# Picture molding wainscot in foyer and stairway



## hyunelan2

I am just finishing up this project, so I thought I'd post some pictures. I did the downstairs portion of this about 5-6 weeks ago, and was waiting for grad-school to slow down so I could move on to the stairs.

Downstairs, I pulled the cheapo baseboard and replaced it with a decorative 6" version. I put a chair rail at 36" above the floor. Using colonial molding, I used the base dimensions of 24" high x 18" wide 'panels.' This gave me 3" above the new baseboard, and 3" below the chair rail. So, I obviously spaced the 'panels' 3" apart. It is all painted in semi-gloss white. I had to repaint all of the other trim around the doors, because it looked dingy compared to the nice, new paint. 


































I started working on the stairs on Sunday. Same chair rail and molding, with same spacing, but instead of baseboard, I just went off of the stringer that was on the stairs. It needs another coat or two of paint (notice the blue tape), but for the most part this is what it will look like.


















































We still need to decide what color we want to do the walls above the waincot, then get scaffolding and do that project (ugh). I also want to put some decorative molding/casing around the entryways, and maybe some nice decorative caps above the doors. Not sure, one thing at a time. I wanted to finish this wainscot, because the dining room is getting torn into next week.


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## LeviDIY

Looks great!! Well done!


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## Green Giant

Great work! Have you thought about painting the trim a different color? While it was in its unfinished stage, the golden color makes it stand out more than when the walls and trim is white.


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## hyunelan2

Right now, I think I'm just going to leave it all white. There are many options for paint in the future though: paint the frames a different color, paint the insides of the frames, paint the outsides of the frames, etc. I also thought about some sort of pinstripe on or around the frames too - all future ideas. After I get the upper portion painted, something might standout as a great idea to compliment/contrast the wall. Right now, they'll just stay all white.


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## What have I done

LOOKS VERY NICE!...nice work!


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## jackie treehorn

very nice indeed!


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## JaysPTG

Hello,

how did you get the angle cuts correct for the molding that is going down stairs? I am trying to do the same but am having a hell of a time figuring out the angles I need to cut the molding so they but up correctly.

Thanks
Jason


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## hyunelan2

JaysPTG said:


> Hello,
> 
> how did you get the angle cuts correct for the molding that is going down stairs? I am trying to do the same but am having a hell of a time figuring out the angles I need to cut the molding so they but up correctly.
> 
> Thanks
> Jason


I used 2 tools - there may be easier ways, but this is what I had. 1. Angle-finder (not sure if this is the proper name). 2. Protractor. 

#1 was about $5 at Ace Hardware. It's 2 pieces that swivel in the center with a wing-nut to tighten it down. You put it up to the wall and bend it to the angle you need, then tighten down the wing-nut. Now you can take your angle with you. I then traced out the angle on a piece of scrap, and measured it with the protractor. Divide the result by 2 (2 pieces of wood are being cut) and cut your angles. For example, if you find that it is a 42* angle you need, cut each piece of wood to 21*. If you don't cut the 2 pieces at an identical angle, you won't get them to butt-up properly.

As soon as you get the first one done, just go into production making your pieces and it goes rather quickly - the first one might take a while to get it right. Practice with some cheap scraps first, save your moulding for after you know what to cut at.


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## diy mike

Really nice job! I tackled a similar project in my place, but didn't have to worry about any crazy angles... don't think I would have tried it if I had to. :no:



Green Giant said:


> Great work! Have you thought about painting the trim a different color? While it was in its unfinished stage, the golden color makes it stand out more than when the walls and trim is white.


My 2 cents - keep the trim and wall white, then get your color in above the chair rail. I think the effect works best when it's subtle. This is a pretty good example: http://howidiy.com/entry/view/140/Bedroom-chic


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## Itsdanf

I agree with DIY Mike: Keep the section below the chair rail white/same color. :thumbsup: You've done such a great job, I would hate to see it diminished by multi-colored paint within the panels (which, IMHO, would give it a less-classic look).


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## ConstantChange

Great job. That looks really nice.


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## tlee0105

Very nice work! For my stairs, I've figured out the angles, 48/2=24 degrees for the sharp angle of the picture frame molding going up the stairs, but my miter saw can't cut an angle that sharp without using a piece of guide wood. Did you use a miter saw, and did you have to fiddle with a guide board to cut the sharp angle?


