This project was super quick and easy. It's what JP refers to as a "nap time project." As we've been slowly revamping our home, we were (are) constantly looking for ways to make it feel cohesive. We have an L-shaped open-concept living/dining/kitchen, and sometimes it can feel disconnected between the living room and kitchen.
We wanted our house to feel warm and inviting, but also open and airy without being too sterile. Throughout this revamping process we decided to ditch our old gray walls for a more contemporary white. The white is gorgeous (#sherwinwilliams #alabaster), but we wanted to make it more inviting and tie in the wood accents in our living and dining rooms into the kitchen.
To make the beam we used:
* Reclaimed wood from JP's parents' den (they removed ceiling beams and were happy to share the left over wood.)
* Wood glue
* 1 1/4" Brad Nails
* Circular Saw
* Tape Measure
* Table Saw (optional)
* Clamps
Here's the breakdown of how it came together:
Step 1: Measure the area where the beam will go, accounting for the thickness of the wood and your desired width of the beam. Because the boards we used were reclaimed wood from the 70's, they came to us a true inch thick. Did you know lumber sold at big box stores is labelled as larger than it actually is? eg. the true measurement of a 2"x4" is 1 1/2"x3 1/2"🤯 Step 2: Skip this step if you purchase wood directly from a hardware store or it matches your desired thickness and width. In our case, we re-sawed (if you're a foodie, this would be the woodworking equivalent to butterflying a filet) the boards to about 3/8" and glued them together to create the face of the beam.
We didn't have enough clamps for a board this long. So we screwed scraps into the work bench and used wedges as clamps as you can see in the second picture.👆
Step 3: Rip pieces to slightly larger than final width. Because our beam was going to function as a cap over our wall, we ripped two strips to 2" W for the sides and one to about 5 1/2" for the face. Think like a U-shape.
Step 4: Bevel ends of boards to final length. Our house has baseboards and crown molding, so we measured from the top of the cove on the crown molding to the bottom of the bead on the baseboard. It ended up being about 87 3/8" long. We beveled each end to a 45 degree angle to fit snugly against the molding and baseboard. Step 5: Measure/mark the face of your beam. Because walls are not straight, (if you're type A like me and never knew that, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news) it's important to measure the width of the wall at the top and bottom. In our case, the top was about 1/2" wider than the bottom! Remember how we ripped the pieces slightly larger than the final width? Here's why that's important. JP held the face up to the wall and I marked a cut line from top to bottom, using the edge of the wall as my guide to make sure it fit exactly. Step 6: Cut board to final width. Use your circular saw and follow along the cut line. Step 7: Assemble the beam. Glue and brad nail the boards together lengthwise to create the U-shape. The brad nails will act as clamps while the glue dries. Step 8: (optional) Sand/stain/finish as desired. Step 9: Install and enjoy! Assuming your measurements are correct, the beam should fit snugly over the wall. Ours fit well enough that it stayed securely in place without any help, but you may use screws to secure it in place if necessary. This project took us about two hours (uninterrupted), and was a simple and cheap way to make a big impact! - Karly Let us know what you think in the comments!👇