Board and batten accent wall: styles, colors, DIY and design ideas

hackrea / February 6, 2024

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Wood accent walls have been a trend for several seasons. The nobility, environmental friendliness, and visually comfortable texture of the material make it popular in various design directions.

Another advantage of wood as a raw material for creating decorative compositions is the variety of elements that can help realize the most creative ideas. What solutions designers have not already offered: shiplap, parquet and laminate, old and new wooden pallets, and even porcelain stoneware imitating various wood species. Today it’s time to talk about another trend – a board and batten accent wall, which is increasingly becoming a symbol of the owners’ ability to balance between elegance and respectability and the hottest trends. Intrigued? Then let’s talk about this type of design in more detail.

Accent walls made of boards and battens: features and arguments for using in the interior

Outwardly, such compositions are smooth wooden panels, on top of which a lathing of battens (a strip of solid material) is mounted. The prototype of this solution was the famous boiserie panels, which were often used in classic interiors. As a rule, the panels were made of precious woods, painted or varnished, and the elegant paneled decor provided a pronounced interior rhythm and an atmosphere of restrained chic.

Today, when more laconic and restrained decor variations are in trend, boiserie has found a new sound. The design has become more straightforward and more modest, and the recess in the lathing is no longer created with the help of a panel, but due to wooden planks – moreover, such an accent can be easily arranged independently, which cannot but rejoice in an era of reasonable consumption. However, in addition to this, a board and batten accent wall has many unconditional advantages.

Stylish and elegant look

The composition made of wood refers to the classics, the times of aristocracy, and respectability. Even today, designers note how orderly, harmonious, and balanced an interior looks with this type of accent wall.

Versatility

If you think that a board and batten accent wall is only for classical and neoclassical styles, then it’s time to expand your interior design knowledge. The decor’s laconicism and clarity became appropriate in modern, minimalism, art deco, coastal, and even in some variations of the loft and Scandinavian styles.

Interior rhythm

As we said above, the board and batten design in the wall’s color creates an accurate and comfortable rhythm for an interior in any style. If you feel a specific imbalance in the room setting, such an accent wall will produce the desired balance.

Variety of solutions

Using smooth boards and battens to decorate the accent wall, you can not only determine the distance between the boards to your liking but also try a different arrangement of the battens. Diagonal, herringbone, abstract pattern created by multidirectional elements – even in this case, there will be room for experiments.

Board and batten accent wall: color scheme

The first thing you should immediately pay attention to is the palette’s muteness for such accent walls. In this case, bright colors are rarely used since textured surfaces themselves are very expressive, and a catchy shade can give this expressiveness a negative meaning. Besides, the style orientation of such decorative solutions gravitates more towards something balanced and restrained than extravagant. However, you cannot be upset because of the lack of a rich color scheme: the shades offered by designers today will definitely appeal to you.

White

Will a white accent wall get lost against a background of the same color? Not at all. Will the wall look uninteresting and impersonal? Not at all. The fact is, the relief on a white background seems incredibly elegant – and this color feature is highly valued.

Another advantage of the white board and batten accent wall is its versatility: it creates harmony in both classical and modern interiors, captivating with impeccable rhythm and accent precision. At the same time, one cannot but mention one very curious nuance: if you plan to decorate only part of the wall, the rest will also have to be painted white. It may sound strange, but the board and batten effect look rude against the background of a different color’s surfaces.

Grey

As designers like to joke, having changed the famous saying of James Bond, the color of a wooden accent wall can be anything – provided that it is gray. Indeed, its shades give the composition of boards and battens an incredibly noble and mysterious look, and the play of light in the recesses against such a background becomes more expressive.

As for the shade itself, then, in this case, it is worth focusing on the general color scheme of your interior. And if you need something super-topical, then you can always turn to the Behr palette, which presents the most trendy tones for the coming season:

Barnwood. The deep and matte shade of gray does not depress or cause boredom at all – on the contrary, it fascinates and conquers with its ease and at the same time fullness. An accent wall in this color perfectly matches white surfaces, as well as decor in cool and gray-green tones – an excellent solution for bedrooms and offices with south-facing windows.
Graphite. The dark and rich gray hypostasis allows you to balance white and brown, beige and mint, blue and sand. At the same time, designers warn: it is possible to design an accent in this color only in a large room with high ceilings and only on the wall on which daylight falls.
Jojoba. This ambiguous tone can be attributed to both gray and green palettes – however, your accent wall will only benefit from it. Despite the tone’s seeming calm, the wooden composition becomes a compelling accent – and therefore organically integrates into the atmosphere in calm light colors with a minimum of color splashes.

Of course, limiting your choice to just three colors is entirely optional. Smoky, pearly, ashy – the variety of the gray palette will not let you get bored.

Beige

A board and batten accent wall, painted in beige tones, is just a godsend for small rooms, as well as rooms with low light. Warm tones make it feel as if the sun’s rays are constantly falling on it, which creates a warming visual effect; the wall itself seems larger and the ceilings higher. To implement this technique, any shades of beige are suitable, and fans of trends should focus on a group of favorites from the same palette from Behr:

Almond. A pleasant beige shade with a cool grayish undertone. Exactly what you need to create an atmosphere of comfort and hospitality in a minimalist interior.
Seaside villa. This poetic name hides a unique beige with a hint of pink hues, reminiscent of dawn over the ocean. A board and batten wooden composition in a similar color looks very sophisticated and can honor neoclassical and art deco interiors.
Sierra. Dark beige with strong coffee tones creates an aura of warmth and nobility. If your living room or home office feels too cool for you, this wonderful shade shouldn’t escape your attention.

