Their Dining Room Furniture Looked Dated Until 1 DIY Changed The Whole Room
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Ohio homeowners Chelsea and Jason Scott updated their beige dining room with faux board and batten made from primed MDF, plus new paint, curtains and a pendant light. Chelsea told Apartment Therapy the project cost $370 in total; the couple’s results and costs are from the homeowners’ account.

Ohio homeowners Chelsea and Jason Scott spent $370 updating their beige dining room with faux board and batten, new paint, curtains and a pendant light, according to an Apartment Therapy before-and-after report. The project added wall detail and changed several fixtures and finishes in a room the couple uses for gatherings with friends and family.

The main change was a faux board-and-batten treatment made with primed MDF. The couple removed the existing chair rail and baseboards, installed new craftsman-style baseboards, then measured and attached vertical battens and a top rail. The lumber cost about $140, Apartment Therapy reported; the article put the full project cost at $370.

The work also involved sanding and filling areas where the old trim had been. Chelsea said the home’s age and multiple layers of paint and caulk made that preparation laborious. After installing the trim, she caulked the seams and painted the lower wall treatment Sherwin-Williams Grizzle Gray, with Pure White above it.

For the final changes, the couple rehung the curtain rods higher and replaced their temporary gray curtains with 96-inch white panels. They also replaced a small flush-mount ceiling light with a boho-style pendant from IKEA. The account attributes the room’s updated appearance to the combined changes; it does not provide a breakdown of the full $370 among paint, curtains, lighting and other supplies.

At a glance
reportWhen: Published the day before the source mat…
The developmentApartment Therapy reported that an Ohio couple spent $370 updating their dining room with faux board and batten and several finishing changes.

How Trim Changed the Room

The project shows how homeowners can change the character of a room by combining a wall treatment with adjustments to lighting and window coverings. In this case, the dark lower trim and white upper wall created a more defined contrast, while the higher curtain rods and longer panels altered how the windows appeared. Those are the homeowners’ design choices and Apartment Therapy’s account of the result, rather than a measured assessment of room brightness or size.

The reported $370 total gives readers a cost reference for one project, but it is not a guaranteed price for similar work. Room dimensions, local material prices, tools already on hand and the condition of existing walls can all affect cost and effort. Chelsea and Jason had access to a miter saw and a powered brad nailer, which she said made this larger project easier than her earlier bathroom trim work.

From Beige Walls to Paneling

The Scotts live in a 72-year-old Ohio home that had recently been renovated when they moved in, Chelsea told Apartment Therapy. She described the dining room and other areas as beige. Because the room opens off the kitchen and is used for game nights, she wanted it to feel more personal and welcoming.

Chelsea had previously installed a similar treatment on a smaller bathroom wall. For the dining room, she said having a power nail gun and miter saw made the work easier. The couple first removed the old chair rail and baseboards, then fitted the new trim. Chelsea said the age of the house meant dealing with layers of old paint and caulk where the chair rail had been.

After painting, Chelsea raised the curtain rods and ordered longer white curtains. The pendant light replaced a flush-mount fixture she described as dated and too small. Apartment Therapy presented these changes together as the room’s before-and-after update; the source does not state when the work was completed or give a detailed project schedule.

““Because the dining room is directly off the kitchen and the place that we gather for game nights with friends and family, I wanted it to be more aesthetically pleasing and a place people would want to spend time in.””

— Chelsea Scott, as quoted by Apartment Therapy

Costs and Work Details

The reported $370 total is not accompanied by a complete itemized budget. Apartment Therapy gives the lumber cost as about $140 but does not specify individual prices for paint, curtains, the pendant light, fasteners or other materials, or say whether the total includes tools the couple already owned.

The report also does not provide room measurements, a project duration, or a detailed account of how much work each homeowner did. Its description of the finished room reflects the homeowners’ experience and the outlet’s before-and-after presentation. There is no independent measurement of changes in light, usable space or property value.

A Room Ready for Guests

Scott told Apartment Therapy she is looking forward to hosting in the updated dining room. The report describes the project as complete, but does not give a date for a planned gathering or say whether the couple intends to make further changes to the room.

For readers considering a similar project, the source outlines the broad sequence used here: remove old trim, prepare the wall, install and caulk the new pieces, then paint and finish the room. The Scotts’ reported spending offers one household’s example, while the labor and final cost will depend on each room and the materials chosen.

Key Questions

What changed in the Scotts’ dining room?

They added faux board and batten with primed MDF, installed new craftsman-style baseboards, painted the lower trim gray and the upper wall white, raised the curtain rods, added longer white curtains and replaced the ceiling light.

How much did the project cost?

Apartment Therapy reported a $370 total, with about $140 spent on lumber. The article does not itemize the remaining expenses.

What made the trim project easier for Chelsea?

She told Apartment Therapy that having a power nail gun and miter saw made this project easier than her earlier bathroom wall treatment.

Why did the couple update the room?

Chelsea said the dining room was beige and served as a gathering place for game nights. She wanted it to feel more personal and welcoming.

Source: rss

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