Dining Room with Character

Ever see a trend and think, 'Self, this would be a good trend to follow.'? And I'm not talking pointy shoulder pads or Flock of Seagulls hairstyles...

I'm talking board and batten. That wonderful half way up wall of wooden stripes that instantly gives a room character. Yep, that trend was one I was comfortable following.

There are a ton of B&B tutorials out there. Please go look at them for instruction...this was a total mess when it came to planning. But this project turned out so nicely in the end - it only underscores how easy it is to do! Seriously though, please check out the other tutorials for the best tips :)

Remember me threatening my dining room that it was next? Well, I actually finished a project that was started, can you believe it?

These are the shutter/doors that shut the kitchen off from the dining room. 

And they're gone. The shutters were HEAVY! Solid wood, which means they'll probably get re-used...somewhere...for something other than as doors. Already have some ideas.

This is the 1960's swag formal valance (I had ripped down the blue curtains already, but kept the sheers for a little privacy/light control.

Can you spot the problem in the photo below? I might've messed up on the length of the boards (battens?)...the up and down strips. They would run right into the light switch. I cut them all down about 5" and now I have 5" wood lattice strips to make something with. Like I don't have enough projects going on...

BAM! Color on the top half of walls! It's a shade I've used in my last house and it was a custom match, but unfortunately I don't remember the original name. I really love it though and was craving something neutral after the aqua in the kitchen, and it goes well with the gray in the living room. Plus, with this color, I can put some color in decorations...when I get around to the actual decorating part.

I used 2 1/2" wood lattice boards that were 1/4" thick and just nailed them onto the walls with finishing nails. I didn't want anything too permanent, in case I messed it up didn't like it. The painters tape holds it up well while getting an idea for spacing. There's about 14-ish inches between battens (boards?) with a little cheating around corners and on the short walls. 

And here is the finished look with the top board and a little spackling and a finish coat of paint.

lighting - arghhh!

 Here are the gray Ikea curtains and simple matchstick blinds. I love the look of the gray in here, pulling it from the adjacent living room.

Without the flash, you can see the detail a little more.

The table is our family's original dining room table for probably 45 years or more. Between my mom, myself, and my son it was refinished from a dark pine finish to a lighter, more natural color. It's been our dining room table for as long as I could remember and has three more leaves...that aren't refinished. The brass chandy is original and will be getting a little makeover. There are curbside chairs that will need their own makeovers before they come into the house. It's all coming eventually, promise :)

PS: I did get around to changing out the outlets and switches too, but not before these pics. I'm lazy, but not that lazy.