Black

Quite a rare choice for accent walls with a similar texture. If you decide to try black for board and batten, you risk turning the accent into the interior’s dominant element. However, you can avoid this! You have to make the rest of the interior in white or some light neutral color, and you have to use materials with a natural texture and some decorative details that are consonant with the board and batten tone. When you meet all of these conditions, the black board and batten accent wall will give your interior true exclusivity.

And one more small note: if you have chosen this color of the design for the bedroom, you can only place it on the headboard wall. Long-term contemplation of large-scale black surfaces can cause feelings of anxiety, depression, and even unreasonable fear.

Blue

If there was a hit list of colors for wood accent walls, blue would rank second after gray. Indeed, his palette excites the imagination and evokes various emotions – from a feeling of lightness and freshness to calmness and intrigue. In addition, blue tones can be easily combined with almost any trendy tones, making your interior look new – all you have to do is find a shade that you will fall in love with.

For the last couple of seasons, the undisputed favorites are two blue variations – the famous sea blue and dusty blue. The first has already won millions of fans thanks to its laid-back yet sophisticated dark transitions. The second one invariably evokes admiration when used in neoclassical interiors. You can check this yourself by placing the furniture against the background of a board and batten accent wall of this color: the feeling of security, peace, and serenity that it sets is truly worth a lot.

You can find trendy shades of blues and blues in the same Behr palette – each of which already has loyal connoisseurs:

Night blue. Even darker than navy blue, it gives the interior a unique chic – you don’t even need additional decorative details.
Denim. The color of jeans and the laconic symmetry of the board and batten design is an original move for those who seek to combine modern ease and classic orderliness.
Heavenly. A strong and refreshing tone that is perfect for coastal interiors: accents in such tones maintain a light and airy atmosphere.
Daytime blue. The shade of a faded summer sky perfectly matches both the texture of painted wood and the background in white, beige, and pale brown tones.

Green

The board and batten accent wall made in green tones is a bold move but by no means extravagant. Especially today, when dark and muted shades with grayish undertones are in trend, which is in perfect harmony with the neutral palettes that are relevant today.

If the idea of a green board and batten accent wall seems interesting to you, then the appropriate color scheme will pleasantly surprise you – here are shades of moss and spruce needles, olives and sage, as well as mint and very pale watercolor green.

How to DIY a board and batten accent wall: essential rules

Almost nothing is impossible in home decor – and the accent wall is no exception. If you feel the strength to design an accent wall using wooden elements independently, we do not doubt that you will succeed.

Today, you can find many guides and masterclasses on the Internet, which describe the necessary components, tools, and sequence of actions when decorating a board and batten wall. You can easily find and choose exactly the option that seems to you the most simple in execution and corresponding to your intentions. However, whatever you prefer, you should remember a few important rules, without which it is merely impossible to create an aesthetically pleasing accent wall. We also suggest that you study the list of these rules in more detail:

Measure seven times… or better eight. At first glance, it may seem that there is nothing complicated in measuring the wall’s surface for a wooden accent. However, this delusion is quite dangerous: do not forget that you will need to measure the length and width of the board, as well as the dimensions of the battens. If possible, just draw a drawing of the accent wall on the surface with a pencil – so the measurement results will be much more accurate. And by the way: if the surface is large, the laser level will be your best assistant.
Buy with a small margin. If you have to run to a building materials store more than once to buy wooden boards or battens instead of damaged ones, replace defective elements or get hold of another set of hardware, then your motivation may go out very quickly. So do not be afraid of surplus: it is possible that one or two battens or packaging with nails will be very useful.
Don’t skimp on wood. Do not think that there is no difference between boards made of different types of wood. Above, we have already talked about the most suitable varieties for decoration, which should be preferred when buying. Of course, you can try to purchase boards and battens cheaply, but the time you spend on masking defects such as cracks and knots, as well as replacing completely unusable elements, you can hardly return.
Paint first – everything else later. Before you start cutting and fastening, be sure to paint the wood boards, battens, as well as the wall itself – this sequence will significantly facilitate your work.
Study the flatness of the wall and try to deduce its ideal. If the paint on the uneven walls is chagrin and the wallpapering is sadness, then the wood accent structure on a rough wall is an absolute disaster. In this case, it will not only look uneven and sloppy but fastening the elements will become a real challenge for you. This is why wall preparation is a crucial step where every effort should be made. Putty and plaster will help you, and if you missed any corner – then special wooden inserts.
Take your time, and don’t expect to get things done quickly. If there is nothing super complicated in the fastening of the shiplap – the system of fixing the elements allows you to keep an even plane and an ideal gap – then everything is not so rosy with the board and batten. You will have to continually re-check the parallel and equidistance of the planks from each other, as well as the accuracy of the fit of the elements. Therefore, arm yourself with high-quality measuring instruments: these tools will be handy to you.

Board and batten accent wall: Conclusions + Photo Gallery

The board and batten accent wall is a kind of symbiosis of traditional elegance and trendy laconicism. You may have to make some effort to implement such decor, but the transformed interior will be the best reward for you.