What Wall Treatment Works for Your Space?
May 31, 2019
By: The Finished Space
There’s more than just wallpaper and paint that can give your space a refresh, and the secret is moulding. Considering how versatile trim can be, there are a number of different options for a simple, yet elegant wall treatment. Ultimately, choose a style cohesive to your space. We’ve compiled a list of creative ways you can give your walls the wow-factor, along with a few pointers and resources. Check out the wall treatment inspiration below for your next project!
Types of Wall Treatments:
Board & Batten
Alternating wide panels and narrow wooden strips.
For this wall design, the boards are typically, but not always, one-foot wide. Some may opt out of using boards and only use batten in intervals to create the same look, as pictured in this cozy bedroom by Ashley, of The Gold Hive. This trimwork will allow your space to have a contrast between different paint colors and to balance the overall aesthetic of the room.
Get the Look: Lattice or Flat Stock
Quick Tip from Ashley: Before deciding the height, thickness, and width of the boards, take time to identify your style and note the layout of your space when it comes to this wall treatment.
Wainscoting
Paneling or moulding incorporated onto the lower part of the walls of a room.
Source: Jeweled Interiors
Similar to board and batten, wainscoting provides architectural interest to a space. This wall treatment can be used to add a touch of elegance to your space, contrary to board and batten, which provides more of a linear look. It can also separate different textures or patterns, like this eclectic wallpaper found in Jewel Marlowe’s dining room.
Get the Look: Use a combination of chair rail, panel mould, and baseboard. Alternatively, follow Emily Henderson’s powder room reveal and use architrave, tongue & groove paneling, and baseboard instead.
Measuring the boxes: While there is no rule of thumb for how far apart your panel mould boxes should be, we recommend leaving 2¾ to 4 inches between each box and from the top and bottom.
Navigating around outlets and windows: If your moulding runs through an outlet, Jewel recommends tapering the face of the moulding at a 30-degree angle towards the outlet. While you may need to adjust your measurements just slightly when meeting an outlet or window, Jewel suggests having a board handy before getting started, that is measured out in your preferred spacing dimensions. You can use the board and trace or hold it between the moulding, windows, and outlets. As you can see in her space, she kept all of the spacing consistent, slightly adjusting it towards the window, and scaling down the size of the box located below the window. For more tips on working around unfortunately placed outlets or windows, jot down some notes from this tutorial.
Picture Frame Boxes
Moulding used to frame wall art or decorative pieces in the form of a rectangle or square.
This application adds visual interest to any wall. It can be used to draw the eyes toward a specific decorative piece. While considering your room’s layout, your boxes can vary in size, depending on what you are framing or bringing symmetry to. Take a look at this exquisite master bedroom, by Alissa, of A Glass of Bovino. She paired square, wider boxes with rectangular, thinner boxes to successfully draw attention to her wall sconces, headboard, and art. And that’s not all, boxes were expertly added to the bottom half of her wall, too, for a wainscoting effect.
Get the Look: Panel mould (or picture frame moulding) and/or chair rail
Design Tip: While the boxes can vary in size, be sure to keep the spacing the same measurement not only between each box but also between your baseboard, casing, and crown for a clean, cohesive look. Still have a few questions? Follow this helpful guide where Addicted 2 Decorating dives into more detail on measuring and installing.
Shiplap
A type of wooden board that can be used as cladding by stacking the planks on top of each other or side-by-side to fill a wall.
Source: House of Jade Interiors Blog
Aside from the Fixer Uppers’ admiration for the product, the rise in the use of shiplap could be attributed to its rustic charm, subtle texture, and visual interest. Shiplap can be installed vertically, as pictured in House of Jade Interiors’ kitchen and dining area, or horizontally, as showcased in Jamie Banfield’s latest blog post. It can be solely used for one wall as a feature, or just the bottom half of a wall, as exemplified in Vanessa Francis’ laundry room.
Get the Look: For a rustic, inviting feel take a look at Metrie’s Option {M} Modern Farmhouse shiplap. If you’re looking to transform your space without the paint cleanup, check out Metrie Complete Pre-Painted shiplap.
For more shiplap inspiration and tips view our resources below:
DIY Modern Farmhouse Shiplap Wall (featuring Andrew Pike and Ecnomus Construction)
How to Install Metrie Complete Pre-Painted Shiplap (featuring Roxanne West)
If you’re looking to create a bold feature or accent wall versus dressing up an entire room, take a look below for a few more ideas:
Grid
Source: Jacquelyn Clark
Jacquelyn, of Lark and Linen, gave her bedroom a focal point with this grid feature wall, and it instantly adds a layer of character. This technique can also be used on only half of the wall, just take House of Brinson’s powder room reveal as inspiration. Check out this detailed tutorial if this particular application speaks to you.
Get the Look: Jacquelyn topped of this flat stock design with use of crown moulding.
Geometric
Source: The Dreamhouse Project
Tash and Kes, of The Dreamhouse Project, went for a bold feature wall inside their son’s bedroom. They even took it one step further by adding LED lighting behind the trim! When it comes to geometric wall design, there are endless possibilities in how it can look. Click here to see how Tash and Kes came up with the pattern for their treatment, but don’t stop there, browse Pinterest for even more ideas!
Get the Look: Flat Stock
Alternating Pattern
Source: Cityline
If you can’t decide between a grid or geometric pattern, why not combine both for the ultimate look!? Check out some examples from The BroLaws’ Cityline segment and their accompanying blog post to see how they used Metrie’s interior finishings to take each wall from bland to beautiful.
Get the Look: Lattice or Flat Stock
“You can paint a wall, you can even wallpaper it. But by adding [trim] to the wall, it adds an extra element; it’s three-dimensional and adds a pop to the wall, and there are easy and complicated ways to dress it up. Even with the simplest of wall trims and details, you can add some class to a once boring white wall.” – The BroLaws
Can’t get enough of this wall inspiration? Check out Jamie Banfield’s article for more ways to update your space with Metrie’s shiplap and moulding!