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## hyunelan2

Yes, I used a miter saw as you are describing. I just had a block of wood that I used so that I could rotate the piece of trim I was cutting 90*. So, instead of cutting on 24*, you would turn the trim so it is sticking out at you, and cut on 66*. (I think... for some reason just talking about angles usually mixes me up - I'm a visual person when it comes to cutting angles).


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## hyunelan2

Here are some updated pictures of what it looks like with color on the wall above the wainscot.


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## liquidvw

Great work. I really like it all white. :thumbsup:


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## Gnfanatic

great job man, I always see those kits in the back of "This old house". they are made out of mdf or wood, your choice. Stuff gets exp real quick though. Once my floor is done I would like to put this on the living room walls. Does not seem to hard to make it your self??


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## hyunelan2

I think a lot of those kits are actually "rail and stile" (aka "frame and panel") versions, which are more traditional wainscot designs. They do involve putting a lot more material up though. If you were to do that style yourself, some MDF and a table saw would be about all you need. Also, more time and patience.

The way I did it, with just pieces of picture-frame molding is much cheaper, and requires much less material. It also seems to be the "modern" way of doing this design, as all the new houses and model homes I've been in lately just use this, and not the more labor-intensive rail and stile version.


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## hyunelan2

One other thing I should mention - I did the chair-rail at 36" from the floor. Traditional height would say it should be at 30". I felt that because we are tall, and the ceilings are higher in the foyer, the 36" would be better. In a standard room though, I would probably stick to the traditional rail height. Sometimes I look at what I did and think they are too tall. Oh well - I'm definitely NOT redoing the whole thing over 6" of height.


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## Gnfanatic

hmmm, maybe i am confused. Your saying you installed the picture frame moulding against the sheetrock???


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## hyunelan2

Yes, go back and look at the first pictures in this thread and it shows it a little easier. A little adhesive for paneling on the back, and a couple brads to tack it in place, then the picture frame molding is attached. When it's all built, painting the whole thing white blends it all in to one piece.


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## Gnfanatic

amaizingly I never thought of that. You can save big bucks and no one will notice if done right.


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## hyunelan2

Yep. You can obviously tell that it is not a recessed panel if you are looking for it, but at a glance your eye doesn't pick up the difference. Straight lines are important - make sure the tops/bottoms are all level so it looks like each panel could be framed out with a rail board. Snapping a chalk-line worked well when I did the portion on the stairs.


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## Dusty82

Excellent job! My wife would like to know the name of the color and brand of paint you used above the chair rail, if you happen to remember, please. We're going to be doing something similar to our entryway, and your thread has really got her inspired. What that really means is that I now have another project to do.


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## hyunelan2

The paint was Glidden, in an eggshell finish. I'll check on the name for you.

EDIT:

Looking at Glidden's color pallet, I'm 99% sure it is "Dapper Tan."

http://www.glidden.com/color/color-palette.do
^^Top-right color pallet, then one down and one over from the top-left.


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## Dusty82

Thanks very much!


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## JSBshade

2nd thread I have found on this
Looks great !!
So...you just put up the trim...there isn't any plywood etc to give the inside a recessed look ?


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## hyunelan2

Correct. If you want a recessed look, you're going to need to put up boards to "build out" the rail and stile area so the "panel" is recessed into the wall. The much easier way, which is becoming increasingly more common in modern homes, is to just put up the trim moulding to simulate panels.


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## JSBshade

Thanks
I like the recessed look
But a lot of cutting & I do not have a good table saw
And your trim looks great
I do have a good mitre saw


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## 1910NE

very nice!


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## DIYGirl13

*Chair Rail on Stairway*

hyunelan2..you did an excellent job!!! I am on the verge of doing my steps. So far I replaced all the base molding up stairs now I would like to do the chair rail. So after reading your posting, Please correct me if im wrong, My landing is about 12' so I measure 36" (inches) from the floor up and mark the wall. I need an angle and a protractor. I have a miter saw but its packed away, can I use a miter box? I just bought the same chair rail as you. Did you put a backer on the rail? or no? I saw them but wasnt sure if I needed to buy it. 

Your pictures are an inspiration to me and my home. Very nicely done!


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## Firefighter3244

Looks Great!

I have some in one hallway from when i bought the home, But I want to extend it into the dining room, ( Do they go well in living rooms ? )
and the other hallway. atleast....


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## joecaption

To figure the angles I use one of these laying on a 2 X 4 on the treads.
http://www.starrett.com/industries/...otractor-reduces-woodworking-miter-cut-errors
It tells you the exact angle to cut a single or double bevel.


