About five years ago, we added a square paneled wall treatment to our dining room, and you can see that tutorial HERE. It was the first of many wall treatments we have done over the years, and we have really loved it.
It was a medium gray for the first few years of its life.
And then (just like I always do), I decided to switch it up and wanted a change. I painted the square paneled wall treatment off-white (the same color as the trim in the room) to brighten up the dining room.
I have always liked the wall treatment but felt like something was missing – like it wasn’t quite elegant enough for the space. It needed a little more detail, so I decided to fix that and added some additional smaller molding to the inside of each square. It’s all in the details, right?
This wasn’t a hard addition, but it was time-consuming cutting that 45-degree angle on each of those interior pieces of molding. Although we tried, those square are not equal sizes. Even being off an eighth of an inch made a difference on this project and meant I couldn’t cut mitered corners in batches and became a little bit of a jigsaw puzzle.
On a project like this, I prefer brad nails over wood glue and/or construction adhesive, and wood filler and caulk will be your best friends to hide the gaps and nail holes.
Again, if you are looking for the original tutorial for this panel wainscoting, you can go HERE to see how we originally created this accent wall (pre-additional wall molding). We used MDF instead of real wood since we were painting it.
Once I had the small molding installed, I painted the entire wall treatment including the baseboard in a greenish-gray (I know – back to the darker colored wall again). I wanted a different color, and it is Benjamin Moore in Storm Cloud Gray. It is even more beautiful in person.
Want even more feature wall ideas? They add texture and a beautiful focal point to any wall space.
I have created several accent walls in our home (everything from wainscoting to board and batten to shiplap to plank walls), and you can see all the details on those HERE. No contractor is required for these DIY wall treatments which add so much visual interest!
*UPDATE* You guys will think I’m crazy, but we replaced this wall treatment (after almost 6 years) with a thin paneled wall treatment that goes to the ceiling and all around the room. You can see all the details HERE. We tried to figure out a way to keep the square paneled wall, but we couldn’t make it work in the rest of the room since it was solely planned as an accent wall.
Tag me on Instagram or Facebook or email me pictures of your wall treatments! I always love seeing what you’re up to.
Go create something!
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Woo hoooooo!!!! I had just settled on this color (98%) and was looking for some designer confirmation, and was so excited when I found this bc I was like, “ok, sincerelysarad, I can trust her taste” and the. I was even more thrilled to see the date 2/2020! So I’m heading in the right direction with this color! Probably would have gone with it even if this post was from 2016, because it is such a pretty color. And now I can with confidence! You don’t know how happy this gem of about article made me! Great job on the accent wall too!
Haha – thanks Jessica! I’m so glad you found this post, and keep me posted on your project!
The additional detail is perfect! What do you think about doing the entire wall? I want to do the center wall in my dining room.
I think it would look gorgeous as an entire wall!
Is the additional small molding also MDF? Are you able to share the measurements?
What’s the small trim called? I’m doing an accent wall in my master bedroom and can’t decide what small trim to add inside the boxes, yours looks great.
I think it’s called cove moulding. Good luck!
Hi Sara! I am a new follower and I’m so glad I found your instagram account! I am wanting to do a wall like this in our bedroom. I love your style and I’m excited to begin in our room! Just a question about the inside molding you added: is it just cove molding?
Yes, it is! I’m so glad you found me and good luck on your bedroom wall!
Hi Sara! We’re about to take on a similar project (floor to ceiling panel wall)- quick question… what finish paint did you choose? Satin or Semi gloss? I’ve read satin is becoming the new norm for trim these days and was curious your opinion?
I went with satin because I didn’t want a glossy look!
That looks beautiful. How did you paint it to make it so smooth? I’ve tried using paint rolls and brush and it always leave streaks or is spotty (from the rollers).
Thank you! I did used more of a matte finish which helps with hiding imperfections.
I’m so glad I found you, I love your style! I’m thinking about repainting my kitchen cabinets…do you have tips/recommendations?
If you go the chalk paint route, I would recommend spraying them like I did to my laundry room cabinets: https://sincerelysarad.com/spraying-chalk-paint/
Hi Sara! I love this wall and am considering putting something similar in our new house once it gets built! ;0). I was wondering where you got the rug that is under your table? I love the pattern….what color is it?
Here’s the link to the rug: https://bit.ly/39tOvvK
Love your accent wall! Curious what is the creamy color you used with Storm Gray?
It’s Coconut milk by Valspar paint.
What is the off-white paint that you used on the wall? It pairs marvelously with the BM storm cloud gray.
I think it was coconut milk by valspar.
Hi, love your wall, we are doing something similar in a bright room, what paint sheen did you use on this wall?
I’m sorry I’m just responding! I think I used a satin sheen.