that everything fit perfectly.
We started by installing a baseboard along the bottom of our wall. Then, armed with some 1×4 trim pieces, we got to work on the board and batten itself. We nailed in the two long pieces first, running the entire length of the wall – one at 6 ft. high the other at 4.
Then, we nailed trim pieces between them both – these worked out to be about 1 ft. apart, though this is the measurement you’ll want to adjust based on the length of your own wall.
Once our grid was complete, we finished it all off with a piece of 1×2 trim, which we turned onto it’s side and then nailed into the top of our board and batten wall treatment, to create a small ledge.
I filled each of the nail holes as well as each of the place where the trim met with a bit of spackle and caulked around each of the edges where the trim met the wall (my least favourite job EVER!).
Then, I got to work painting, covering everything with a couple of coats of Cloud White from Benjamin Moore.
Since we used primed trim boards, it actually went pretty quickly!
And that’s it my friends! In just one day, we went from a plain old wall with no personality to this beautiful wall chalk full of vintage charm!
I truly can’t believe how much this one little wall has completely changed the feel of the entire space!
I’ve no less than a zillion questions about that pretty fiddle leaf plant in the corner – if you’re on the hunt for your own, here’s where I found it.
Pop on over here to see the rest of our dining space…
Wishing you SUCH a lovely day!
PS. This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. For more information, please see my privacy and disclosure policies.
Kathleen says
You did a beautiful job! Your dining room looks lovely.
Kristi says
Thank you so, so much Kathleen!!!
Colleen says
What an impact! So beautiful!
June says
Good job love it!
Kristi says
Thank you so much June!!!
muchloverose says
OMG Kristi it’s beautiful –
I have been thinking of doing this in one of my rooms.
Your DR looks beautiful.
Have a great day
Much love,
Rose
Kristi says
You are much too sweet! Thank you SO much Rose!
Faye says
It looks fantastic and I have a dining room that needs a major overhaul – I was thinking about doing something similar but do that finish on all four walls. I have a question about the china cabinet and buffet that you pictured in your “before” picture. I have something similar – same colouring – along with tables and chairs as well. We inherited the dining set from my in-laws. Anyway, they are quality pieces – but really are dark and rather brooding. Anyway, do you still have your pieces? Do they still look the same or have you refinished? I would like to paint this set but hubby and in-laws would flip. Trying to figure out what I can do.
Thanks for any input!
Kristi says
Thank you so much for your kind words Faye! I think this wall treatment would look great on all four walls!
Both the china cabinet and buffet have been painted and moved to other rooms in our home – the china cabinet is now in my office: https://www.makingitinthemountains.com/farmhouse-style-office-storage-a-vintage-china-cabinet-makeover/, and the buffet table has become a vanity in our bathroom: https://www.makingitinthemountains.com/how-to-transform-a-vintage-buffet-into-a-diy-bathroom-vanity/. If you need to keep the wood, you could consider stripping it down and restaining it a lighter colour, or maybe just paint out a part of each piece to lighten them up a bit. Good luck!
Faye says
Gorgeous pieces! I love what you’ve done. And I’m thinking I would love to paint mine – but I’m not sure I’d ever live it down. I like the idea of lightening up – if I ever get it sorted out I’ll send you a pic! Thanks!
Kristi says
Please do Faye! Good luck!
Sarah @ Making Joy and Pretty Things says
It looks beautiful Kristi! Definitely makes such a difference and seemed easy to DIY. I like that it’s taller than other board and batten walls I’ve seen (that aren’t floor to ceiling), if that makes sense.
Kristi says
Yes, that makes total sense and I agree! Thanks so much Sarah!
Angie ~ ambientwares says
This is so elegant! I’d love to do something like this in our dining room. It already has a really dark wooden wainscoting so I don’t know if I should just paint it but, this is definitely inspiring! Pinning & sharing 🙂
Kristi says
Thank you so much Angie! I bet that wainscoting looks amazing, but if you’d like a lighter looks, painting it is such an easy fix. Thanks again!
Tracey says
It looks great! The spackling clearly went very well
Kristi says
Thanks so much Tracey!
misstoni65 says
Wow, I love that, it really finishes the room and gives it a rich look. And, I love that chandelier too! Thanks for sharing with us at Waste Not Wednesday Link Party 🙂
Kristi says
Thank you so, so much! It really adds so much character to the space!
Pamela-From My Front Porch To Yours says
Kristin it turned out perfect and added so much character to the space. I am trying to decided what style to add to ours. I just can not make up my mind.
Kristi says
Thank you so, so much Pamela! I’m thrilled to hear that you loved it as much as we do!
Christine @ www.rustic-refined.com says
Loving your dining room and those end chairs are just stunning. They just pop with the background of your board and batten wall. It all looks amazing Kristi.
Kristi says
Thank you Christine! I love how those dark grey chairs pop against the white too!
MaryAnn says
I have been following you on instagram for a long while and it’s about time I share just how much I love your style. Your dining room looks a-maz-ing! I have one tiny question – can you share the paint color of your dining room walls? It’s perfect and I would love to use it in my living room.
Kristi says
Thank you so, so much MaryAnn! Your sweet comment just made my day! I’m thrilled to hear that you like following along! The dining room walls are painted in Edgecomb Gray from Benjamin Moore. My favourite beige ever!
TheTaleofanUglyHouse says
My goodness girl, your dining room is a stunner! I absolutely love it all. Thanks for the sharing on The Creative Circle! Your my feature this week 😉
Kristi says
Thank you so, so much Amanda!!! xo
richellaparham says
Kristi, your room looks gorgeous! I love this style of board and batten, but I would have been hesitant to try it myself. You make it sound quite doable! Thank you for the instructions. Hmmm. . . my wheels are really turning now!
Thank you for joining the Grace at Home party at Imparting Grace. I’m featuring you this week!
Kristi says
Oh my gosh, well thank you for the kind words and the feature! I’m so happy that you’re feeling inspired to try it yourself! We couldn’t be happier with how it turned out!
Christina @ The DIY Mommy says
I love this, Kristi! It did change the whole look of your room. This is exactly what I want to do in our living room on our fireplace wall, except my 1×2 piece on top will be flipped the other way to match our powder room board and batten. 🙂
Kristi says
Oooooo, it’ll look perfect next to that gorgeous fireplace Christina!!! Thank you so much!
Sydne Wilkinson says
Great work! I am shopping for a plant like the one in the corner, could you share your source? Thanks!
Kristi says
Thank you so, so much Sydne! I picked up our plant here (affiliate link): http://rstyle.me/n/cc5ruvbz687.
Cindy says
Lovely room and the walls do look amazing!
Thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY!
Blessings,
Cindy
Kristi says
Thank you so, so much Cindy! We are so happy with how things have come together!
mrsinthemiddle1 says
This looks awesome! I had a quick question. After you spackled, did you sand your boards? I’m a novice DIYer, so maybe this is a silly question!
Kristi says
SO happy you love it! Yes, you are going to want to sand the spackle until it’s smooth. Good luck!
Dan Marakowski, Jr. (@dmarakowski) says
Beautiful work! Quick question, what sheen did you use for white paint? High Gloss, semi, eggshell, flat?
Kristi says
Thank you! We almost always paint in eggshell.
Dee says
Hi this looks great! Do you remember the size of your baseboard? also the distance between each 1×4 batten?
Kristi says
Thanks so much Dee, I’m thrilled that you love it as much as we do! Our baseboards are 6″ and the distance between each piece of batten trim is about 12″. Hope this helps!