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## cedaly1968

*Miter Angles*

Those frames look great. I am nearly ready to throw myself down the stairs because I cannot get my miter angles for the stair slope to meet up. Any tips?


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## BigJim

Use a scrap piece of the mold and trace the top and bottom lines on the wall let the end run wild then trace the other piece to cross the other one you drew, see where they intersect, now just transfer the points to the scrap and cut, look at the angle on the saw and cut the good molding the same.


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## adam.johnson25

*What moulding?*

So you just painted the wall and attached the picture frames to that? No plywood or paneling first? What type of moulding do you use for the picture frames. Everything I have found is notched on one edge to hold glass for a picture... This will leave a gap on the wall. Any help is appreciated!


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## kimberland30

I love the look of this and might see if the hubs is willing to tackle another project. He's going to ban me from these boards one of these days.  

You stated that you put the frames 3" from the bottom of the chair rail and 3" from the top of the baseboard, and 3" apart. Did you measure down the length of the wall to get your frame size, or did you come up with a standard size and cut it to fit? I'm curious because in your photos it looks like it goes wall-to-wall in perfect symmetery. Of is there a frame closer to the end of the wall that isn't the same size as the others? Do I make any sense?


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## BigJim

adam.johnson25 said:


> So you just painted the wall and attached the picture frames to that? No plywood or paneling first? What type of moulding do you use for the picture frames. Everything I have found is notched on one edge to hold glass for a picture... This will leave a gap on the wall. Any help is appreciated!


I didn't paint the walls first on my jobs, I always laid it out on the walls so there wouldn't be mistakes, pencil marks don't look good over fresh paint. You can glue and pin the molding to the sheet rock wall, the trick is to angle the nails, don't shoot straight in. You will probably want to prep the molding by caulking and filing the sprig holes before you paint also.

Kinberland30, measure your wall and divide the number of boxes you want, then just do the math and lay out the wall and see how you like it, if you feel the boxes are too small or too large just take one or two off or add a couple then do the layout again.


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## kimberland30

BigJim said:


> Kinberland30, measure your wall and divide the number of boxes you want, then just do the math and lay out the wall and see how you like it, if you feel the boxes are too small or too large just take one or two off or add a couple then do the layout again.


Thanks! Another question...I have plaster walls (aka uneven surface) so maybe I'll have to caulk around all the trim for it to be nice and flush against the wall? A job like that might convince me to keep the walls as they are.


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## BigJim

kimberland30 said:


> Thanks! Another question...I have plaster walls (aka uneven surface) so maybe I'll have to caulk around all the trim for it to be nice and flush against the wall? A job like that might convince me to keep the walls as they are.


On plaster walls you could have some problems as you said, and the plaster could chip and crack also. If you ever decided to remove the trim you could really have a mess to repair, unlike drywall, the plaster is much less forgiving.


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## adam.johnson25

BigJim said:


> I didn't paint the walls first on my jobs, I always laid it out on the walls so there wouldn't be mistakes, pencil marks don't look good over fresh paint. You can glue and pin the molding to the sheet rock wall, the trick is to angle the nails, don't shoot straight in. You will probably want to prep the molding by caulking and filing the sprig holes before you paint also.
> 
> Kinberland30, measure your wall and divide the number of boxes you want, then just do the math and lay out the wall and see how you like it, if you feel the boxes are too small or too large just take one or two off or add a couple then do the layout again.


Did the molding you used have the lip on one side because it is actually for picture frames? Did you just caulk that gap after it was on the wall?


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## BigJim

adam.johnson25 said:


> Did the molding you used have the lip on one side because it is actually for picture frames? Did you just caulk that gap after it was on the wall?


These aren't my pictures posted earlier in the thread. When I was in business the mold did not have a lip, it was flat on back. In the lower part of this link there are several moldings which have a clover leaf look, these are basically what I used, you can also use a base cap.
http://www.interiortrimandsupply.com/trimmiscmold.htm


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## kimberland30

BigJim said:


> On plaster walls you could have some problems as you said, and the plaster could chip and crack also. If you ever decided to remove the trim you could really have a mess to repair, unlike drywall, the plaster is much less forgiving.


Yeah, we have to repair patches anytime we remove a nail. Joy.


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## hyunelan2

I was the one who created this thread, and that's my foyer/hallway in the pictures. "Panel molding" is what I used, straight off the shelf from home depot. It is in the store by their prefinished moldings.

This might have been what I used, hard to tell without looking at it.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ornament...Trim-Moulding-589-8WHW/202842028#.UYRxVJwo5Co


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