A few years ago I decided to add an accent wall in my kid’s bathroom for some towel storage as well as to add some character to a dull bathroom. I’m going to one day continue it all the way around the room, but for now let’s look at this board and batten bathroom accent wall and how I did it.
You know those reels on instagram that start with, “I was walking into my kid’s bathroom when all of a sudden, …” and they tell how how they hate their bland space and want to make it over.
This is precisely what happened to me a couple of years ago when I installed this board and batten accent wall in my children’s bathroom, also known as our guest bath.
There is one wall on the far side of the room by the toilet that is blank. I wanted to inject some texture and depth in the room so board and batten seemed easy enough and fairly inexpensive as well. My entryway and two front rooms have board and batten as well, so it adds cohesion to the house as well.
Let’s look at the tutorial for a board and batten bathroom accent wall.
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Table of Contents
How To Make A Board And Batten Wall
Here are the supplies and steps to take to make a board and batten wall wherever you want to put it.
Step 1-Gather Supplies
- 1 x 3 x 8 pre primed pine boards
- Brad nailer
- brad nails
- caulk
- paint of your choice
- paint brush
- roller
- paint tray
- measuring tape
- miter saw
- spackle
- level
- stud finder
This is a list of what I used, but wood is not one size fits all. The pre primed boards are more expensive, but they save me a step in not having to prime. To me the extra cost is worth it because I am a lazy girl diyer.
However, there are so many options available to use for the “battens” of the boards and batten wall: pine, common boards, rip scrap wood down to size, furring strips, etc. Just remember the cheaper the wood, usually the rougher and then you may need to do lots of sanding.
I hate sanding.
Step 2-Find And Mark The Studs
The first step is to use a stud finder to mark the studs on the wall. Studs are usually 16 inches apart, but if I have learned anything from doing any DIY in old homes or new homes, is that walls are not straight and things are FUNKY inside of walls. Don’t rely on what SHOULD be, and look at what is.
Once you’ve located the studs, mark them with a pencil. Not every single batten will perfectly fall on a stud, but the top 1×3 pre primed wood piece can hit several studs. Nail the top board into those studs when installing the top board.
Step 3-Attach 1×3 Board To The Wall
Next, attach the top board to it’s place on the wall. The height of your board and batten accent wall is personal preference, so choose where you’d like it to go and nail it in place. I wanted my board and batten to go about a third of the way up the wall. Attach with brad nails and make sure it is level.
My ceilings in the kid’s bathroom are 8 ft tall so 96 inches. One third of 96 is 32 inches, so the height of my accent wall will be 32 inches. I didn’t count for the baseboard in this, I will add the top 1×3 and then cut the battens to fit between the baseboards I already had and the newly installed top board.
Step 4-Measure & Add The Battens Or Vertical Boards
The hardest part of this project is nailing the spacing of the battens. I decided on 4 vertical battens total across the wall with 2 in the middle and 3 spaces. To get the exact measurements for the spaces in between the battens, we need to do a little bit of math. UGH, I know.
First, find the total of the width of the battens. My boards are 3 inches wide, which is actually 2.5 inches. Multiply this by the total number or vertical boards (4).
2.5 inches x 4 = 10 inches.
This is the total width of the battens. Take that width and subtract it from the width of your wall (mine was 62 inches).
62 inches – 10 = 52 inches
Finally, divide that total with the number of spaces there will be between the boards (3).
52 / 3 = 17 inches approximately
This formula is useful to know so that you can make adjustments as need when it comes to actually installing the vertical boards to the wall. Just like walls, boards are never straight or accurately measured 100% of the time. As long as the distance is “close enough,” no one will notice.
It helps to make a spacer block to the width of the spaces (17 inches). Measure and cut this once for even spacing. Then just nail the boards on each side of the wall, and work from the outsides towards the center. Please don’t use adhesive. Nails work just fine and they won’d ruin the wall.
When it comes to cutting the height of the battens, say it with me, measure before cutting EACH BATTEN. I know it is tempting to make bulk cuts, but this can lead to boards being too short. The board up top may be level, but the wall and the baseboard are not.
The measurement may be off by a 1/4 of an inch. Cut them longer than you think you need, it can always be shortened, but if you cut them too short, then you have to start over.
As Monk would say, “You’ll thank me later.”
Step 5-Fill Nail Holes And Caulk
The next step is to fill all of the nail holes in the wood with wood filler. Then, caulk along all the seams where the pre primed wood boards make the wall. Run a small bead of caulk in between the seams. Wet your finger or use a baby wipe to push the caulk into the seam and smooth it out.
Let it dry so it can be painted.
Step 6-Paint!
It’s finally time to paint the board and batten bathroom accent wall. If you don’t have pre primed pine boards like me, then prime the wood first. It will bleed through the paint eventually and require more coats of paint to cover.
I chose the color Naragansett Navy from Sherwin Williams. The theme when I built this board and batten wall was a coastal theme for my kid’s bathroom. I love this deep blue navy color.
Final Result
Here are the final results of the board and batten wall in the bathroom. I didn’t paint the baseboard to begin with, but later I changed my mind. You can do either, but I prefer when the baseboard color matches the board and batten above it.
About a year after I painted the board and batten accent wall blue, I changed my mind and wanted to paint it white. So I did.
What Are The Best Materials For Board & Batten In A Bathroom?
Because this board and batten is in a area that will get wet, the best materials for doing a board and batten wall will be the pre primed boards or you can also use PVC trim. This is a plastic like material that I used in my other bathroom. It is pretty easy to cut and use just like wood.
Final Thoughts
What do we think of the color change? I made the right decision didn’t I? The blue was very pretty, and don’t worry it went on my bathroom vanity. But the white is just so clean and fresh. The board and batten accent wall was so easy to do, and I had never used a nail gun or miter saw before this project. I am so proud!
