Board and Batten Reveal

I am so proud to finally show off my living room wall. We started the project last year and finally got the last coat of paint on the walls last month. We always seem to be working on a couple projects at a time. Does anybody else take on two or three projects at once?  I have really been trying to be more diligent about getting current projects done before starting new ones. I blame my short attention span on Pinterest.

I am really trying to add a cottagey (is that even a word?) charm to our home and trying to make it feel less builder grade.

We found several tutorials on how to do board and batten. I really liked the look that Emily from Decor Chick used in her living room.

My living room is set up a little funny, it is really long and narrow and it's hard to get furniture to look right. I think the board and batten wall makes the living room look a little wider.

We painted the wall (above the board and batten) Antique Silver by Glidden and the board and batten was painted white using Ace Wall and Trim paint.

Here is what we used to create the board and batten look. 

Board: 1/4" Birch plywood - 4' x 8' sheets (we chose the plywood to create a smooth texture). You can also just paint the wall white and add the batten. 

Batten: 1/2" MDF - 4' x 8' sheets 

Ledge: pine trim 1" x 2"

Trim under Ledge: cove moulding 3/4"

We cut the birch plywood down to fit the wall, primed the board and used liquid nails to attach the board to the wall. Next we cut the MDF, primed and painted and nailed it to the wall using a nail gun. We then added the pine trim and the cove moulding under the ledge. To finish off the look we used paintable caulk and nail filler to cover up any nail holes and gave the wall a few more coats of white paint.

Ok, now here is the big moment the true reason why you had never seen this wall before now. The ugly BEFORE and I mean this is like, "Hello 2005... Maroon paint what were you thinking?" I lived with this ugly wall for seven years. I have pictures of me with my little girl as a newborn in front of this ugly wall. I remember when I painted this wall and I just loved the dark color. YIKES!

It's an amazing before and after in my opinion. I love the board and batten! Actually, I want to add it to every wall in the house. I can see my husband rolling his eyes now! It just makes such a huge impact on a room. This space now has a cozy feel to it and it's hard not to just sit and stare at this wall all day. :)


I am linking to:
House of Hepworths
Tatertots and Jello
DIY Showoff
Coastal Charm
Savvy Southern Style
Under the Table and Dreaming
Home Stories A to Z
Thrifty Decor Chick
Beneath My Heart
Serenity Now