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DIY· Projects· Remodeling

How To Install Wall Moulding

April 8, 2020

We’ve been doing some work in our master bathroom and it’s coming along beautifully. When coming up with the design plan for this bathroom, I really wanted to add some extra character, especially with the bathroom being such a small space. Wall moulding was an essential part of my plan, and we just recently installed a few walls, with one more to go. 

Today though, I wanted to share our method on how to install wall moulding. It’s such a beautiful way to add character to any space. 

A picture of our bathroom with the wall moulding finished.

How To Install Wall Moulding

Before we get started, if you haven’t caught up with progress in our master bathroom, you can read my last update here. This bathroom has come such a long way!  Since my last post, we’ve had our shower glass installed and we’ve built a towel rack, which I’ll be sharing the tutorial for in a few weeks. Adding wall moulding was our next big project and it’s so fun to be able to check it off the list now too! 

Supplies/ Tools: 

Affiliate links are provided below. Full disclosure here. 

A picture of the tools used to install the wall moulding.

  • Wall Moulding
  • Measuring Tape
  • Todd’s Favorite Measuring Laser (Optional, but very handy and accurate!)
  • Level
  • Brad Nailer
  •  18 Gauge 1″ Brad Nails
  • Chop Saw
  • Fine Grit Sandpaper
  • Pencil
  • Caulking Gun
  • Caulking
  • Spackling
  • Paint (I used Super White by Benjamin Moore in eggshell)
  • Paint Brush

Step 1: Pick Your Wall & Get Measurements

In our bathroom, we’ll be installing wall moulding on three of our walls, but the main wall I couldn’t wait to add moulding too, is the large wall by the shower where we’ll hang our towels… 

A picture of a bathroom wall waiting for wall moulding.

To determine the size/ shape of our moulding, we took an overall measurement of the wall, both in width and height…

A picture of Todd measuring the wall.

For Christmas, I bought Todd a laser measuring tape and it’s basically become one of his favorite tools…

A picture of a laser tape measure.

With our overall width measurement, we subtracted 6″ in total width, for a 3″ gap on each side of the two moulding boxes we’d be creating…

A picture of Todd measuring the wall.

We also measured our total wall height, from the floor to the bottom of the crown moulding, since that would be our overall stopping point for the moulding. We also subtracted another 3″ for the bottom gap, middle gap and top gap, for a total of 9″. 

Because I wanted the top moulding box to be substantially larger than the lower box, our goal was to create a top moulding box that would be double the size of our bottom moulding box.

Step 2: Cut & Sand Material

For the moulding material, we used this moulding. It’s in stock at our local Lowes and I loved the subtle detail it had, plus the overall width is 1 1/4″ making it the perfect size for this project…

A picture showing the moulding profile.

With our width measurements in hand, we started measuring and cutting the material to length…

A picture of Todd measuring material to cut.

We cut each end at a 45 degree angle making for a more custom moulding look…

A picture of Todd cutting the material.

Then, I used a piece of fine grit sandpaper to lightly sand off any wood splinters…

A picture showing wood splinters on the end of a cut piece of material.

A picture showing the sanding process of the wood material.

Since we’re installing two moulding boxes on the wall, we cut four equal length pieces for the width…

A picture of the wall moulding cut to size.

Step 3: Install Horizontal Moulding Pieces Onto Wall

Before determining and cutting the vertical side moulding pieces to complete our box structure, we installed the horizontal pieces onto the wall first.

We started at the bottom and worked our way up the wall. First, we measured up from the top of the baseboard 3″…

A picture showing Todd measuring up the wall 3".

And then over from our shower tile 3″…

A picture of Todd measuring over 3" from the shower tile.

Todd marked the wall in each position, and then lined up the corner of our first moulding piece to the spot he’d marked….

A picture of the first moulding piece on the wall.

He used the nail gun to add the first nail, anchoring it in place…

A picture of Todd nailing the moulding onto the wall.

Then, he used a level to ensure the moulding strip was straight…

A picture of Todd using a level to make sure the moulding strip is level.

And nailed the piece into place along the wall…

A picture of Todd nailing the moulding strip to the wall.

Because these moulding strips are really light weight, and decorative, we only used nails to secure them into the drywall. They’re not going anywhere.

With the first moulding piece in place, we measured up the wall to our next desired height, which was 24″, making the overall height, measured from the floor to the top of the moulding piece, 33″ total. He marked the wall…

A picture of Todd measuring the wall.

Then measured over from the tile 3″…

A picture of Todd measuring 3" over from the edge of the tile.

As much as we wanted to assume the tile edge was level and straight (which we found out later it was!), we used a level to make sure the top board would be level with the bottom piece we just installed. Todd lined up the corner of our second moulding piece with the edge of the level, which was 3″ away from the tile…

A picture of Todd using a level to make sure the moulding strips were even.

Then he used a level to make sure the top board was straight, and started nailing it in place…

A picture of Todd leveling the board and nailing it in place.

With the top and bottom pieces installed for the first box, we continued working our way up the wall, starting on the second and last box. From the top of the lower box piece, Todd measured up another 3″, which would give us our gap in between the two wall boxes…

A picture of Todd measuring the wall...

He then measured over from the tile 3″, and used the level to ensure the moulding piece would be level and in line with the lower box piece…

A picture of Todd using a level and measuring over from the tile edge.

He nailed the corner in place, then used the level to make sure the board was straight, nailing it in as he went…

A picture of Todd leveling a piece of moulding.

With the bottom board of the second box installed, he then measured down from the bottom of the crown moulding 3″…

A picture of Todd measuring the wall.

