DIY Projects | Home Improvement
ByLauren
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Use these simple tutorials for adding wall moulding and wall trim to make your home feel upscale and custom for the fraction of the cost of a professional.
When you live in a builder grade new home, adding some architectural interest is the best way to create the illusion of a charming older house. If you’re new to DIY, installing trim details is way easier than you might think!
Over the years, we have used trim pieces to create design elements for a classic look in our home. It’s a relatively inexpensive way to create the custom feel of traditional design.
That’s the magic of a trim treatment. You can take a flat, lifeless room, and the moment you add wall trim, it instantly feels upscale!
Get all the tips in this guide for choosing the best paint for interior trim and decorative wall molding with recommended tools to get the job done correctly.
8 Wall Molding Tutorials to Elevate Your Home
If you know you want to add decorative trim to your home but you’re unsure what type of molding to choose, these 8 tutorials can help you decide.
When Robert and I first moved into our home in 2017, we had never installed decorative moulding. The most we knew how to do was nail shiplap wood paneling to a wall.
But in our new-to-us traditional colonial house, we envisioned it coming to life with architectural details in ornate designs. All these years later, we have added so much extra personality in these rooms with each easy project.
1. DIY Picture Frame Molding
This traditional style of molding is perfect if you want your rooms to feel elegant and more luxurious.
Paint the trim, molding, and walls all the same color in a satin sheen tomake a small room look bigger.
Interior designers will often use picture frame molding in a long hallway to add visual interest to the narrow space.
Design Tip: You can also create an accent wall by adding trim work around sections of a wallpaper mural. Here is how to hang wallpaper inside box molding as a focal point in a bedroom.
2. Beefed Up Crown Molding and Baseboards
If you already have crown molding in your house but it’s on the skimpy side, adding a thin piece of trim an inch or two below crown molding and above existing baseboards is a great way to upgrade the room.
You can use this same trick on Craftsman design style trim too.
Paint the trim and 1-2″ bit of wall in between the same color as the crown molding to create the illusion of a thicker crown quickly and for less money.
3. Grid Molding
This wall moulding is perfect for a focal wall on a large blank wall on stairs, behind a bed, or behind a sofa. Don’t worry about adding art.
Just let the molding do the work. It’s an easy way to try your first trim project since the simple grid trim design doesn’t require any mitered saw cuts. (You can see more of ourprimary bedroomhere.)
4. Vertical Shiplap
A more modern take on farmhouse shiplap, this vertical shiplap works well in bathrooms and hallways as a wainscoting to brighten up small, tight spaces and add texture.
It’s beautiful integrated into a coffered ceiling in a living room or dining room too.
(You can see more of thisCalifornia casual powder roommakeover here.)
5. Wood Planking
If you love rustic decorative elements, a stained wood plank wall adds a ton of character for very little expense.
Check out this DIY plank wall and how these different color wood stains look on different species of wood to help you decide what color to stain your wall.
I recommend staining the wood prior to nailing it on the wall. Or you can use thisnatural, inexpensive stainmade using basic items from your pantry. (You can see the rest of theplayroom makeoverhere.)
6. Traditional Shiplap
It’s farmhouse all the way, but it’s always a classic. Buying tongue and groove planks ready made from the hardware store makes this wall treatment install go super quick.
Paint it white for classic farmhouse or coastal style or paint it dark for a more modern, industrial vibe. (You can see more of ourfoyerin our old house here.)
7.
Board and batten works so well in entryways and mudrooms, but it’s perfect for basically any room of the house.
Take it all the way up to the ceiling or just run it halfway up the wall to add character in any room. (You can see the rest of thisbaby boy nurseryhere.)
8.
Another great one for a focal wall (or on a ceiling). If you can’t decide between shiplap or board and batten, mesh both together this way. (You can see more of ourprimary bedroomin our last house here.)
9. Beadboard
This classic style is one of the easiest trim ideas that can be installed as wall panels or tongue and groove.
Our daughter’s bedroom already had chair rail molding when we moved in, so we added panels of beadboard as wainscoting for a charming decorative feature. Beadboard is great for covering up popcorn ceilings too.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of paint finish do you use on molding and trim?
Satin sheen is the most recommended by designers and contractors. I personally prefer Benjamin Moore Advance for molding, trim, and doors because it cures quickly to a hard finish that won’t peel or scrape as easily.
What tools should you use for installing molding?
For most all molding installs, we use:
a compound miter saw, coping saw, jigsaw, cordless finish nailer, construction adhesive, level, tape measure, wood filler, caulk, and fine grit sandpaper.
What are the best paint colors for trim and molding?
Benjamin Moore Simply White is the most versatile in my experience. It’s the perfect bright neutral white with still just enough creaminess to feel cozy. If you want to be a little more daring, try these gray trim paint colors to make your trim and molding the star of the show.
There are so many other kinds of molding I would love to attempt installing one day… like this DIY reeded wall (swoon). But these 8 are perfect for the basics.
Have you ever installed one? Or ever wanted to? Or attempted it once only to fail miserably? I promise those gorgeously molded walls are SO WORTH IT!
More DIY Ideas That Add Architectural Interest
Easy DIY Faux Plaster Fireplace With Electric Insert
DIY Faux Brick Walls Using Paneling
DIY Built In Bookshelves Using the IKEA Billy Bookcase Hack
