15 Board and Batten Accent Walls to Instantly Add Texture to Any Room

Goodbye, boring walls—board and batten to the rescue. The timeless wall feature has been a favorite since the Victorian era, yet still looks fresh in homes of all styles—traditional, rustic, modern, and more. 

Board and batten walls consist of two components: wide boards and narrow wooden strips, known as battens. Together, they create a visually striking look that instantly adds character and depth to any space. 

Check out these 15 board and batten wall ideas in a range of styles and spaces to inspire your own DIY project.

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Tone-On-Tone Picture Frame Molding

To dip your toe into board and batten, consider the most classic option of all: picture frame molding. While picture frames—slim, often rectangular pieces of molding—often accompany wainscoting, that's not always the case.

Take this House Sprucing-designed bathroom as inspiration. Here, interior designer Heather Fujikawa chose tone-on-tone molding in a barely-there beige to create subtle but stunning architectural interest.

"Think about adding carpentry detailing into a bathroom," Fujikawa says. "It elevates the space, and makes it feel custom."

Rows of Square Board and Batten

Get out your calculator. You're one math equation away from creating a board and batten wall like this one by A Beautiful Mess. This relatively simple DIY project can instantly transform a bedroom from boring to beautiful.

Whether you choose to feature an accent wall or cover all four walls in board and batten, its geometric appeal allows you to furnish the room with relatively simple details.

Helpful Hint

Consider spray painting the walls, as painting around all the boards with a brush could be tedious.

Subtle Picture Frames in a Stairway

Not sure what to do with a staircase space? A gallery wall is always a good idea. So is wallpaper. To emphasize the height and airiness of the space though, try a board and batten wall treatment.

"Any time you can add carpentry to an entryway it really elevates the space and sets the tone for the entirety of the home," Fujikawa says.

Tall Batten Boards in a Beige Room

In this coastal Florida living room in coastal Florida, Design West layered tall white batten picture frames atop beige-painted walls. This technique accentuates the room's height, drawing the eye up to the ceiling beams and striking chandelier.

An Emerald Green Accent Wall

For a serious punch of personality, take notes from this home office at a Miami Beach residence. Brittany Farinas of House of One jazzed up the relatively simple space with a board and batten accent wall drenched in a dramatic emerald green paint. Just think how beautiful your Zoom background would be with a wall like this.

A Welcoming Entryway

An entryway could be a mountain of muddy boots and coats that have fallen to the floor. Another idea: you could create an organized drop zone, like Instagrammer @simplybeautifulbyangela did in her own entryway.

To flank the bench with a recessed area with hooks, baskets, and shiplap, she added board and batten to each side to complete the space.

Floor-To-Ceiling Vertical Batten Boards

For an expansive feel in a room, add vertical batten boards wall-to-wall, all around the space. This adds visual interest to otherwise simple walls while also tricking the eye to make the room feel taller. Keep this in mind for cramped spaces with low ceilings.

Geometric Millwork in a Primary Bedroom

Fujikawa is a big proponent of adding unique carpentry detailing in a primary bedroom. One look at this bedroom and you'll understand why.

For this accent wall, Fujikawa opted for a bold and beautiful criss-cross design that adds movement and interest to the space. Its rich forest green color contrasts against the remaining white walls, which helps the millwork pop off the wall.

A Neutral Board and Batten Bathroom

A board and batten wall, a checkerboard floor, a vanity with cane doors—this bathroom designed by DIYer Erin Vitale checks all the "classic, cool design elements" boxes. Each detail on its own is striking. Together, they complement each other without fighting for attention.

Three-Quarter Accent Wall

Instagrammer @pipshome leaned into tradition (with a twist!) while renovating her 18th century cottage. For her living room, she added a three-quarter height board and batten wall in a neutral tone a few shades darker than the wall color.

For your own space, you could extend the board and batten to the ceiling, or opt for this look, which allows you to install a shelf on top. That provides a built-in place to display artwork and decor objects.

A Pretty Pink Bathroom

Consider yourself a DIY newbie? Here's a perfect entry-level project: a simple board and batten wall in a bathroom. This one, which @hillviewhomestyle made herself, is painted pale pink, which allows the brass hooks and patterned floor tile to stand out.

Diamond-Shaped Board and Batten

More advanced DIYers—ones who aren't afraid of some complicated angles—could consider a diamond-shaped board and batten wall. That's what DIYer Handmade Haven tackled for her own home, to dynamic effect. For an even more piercing look, paint the trim a different color.

A Neutral Entryway

One trip to the home improvement store and some (somewhat) simple math is all that stands in your way of creating a board and batten wall. Maybe start in your entryway, as @asimplystylednest did here, which allows you to show off your DIY skills to all guests.

Half Wall Board and Batten with Wallpaper

Say you're especially drawn to a bold, busy wallpaper but are afraid it'll overwhelm your space. We know this conundrum all too well. Instagrammer @theoregonfarmhouse has a solution. She balanced her eye-catching floral wallpaper with a half wall of DIY board and batten.

The bottom half grounds the space, while the wallpaper adds liveliness. The finishing touch, though, is the subtle ledge atop the board and batten wall, which creates a finished look. (To achieve the same shade, grab a gallon of Snowbound by Sherwin-Williams.)

Old World Charm in a New Build

DIYer Lindsay Lark's new build home didn't come with this much personality. She had to add that herself. For her living room, Lark created an old world feel first with a vintage mantel, then with built-ins, followed by board and batten, and finally wallpaper. Each element builds on each other for a forever-in-style space.

Read the original article on The Spruce.