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Ohio homeowners Chelsea and Jason Scott transformed their dated, beige dining room using a DIY faux board and batten treatment in a two-tone gray and white paint scheme. The full project cost $370, with lumber making up about $140, according to a report published by Apartment Therapy.
Ohio homeowners Chelsea and Jason Scott transformed a beige 72-year-old dining room into a custom-looking space for $370, using a DIY faux board and batten wall treatment as the centerpiece of the renovation, according to a before-and-after feature published by Apartment Therapy. The couple’s existing table, chairs, and vintage rug stayed in place — the change came from the walls, paint, curtains, and lighting rather than new furniture.
According to the report, the Scotts’ home in Ohio had been recently renovated before they moved in, but every room was painted beige, which Chelsea said made the dining room feel impersonal. “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, who shares projects as @interiordesigndropout, told Apartment Therapy.
The couple chose a faux board and batten treatment using primed MDF, with the lumber costing about $140 of the $370 total. Chelsea had previously applied a similar treatment on a smaller scale in her bathroom and scaled up the approach. She said the larger version was easier this time because she had acquired a power nail gun and miter saw.
The process began with removing the room’s chair rail and original baseboards, which Chelsea described as labor-intensive because of layered old paint and caulk. The couple then installed craftsman-style baseboards, measured and marked spacing for vertical battens, cut the wood, and attached it with a battery-operated brad nailer. After caulking the seams — Chelsea’s tip is to use a baby wipe for cleanup — they painted the lower wall in Sherwin-Williams’ “Grizzle Gray” and the upper wall in “Pure White.” Finishing touches included rehung curtain rods placed higher with new 96-inch white curtain panels and an IKEA boho pendant replacing a dated flush-mount light.
What This Makeover Says About Budget Renovation
The project illustrates a frequently cited approach in budget interior design: when existing furniture is solid but a room feels dated, changing walls, window treatments, and lighting can alter perception of the entire space at a fraction of furniture-replacement cost. The Scotts spent $370 total — less than the cost of most single mid-range furniture pieces — while keeping their existing table, chairs, and rug.
The report also highlights how faux board and batten, built from flat trim applied over drywall rather than true paneled wainscoting, has become an accessible DIY route to adding architectural character. Chelsea’s account emphasizes that tool access — a nail gun and miter saw — was the main factor that made the larger-scale version manageable, information useful to readers weighing similar projects.
From Bathroom Experiment to Dining Room
: “According to the Apartment Therapy feature, Chelsea had previously completed a smaller board and batten treatment in her bathroom, which served as the trial run for the dining room project. The home, described as 72 years old, had been renovated shortly before the couple moved in, with beige paint throughout.
The couple’s gray curtains were a temporary fix from their initial move-in, and the room’s original flush-mount light fixture was described as dated and too small for the space. The dining room is visible from most points on the first floor, which Chelsea said influenced her attention to how the finished room would read from adjoining areas.
What the Report Doesn’t Cover
The $370 figure is the homeowners’ own accounting, as reported by Apartment Therapy; the outlet does not provide an itemized breakdown beyond the roughly $140 lumber cost. It is not clear from the report how long the project took in total, whether the figure includes the cost of tools, or how the MDF trim and paint will hold up over time. Whether the treatment added measurable value to the home is also not addressed. Chelsea’s stated lessons — such as preferring drywall mud over spackle for wall repair in an older house — are her personal assessment rather than tested guidance.
Hosting Plans and Possible Follow-On Projects
Chelsea told Apartment Therapy she is “looking forward to hosting” in the finished room and is pleased with how the changes opened up the space. The report does not indicate whether the couple plans additional rooms in the same treatment, though Chelsea’s progression from bathroom to dining room suggests the approach could be repeated elsewhere in the house. Readers considering a similar project would need to price materials locally, as lumber and paint costs vary by market.
Key Questions
How much did the dining room makeover cost?
The homeowners reported an all-in cost of $370, with the primed MDF lumber for the faux board and batten accounting for about $140, according to Apartment Therapy.
What is faux board and batten?
It is a wall treatment that uses flat trim pieces — in this case primed MDF — nailed to drywall to imitate traditional paneled wainscoting, typically finished with caulk and paint.
Did the couple buy new furniture?
No. The existing dining table, chairs, and vintage rug stayed. The changes were limited to walls, trim, paint, curtains, and the ceiling light fixture.
What paint colors were used?
The lower wall with the board and batten was painted in Sherwin-Williams’ “Grizzle Gray”, with “Pure White” on the upper wall, as reported by Apartment Therapy.
What tools made the project easier?
Chelsea credited a power nail gun and miter saw for making the dining room version easier than her earlier, smaller bathroom version of the same treatment.
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