How We Transformed Our Living Room with Custom Box Trim Wall Molding

Since buying a 1940’s Colonial home, I am always trying to come up with interior design elements that mesh with the history and era of our home. While I love mixing some modern elements in here and there, my heart lies with the stunning traditional elements of our old house that make it truly timeless.

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wall trim with buffet and gold mirror

As soon as I began planning our living room refresh, one of the first things that fixated in my brain was BOX TRIM. I knew that classic look of box molding would mesh with the other architectural details of our living room while also adding a ton of visual interest!

The Wonderful World of Wall Trim

If you are considering doing trim work in your home, there are many different wall moulding types to consider. Whether you are doing a single accent wall or framing an entire room, there are endless options to choose from.

photo of man on wall with box trim

Box trim: My first pick for Holly House since it’s very timeless and goes well with our colonial vibes. Of note: I’ve also seen box molding called picture frame molding or picture railing… Picture railing is another beautiful wall trim option but it refers to any molding that creates straight lines enabling things to be hung from the molding. It isn’t always in the shape of a box like box moulding is.)

little girls nursery with board and batten and black crib

Board and batten: We did this in Charlotte’s nursery in our last home. It is a stunning wall treatment that adds a ton of texture and luxury.

accent wall with bead board

You can also opt for beadboard if you want a vintage look. We added this simple accent wall in our last home and I loved the detail it gave our dining room.

Other options are vertical or horizontal shiplap which we plan to use in our master bath renovations. Traditional wainscoting is another great option that adds a ton of character and class.

Box trim is simple in concept, but there are several rules one should follow to create a picturesque and symmetrical design!

The Rules of Box Trim:

For any well executed project, it is important to have a game plan before getting too deep in the weeds. These are the essential rules of box trim that we followed and were extremely happy with our results!

(Although tedious, I highly recommend using painter’s tape to measure and tape out your box design before doing any actual construction!)

Rule 1: Start with your main accent wall when planning your box design.

For us, this was the back wall behind our couch in the living room. I knew this is the first wall your eye is drawn to, so I wanted to make sure the boxes were designed/spaced perfectly on this entire wall before moving on to the next section.

box molding in green living room

The 3 boxes on this wall are all the same size. Moving on to the other walls, I used the size of these boxes as a guide but it’s ok if the other boxes are not exactly the same size. Everything blends perfectly once its caulked and painted. Plus if all the boxes were the same size it would look too cookie-cutter.

Rule 2: On a single wall, aim for an ODD number of boxes.

I saw this tip somewhere on the web and found it very helpful.

For example, the back wall behind our couch, I ended up going with 3 boxes. 5 would have created way too many and having an even number of boxes just didn’t give it the right symmetry. Of course, there were some sections of the wall that this didn’t work out quite perfectly but as a general rule I found this very helpful.

Rule 3: Space the boxes 6 inches apart from crown molding, baseboards, and each other.

measurments for spacing box molding

This is again, flexible. Some people choose a 3-inch border or adjust spacing from top and bottom but I wanted to keep it super simple. The 6 inch border looks amazing and was easy to follow for the most part.

measurements for box trim

There were a few places we adjusted this (the top of doors being the main one) but overall we stuck to 6 inches.

Rule 4: Determine the pattern of your box molding:

There are a few different styles you can choose when creating box molding patterns.

living room box trim

 We chose to separate our wall with a chair rail around the room and create boxes above and below the chair rail using the 6″ guideline. The chair rail makes the trim look more traditional and substantial. Other patterns are pictured below.

box trim ideas

 This style from Chris Loves Julia incorporates 3 boxes with no chair rail. This would be a good option for very tall ceilings.

room with white walls and box trim

This style from Remington Avenue incorporates a very thin chair rail style with boxes above and below.

hallway with box trim

This style incorporated only one box for a simplied, minimalistic look.

Consider the various options and try taping out a few designs in your space so you can get a feel for how each would look.

Rule 5: Sample trim pieces before settling on your final design

We ended up hiring out for most of this project since it was quite extensive and we also extended the wall trim up the walls of our foyer which can only be reached with scaffolding. (4-months-pregnant me felt that climbing scaffolding was a big no-no).

One of the best things our contractor did was bring me multiple pieces of trim for both the chair rail and the boxes. I didn’t realize what a vast difference the actual trim pieces would make. Thinner and cheaper molding just doesn’t look like it was original to an older home like ours.

I selected THIS molding for our boxes and THIS molding for the chair rail and I’m SO pleased with the results!

​Materials:

If you plan to attempt this project yourself, here are the materials we used!

Tools:

  • Tape measure
  • Miter box and saw for cutting precise angles OR miter saw for faster/better results
  • Brad nailer or nail gun for securing the molding (my husbands absolute fave).
  • Painter’s tape for marking your design
  • Paint (We did a satin finish + color is Alabaster by SW)
  • Power tools, such as a drill and a saw
  • Laser level: Not strictly mandatory but will cut your work time in half. My husband swears by his.
  • Chalk Line

Getting Started: Pre Step 1

As I stated above, the most important part of the process is designing your boxes. Using painters tape, we measured and taped out a rough design for the room, working from wall to wall.

taped out box trim design on white walls

NOTE: In areas separated by a window, I counted this as “new” section of wall.

Once I was 100% happy with the box designs we moved on to the next step.

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Measure and Mark: Use a laser level and chalk line to mark the design on your wall. A laser level can help ensure your lines are straight. Keep in mind, sometimes, even if our lines are square, the wall isn’t and not using a laser level can get you in trouble.
  2. Cut the Molding: Using a miter box and saw OR miter saw cut your molding pieces at the correct angles. For corner joints, a 45-degree angle is best.
  3. Install the Molding: Secure the molding to the wall using a brad nailer or nail gun. Make sure the pieces are level and flush against the wall.
  4. Fill and Caulk: Fill any nail holes and corner gaps with wood filler. Once dry, use a caulking gun to apply paintable caulk along the edges for a seamless finish.
  5. Paint: After the caulk has dried, paint the molding and wall to match your design plan. A satin or matte finish can offer a sophisticated look while a semi-gloss will make the trim pop a bit more.

Tips for Success

Even with the best-laid plans and following the rules, there are tricky sections that have to be worked and reworked.

For us, this was the section above our fireplace where our frame TV sits.

fireplace with box trim surround

In this section we taped, retaped, remeasured, and then changed the design plan at the last minute. We are happy with how it turned out but know that sometimes you may have to deviate from the “rules” with a creative solution.

Some of the sections I thought would look really strange are actually not at all noticeable now that everything is caulked and painted.

Adding the Finishing Touches

After the wall trim was finished, we had the walls + box trim painted Alabaster by SW.

We had the living room fireplace, crown molding and baseboards painted Dover white by SW previously and I didn’t want to pay to have the very intricate crown molding and fireplace sprayed again.

living room box trim

I actually love the subtle differences in the white shades. Dover white is a soft, antique-look cream while Alabaster is a simple, creamy white. Stunning and SO bright!

living room design

Do you like this look? What questions do you have about timeless and traditional box trim?! Let me know below!

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