He also measured over from the tile edge 3″, and used our long level to make sure the edge was in line with the other box pieces. Then, he nailed the top piece as well…

A picture of Todd installing the top box piece.

With all four pieces installed, we were left with this…

A picture of the wall showing the horizontal pieces installed.

Step 4: Cut & Install Vertical Moulding Pieces

With the horizontal pieces installed for the two boxes, Todd began taking measurements for the vertical side pieces. We followed the same cutting and sanding steps as the horizontal pieces and then began installing them into each box…

A picture showing Todd installing the vertical pieces.

With our first box complete, we began adding the missing pieces to the top box as well…

A picture showing the first box completely assembled.

Since these pieces were longer in length, we did use a level to make sure the vertical pieces were straight…

A picture of Todd leveling and installing the top vertical pieces.

A picture of Todd nailing in the vertical moulding pieces.

And just like that, we had our box moulding installed!

Step 5: Caulk & Fill Nail Holes

A picture of the caulking gun and nail filler.

To create a super seamless look with the moulding, I filled the nail holes with spackling, and caulked all edges of the moulding pieces…

A picture of the wall moulding caulked and the nail holes filled.

Todd did an excellent job on all of the mitered corners, but the caulking filled in any tiny gaps, as well as making it look seamless to the wall. Once the caulking and nail holes were dry, I took some fine tooth sandpaper and lightly went over the nail holes, then wiped the moulding clean with a towel.

Step 6: Time To Paint

The final step, was painting the moulding strips. I wanted a seamless look for the moulding, so I painted them the same color and sheen as the wall, Super White by Benjamin Moore in eggshell. 

A picture of the wall moulding being painted.

It took three coats of paint, but the end result was beautiful and seamless…

A picture of the wall moulding painted.

I let the wall dry completely, and then it was finished!

A picture of the finished wall moulding.

While we were at it, we also installed the same moulding above our toilet area…

A picture of the area above our toilet without wall moulding.

We followed the exact same steps as the other wall…

A picture of the toilet wall with moulding installed.

But this time, we had to notch around the toilet water line…

A picture showing moulding notched around the water line.

We’ll also be adding the same moulding to the window wall, but we were short a few pieces of material and decided to wait on installation until we could finish all the boxes on this wall at once…

A picture of the bathroom window wall.

I can’t tell you how much we love the wall moulding and the character it’s added to our small bathroom…

A picture of our bathroom with the wall moulding finished.

It’s made the walls so much more interesting…

A picture of our bathroom with the wall moulding finished.

And even though it’s all painted white, you absolutely notice the moulding…

A picture of our bathroom with the wall moulding finished.

I can’t wait to start adding in all the artwork and finishing touches, but installing the moulding was the first step to being able to bring in all the accessories!

A picture of our bathroom with the wall moulding finished.

Plus, now we can move onto our next project, the space above the toilet…

A picture of our bathroom with the wall moulding finished.

I have big plans for this little area… I’m just crossing my fingers it works out how I see it in my head…

A picture of our bathroom with the wall moulding finished.

More about that in another blog post! In the mean time, we’re loving the wall moulding we have installed so far! 

A picture of our bathroom with the wall moulding finished.

  • Vanity (It’s out of stock currently, but this one and this one are similar.)
  • Wall Sconces
  • Rug
  • Faucet
  • Towel Rack- DIY project, tutorial coming soon!
  • Small Towel
  • Large Towel- Local Store. These are similar. 
  • Toilet Paper Stand
  • Floor Tile
  • Shower Wall Tile
  • Shower Floor/ Accent Wall Tile
  • Shower Faucet System

More on this bathroom coming up soon! 🙂

Love this project? Don’t forget to pin it! 

A picture of DIY wall moulding.

I’m Shayna… The small town Colorado girl who’s obsessed with home and everything that entails! I’m a creative, a decorator, a day dreamer, a huge fan of scones and I’m passionate about loving where I live and making a home.

Tagged with: bathrooms, willow house8 Comments

Comments

  1. logan wilhelm says

    April 8, 2020 at 5:28 PM

    Always fun seeing what you are up to and seeing the process, great job!

    Reply
  2. Nancy Cox says

    April 8, 2020 at 7:28 PM

    Loving all your projects.

    Reply
  3. Julie @ Restyle Relove says

    April 8, 2020 at 7:43 PM

    Hi Shayna, I love moulding. It adds so much detail to your already beautiful bathroom. I installed it in most our rooms and couldn’t image a plain wall again. Thanks so much for sharing all the details. Take care and Happy Easter, Julie

    Reply
  4. Romeogirl says

    April 9, 2020 at 8:29 AM

    The moulding looks fantastic!

    Reply
  5. Ivory says

    January 3, 2021 at 8:53 PM

    I just found and joined your site. I love what I see, for example, this project is outstanding. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Nursery Design Plan - The Wood Grain Cottage says:
    April 17, 2020 at 2:00 PM

    […] the current wall color, Gray Mist by Benjamin Moore, but adding wall moulding similar to our master bathroom on the bottom portion of the walls and painting it my favorite bright white, Super White by […]

    Reply
  2. DIY Towel Hook Rack - The Wood Grain Cottage says:
    April 21, 2020 at 9:31 AM

    […] DIY Wall Moulding […]

    Reply
  3. Wall Moulding In The Nursery - The Wood Grain Cottage says:
    May 12, 2020 at 9:31 AM

    […] basically followed the exact same tutorial I shared for our master bathroom wall moulding. The only exception this time, is that the boxes would run the full height of the […]

    Reply

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I’m Shayna… The small town Colorado girl who’s obsessed with home and everything that entails! I’m a creative, a decorator, a day dreamer, a huge fan of scones and I’m passionate about loving where I live and making a home.

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