Installing Wainscoting

Wainscoting, wall molding, picture frame molding…your head can start to spin with all the different terms these days. I just wanted those picture frame-rectangular-do-hicky-things that go under the chair rail, whatever they’re called. What ever you want to call it, I’ll show you how to install it today.

It’s pretty easy and adds so much classic architectural detail to a room. My dining room was boring, dark, lacking of all character, uninviting and never, ever used. I believe every space in your home should be beautiful AND used and if it isn’t, then change it until you love it and will use it!

I painted the lower half white, to lighten it up, removed the traditional rug and replaced it with a gray, modern one,added stunning artwork, and the picture frame wall molding. I chose a pre-primed molding from Home Depot and it is 1.5” wide.

If you are planning on tackling any type of DIY projects, I seriously recommend buying a miter saw.

I am an artist, a visual person, and am more concerned about the overall look vs. the exact measurements.

TIP: You can create different size rectangles with painters tape 1st to see if you really like that look. Start cutting frames: It doesn’t get any more basic than this.

Remember I chose 16 x 19” so my longest, outside dimension for the top & bottom piece will be 16 inches. Make sure your top and bottoms match exactly and repeat with the side pieces.

(I did this on my kitchen table… um, not the best spot, because I nailed the frames to my table a few times!

The distance from the top of each rectangle to under the chair rail was also the width of a 2×4.

I also cut a spacer board for the spaces in between each frame as an easy reference point. Fill all the nail holes with wood filler and touch up the frames in a nice semi-gloss paint, the same color as the wall color.

I used a white satin paint for the wall and a semi-gloss for the trim.