We love a good DIY wall molding as much as the next home blogger, but our new favorite is the thick framed molding we installed in our bathroom. It almost didn’t happen, and it ended up being one of the more affordable updates in the room—always a pleasant surprise. We still have a few finishing touches to complete before the full reveal (a bathroom door would help!), and we’ll share a full budget breakdown in that final post. For now, many of you wanted details about this specific project, so here’s a clear walkthrough of what we did and why it worked so well.
Good news: if you’re comfortable with a miter saw and a nail gun, this project is much easier than it looks.
Picking a Molding Style
Sherry and I wavered about adding molding up until the last minute. On one hand, we worried it could be too much, especially with a bold, tone-on-tone tile pattern in the shower. Leaving the walls plain would have been simpler and cheaper. On the other hand, a wall treatment felt like it would elevate the whole room. We had pinned several inspiring rooms during the renovation and wanted to capture that same elevated feel without making the space look busy.
We ultimately chose a look that reads almost like recessed panels rather than a traditional box molding. The substantial thickness of the boards gives the walls depth and a strong, architectural feel. Because we were on a tight timeline, we made quick decisions and trusted our instincts—sometimes a little decisive momentum helps a project turn out better than endless tinkering.
Materials & Supplies
We finalized the trim combination by testing boards and profiles in the store until the arrangement looked right to our eyes. Our plan ended up using three primary components:
- 8 ft primed 1×4 boards for the chair rail and vertical slats
- 8 ft primed 1×6 boards for the baseboard and the ceiling trim acting as crown
- Primed base cap molding to frame each box and give a finished look
We also bought some 1×3 boards to test, but the chunkier 1×4 boards looked better in the space.
Base cap was the project’s secret weapon. It frames each box and softens transitions. Stock runs out fast, so buy more than you think you’ll need to avoid multiple trips to the store.
Other tools and supplies we used:
- Finish nail gun (or hammer and nails if you prefer)
- Miter saw (or a manual miter box)
- Spackle or wood filler
- Caulk and caulk gun
- 48″ level
- Tape measure
- Stud finder
- Spackle knife or painter’s tool
- High-grit sanding block
- Painter’s tape
- Pen or pencil
Using power tools makes the cutting and installation much faster, and this project produces a lot of scrap—proof that there’s a lot of cutting involved.
Installing the Wall Treatment
We were racing the clock before the plumbers arrived, so we don’t have many progress photos during cutting and installation. One exception is a test fit photo of the first boards—Sherry gave final approval before I started nailing. The room had just been tiled the day before, so some mortar was still curing and we had to be mindful of where we stepped. A large painter’s-tape check mark marked the safe tiles and an X marked the wet tiles—practical renovation reality!
In the unpainted photos you can see the assembly. The chair rail and vertical slats were 1×4 boards, attached with 1.5″ finish nails. We tried to hit studs for the horizontal pieces but didn’t rely on studs for vertical slats; that allowed us to place slats where they looked best rather than where studs happened to be. We avoid heavy adhesives so future removal will be less damaging—finish nails, caulk, and paint give excellent adhesion for a decorative treatment not intended to support heavy loads.
We used 1×6 boards at the ceiling and floor as crown and baseboard. Each box’s interior edge was trimmed with base cap pieces, mitered at the corners for a crisp look.
A practical install order that minimizes seams is:
- Install baseboard and ceiling trim first so those runs are uninterrupted.
- Install vertical slats in corners and against door/window frames to create the main boxes.
- Add the horizontal chair rail.
- Install remaining vertical slats to form the final box pattern.
- Trim each box with base cap pieces and miter corners.
We didn’t follow this sequence exactly every time, but it generally produced the fewest cuts and cleanest seams. We tested crown options and decided a traditional crown looked too busy with our 8 ft ceilings, so the simple 1×6 ceiling trim was the better choice.
Figuring Out the Height & Spacing
Determining the chair rail height was a mix of rule-of-thumb and practical coordination. In an 8 ft room, one-third is 32 inches, and we wanted that general proportion. We raised the rail slightly to about 38″ so the top of the vanity lined up neatly with the chair rail. That avoided awkward gaps behind the counter or a chair rail that looked cut off by the vanity.
Spacing the vertical slats is where artistic license matters most. We discovered the best-looking approach is not to force equal-sized boxes around the room. Instead, treat each wall individually: one large box above the vanity to contain the mirrors, a single box over the toilet, and narrower boxes on smaller walls. This tailored approach made the composition feel balanced and intentional rather than rigid and repetitive.
One important practical tip: before finalizing rail height and box placement, measure with the fixtures and furnishings in mind. Even if the vanity or mirrors aren’t installed yet, mock up their positions so the molding relates to them harmoniously.
Caulking & Hole Filling
This step is the most tedious but makes the biggest visual difference. We went through multiple tubes of caulk because you need to caulk every seam where boards meet and where boards meet the wall. Putty all nail holes and sand smooth. Caulk softens shadows and blends joints so the treatment reads as a single, seamless architectural element rather than many individual pieces of trim.
The payoff is worth the effort: a cohesive, high-end look that elevates the entire bathroom.
Budget Breakdown
Even though the materials list is short—mostly wood—the costs can add up depending on room size. Our bathroom measures roughly 8′ x 13′, excluding the shower. Buying primed boards saved time, which mattered given our timeline, though purchasing unprimed wood and priming it yourself can reduce costs.
- 1×6×8′ primed boards (baseboard & ceiling trim): $118
- 1×4×8′ primed boards (chair rail & vertical slats): $139
- Primed base cap molding: $291
- Door jamb & casing: $88
- Caulk & putty: $12
- Paint: already on hand
- Total: $648
This was one of our pricier wall-treatment DIYs compared with some past projects, but the result feels much more custom and high-end. Given how much it elevated the room, we’re glad we made the investment.
Once we finish the bathroom, we’ll share the complete before-and-after photos and a full renovation budget. We can’t wait to wrap up this space and show the final reveal.