How to Install DIY Panel Molding and Wall Trim | Thrifty Decor Chick

If you hit the stud, your trim should tighten up against the wall
nicely. These screws are great because you don’t have to pre-drill into
the wood — they are very skinny but strong!

I normally don’t use screws to attach trim…but in this instance it’s
needed. Brad nails won’t pull it tight enough. 

Next up, I needed to figure out the spacing for my paneled molding. To
do this, I take the measurement of the full length of the wall, then
figure out how many “boxes” I want. 

I made some simple graphics to give you a visual. I started out with
four boxes, but ended up liking the look of five panels: 

I always lean toward odd numbers, it’s just more visually appealing to
me. You can do whatever you prefer!

Adding too many will feel busy, and too few will feel unfinished. Find a
good in between!

When I knew how many boxes I wanted, I took the measurement of the wall
and subtracted the width of all of the trim I was using. So for five
panels, I subtracted the width of six molding pieces — the two sides
and then four in between. 

I hope that makes sense! I always get a lot of questions about figuring
out the spacing. 

Note: I start at each side of the wall, then flip back and forth from
side to side as I work. That way if I mess up my measurements at all,
only the middle panel is slightly off and it looks intentional.

Step Two: Install your molding

To create my “paneled” look. I first took the 1×2 cut to the height I
needed, and marked where I wanted to install it on the wall: 

Make sure it’s level before nailing in. 

The brad nails should be sufficient to attach your trim, but if you’re
having trouble and/or can’t use a stud, try angling your nail gun back
and forth to give it some more grip: 

Next up, I installed the coved molding around the edges of each “square”
I created. This is going to create that paneled look. 

Be sure to hold your trim tight against the adjustable base so you get a
clean cut. 

I nailed this decorative trim all the way around, so it beefed up the
look of all of the vertical trim, plus the chair rail and
baseboards. 

Step Three: The finishing touches

The busy work really starts after all of the trim is installed.
It’s time to fill all the holes: 

When your wood filler is dry, you’ll want to give it a super light
sanding and then wipe away any dust. 

These little detail sanders are awesome and come with seven
different sandpaper grits:

They are so easy to hold (and if you hate touching the texture of
sandpaper, you’ll love these). 

After the sanding was done, I filled any gaps with caulk. I always try
to use a dark caulk with dark paint:

It’s a bit easier to cover when painting. 

Caulk and nail filler will take a project from looking messy to more
professional and complete!

I gave everything a couple more coats of paint and then his paneled wall
was complete!:

I also covered the light switch cover with some scrap wallpaper: 

I LOVE this dark green paint color with the neutral grasscloth
wallpaper. It’s so warm and moody…very much the dark academia look
that’s popular right now (that I’ve loved for years): 

One wall down! 😂 Thankfully this is the majority, since the rest is
mostly windows and a large doorway. 

I really want to get this room finished up before the holidays. It’s
pretty much done except for finishing up the trim: 

I’ve done so many molding DIY projects over the years, but none quite
like this! 

If you have super textured walls, you’ll probably want to cover the area
with a thin luan before starting the trim portion of this project. 

If you have any questions about this DIY, please let me know. 🙂