DIY Board and Batten Wall Accent

In the midst of a home renovation, it’s so comforting to have at least one clean and organized space where you can go to escape the chaos of it all. For me, this space was my bedroom—until the renovation chaos invaded my safe space! The situation might sound a little stressful at first (and even more so if you could see my still half-demolished first floor), but now that this quick master bedroom makeover is over, this space is even more of a peaceful retreat than it was before!

When I was given the chance to work with Arhaus on this project, I had a mini freak out moment, because I’ve always been an admirer of the brand. I grew up in Northeast Ohio and stuck around to put down roots, so I’m really proud of what we have and businesses that are based here. Arhaus is one of those businesses, its headquarters are actually on the same road as the button factory where my dad worked. As a kid, I learned about quality craftsmanship and the importance of details as I worked alongside my dad in his wood shop on Saturday afternoons. That probably explains why I’ve always been drawn to a fine furniture shop like Arhaus and even applied to work at their Canton store when I was in college earning my interior design degree. I didn’t exactly qualify for the job back then, and ended up waiting tables instead, but now it feels like things have come full circle!

As happy as I was to do my own shopping at Arhaus for this project, I’m just as happy to let you all know that you can win $500 towards some Arhaus goodies of your own! Read on to the end of this post to see the details.

I have to say that Phil and I were happy enough with our bedroom as it was, but I hadn’t spent much time hanging art (obviously) or really doing anything with the space besides moving in furniture and accessories that we already owned. It’s been really hard for me to give up my old bed, but we wanted to upgrade to a king-size bed since we finally had a house with room for one. This bed is very special because my dad crafted it out of raw materials when he and my mom were newlyweds. It’s going back to their house in my old bedroom for guests to use, so at least it’s not goodbye forever!The new Arhaus bed I chose for our makeover feels simultaneously casual and luxurious, and it also looks pretty fly alongside some Arhaus bedding, pillow and decorative accessories like the white vase on my dresser. But obviously another major element in the design of this space is my pink board and batten wall! I’m all about mixing bold and modern design choices with more traditional elements, and this room feels like the essence of all the things I love.

Installing the board and batten ourselves was a relatively easy project, though it certainly takes a substantial amount of time to do if you’re putting up more than one wall. It’s worth the effort, though, amiright?! Look at those before and afters! I’ll talk you through how Phil and I installed the board and batten, and also give you some insight as to how long each aspect took us to accomplish.

Materials:
1×4 or 1×3 boards (I used pre-primed ones)
Nails and/or screws
Construction adhesive
Spackle
Sandpaper (I used 60, 80, and 120 grit for various aspects)
Paintable caulk
Primer + Paint
Masking tape (optional)
Breathing mask

Tools:
Nail gun and air compressor (not necessary, technically, but very helpful!)
Stud finder
Putty knife or spackle spatula
Power sander (not necessary, but again—SUPER helpful!)
Level
Chop saw
Caulk gun
Pencil

Before beginning the project, you should measure your walls and determine the size you want your squares to be, factoring in the width of the boards you use. I began with one size square in mind before laying it out and realizing it wouldn’t fit the height I wanted, so I used smaller squares to fit the width of my headboard wall, then stopped the board and batten where it ended vertically on the wall, even though it wasn’t on the top of the wall. You don’t need to make yours perfect squares, but I liked the idea of doing that in my room.

Step One: Mount your horizontal boards into the studs of your wall using heavy duty nails or even screws. (If you use screws, they will need to be countersunk.) I used a spacer I had precut to the square height and used that to begin each new row. Use a level to ensure each row will be perfectly even all the way to the opposite wall. Putting up the horizontal boards was the fastest part of this whole project!

Step Two: Cut the short boards for your verticals. I used a pre-cut pacer for each vertical board placement. I didn’t use a tape measure for this, but instead would hold a board up in the place it was to go, then mark where I needed to cut the board. After I cut the board, I would put it in place and move on to the next one, without gluing or nailing yet. This part of the project was something I worked on solo as Phil (husband) came along to glue and nail them in place as I was halfway through with the cutting and dry-fitting process.

Step Three: After each vertical is in place but not yet glued or nailed, use a level to mark where it should be glued in place, at the same time marking where the verticals in the next row up should be placed.

Repeat steps 2-3 until you have the whole wall dry fit and ready for nailing and gluing.

Step Four: Glue and nail each vertical board into place. Use the marks you created in step three to make sure they’re perfectly in place.

