Accent Wall With Trim
Trim walls use simple molding to create depth before paint goes on.
Trim accent wall planning
A trim wall is a drawing exercise before it is a carpentry exercise. The moulding is cheap and easy to cut; what makes the result look built-in is a grid whose boxes are proportioned to the wall and whose margins are consistent. Draw the layout to scale first, including the margins at the ceiling, skirting, and both corners, and adjust until the boxes are equal.
The finishing sequence is what separates a professional-looking trim wall from an obviously applied one. Fix the moulding, fill the nail holes, then caulk every internal corner and the full perimeter of every box before priming. Painted-over caulk makes the moulding read as part of the wall; unfilled joints make it read as strips glued on.
Design decisions
- Picture-frame molding
- Board and batten
- Box grid
- Chair rail split
- Modern thin trim
Mistakes to avoid
- Setting out the grid without drawing it to scale, so the boxes and margins end up unequal.
- Ignoring sockets and switches at the layout stage, so a box lands across one.
- Painting before caulking, which leaves a visible dark line at every internal corner.
- Assuming the ceiling and skirting are parallel and measuring the boxes off them rather than off a level line.
Continue planning
Move from inspiration to a measured project plan before you buy paint, panels, wallpaper, or trim.