Step Five: Sand, spackle, and prime. The most time intensive part of this project is all of the sanding and filling of gaps! Whatever you do, do not skimp on sanding. It gets exhausting, but you must make sure that all of the boards are even across the surface of the wall, or after painting you’ll notice all of the spots where the vertical boards stand proud of your horizontal boards, or vice versa. Thankfully my newly retired dad stepped in to help with sanding, because I was beat! After sanding, fill all of the holes and cracks between boards with spackle. When it dries, sand smooth then clean. Next caulk. Sounds so simple, and sure, I could use less words to tell you about it, but I really feel the need to prepare you for the agony and boredom that comes with caulking every single square on the wall! You’ll want to have a few good podcasts lined up, believe me.

But again—worth it!

Step Six: Prime and paint. We decided to spray paint the walls because it would’ve been a pain to brush around all of the boards. Such a good choice, but we should’ve had a box fan in the window to suck the air and airborne paint out of the room. But we didn’t. I had to touch up some overspray due to the cloud of paint that tinted areas of the white wall above the pink. The touchup ended up only taking about five minutes, so no biggie! Definitely worth the time saved in brushing and rolling.

Did I mention how all this work was worth it?! The board and batten treatment is such a classic design element, I know I’ll be happy with it forever, even after the pink paint is covered up one day with the next color that strikes our fancy.

My gorgeous bed from Arhaus just tickles me with its beauty and craftsmanship, but honestly it was hard to choose between the offerings at Arhaus because I love so many things! I pulled together a few of my favorite items I would’ve loved to include in our bedroom as well. I love a good basket light, and after experiencing an Arhaus linen duvet cover, I don’t think I can go back to plain ol’ cotton. Such simple elegance!

1. Globe Ratan Pendant
2. Lincoln Bed in Oatmeal
3. Casey Task Table Lamp
4. Palmer Nightstand in Natural Oak
5. Kaira Rug
6. Eva Vase in Cream
7. Cotton Knit Baisley Stripe Throw
8. Boho Striped Knot Pillow in Black
9. Serena Antique Mirror End Table
10. Tansy Upholstered Sheepskin Chair
11. Ava Hem-Stitch Duvet Cover in White
12. Boho Ivory Fringe Rectangular Pillow
13. Stone Washed Velvet Rectangular Pillow in Blush

It seemed like such a simple and small thing, but the cotton striped throw from Arhaus is one of my new favorite things in my house. It’s so soft and cozy, is sturdy yet doesn’t pill like synthetic blends do, and has classic appeal with a luxurious feel. I’ve been taking it from room to room in our home for cuddle sessions.

We’re all excited to have a hotel-like oasis at the top of the stairs right at home, but I forgot how exciting it is for kids when a room is transformed. Maybe this quick makeover looked like magic to my girls, but man, Mama is ready to take a big ol’ nap in her new king-size bed! When I wake up, I’m sure there will be two little munchkins still managing to push me off the edge, even though I feel like I have mattress space for days!

The board and batten and my vintage campaign-style dressers provide a great classic backdrop for some of the quirkier elements I used to decorate our bedroom, like this big cat poster a good friend of mine dubbed “Jaba the Catt.” We have a thing for kitschy animal decor around our house! And check out this little clay hand dish I made for one of my first ever crafts as a contributor for A Beautiful Mess back in 2013. Still love this thing!

After experiencing the dramatic change applied moulding (or in this case, simple 1x4s) can give to a boring room, you better believe I’ve been concocting more plans for batten and moulding details in other unfinished rooms in our house! I can’t wait to share them with you all.

Before applying the board and batten in our bedroom, I thought the angled ceiling of this space made an awkward design situation for someone who is drawn to symmetry and balance. The board and batten was the perfect solution for grounding the space and giving the furniture better context in the room, without taking away from the airiness of the high ceilings. The room now feels so cozy and inviting thanks to the warmth of the walls and the sumptuous upholstered bed, but the room also feels surprisingly spacious … even though we now have a larger bed. I’m still trying to figure that one out! Ah well, best not to question and just to enjoy little miracles when they come along. (But I’ll credit the low-profile bed in this case!)

Thanks for following along with my bedroom makeover! If you have any questions about how to make a board and batten wall in your own home, be sure to ask in the comments section below and I’ll help as much as I can.

Can’t wait to hear what you would pick out for your next space!! – Mandi

Credits // Author and Photography: Mandi Johnson and Megan Easterday.