Looking for easy DIY baseboards? Here’s a simple, creative project that you can finish in an afternoon. Sharing the step-by-step.
Have you ever seen anyone so happy in their whole life?
I can’t help it.
We are about to makeover this office to—wait for it—wait for it…
….blue and white.
Yep.
It’s the little things in life.
It inspired the makeover.
We are painting the room and the fireplace and I found the prettiest chairs that I’m covering the cushions and new blue and white curtains and we are adding wall-to-wall bookcases.
Whew.
But the thing that I’m happiest about?
These easy, simple, life-changing DIY baseboards.
You’d be happy, too, if you saw this “before.” You probably never really noticed the baseboards in the room before because I did my very best to not point them out.
All the other baseboards in the house are high and Pinterest-worthy. Most of them are between 8″ to 10″ tall with molding on the top and the bottom. Amazing baseboards. Incredible baseboards. Baseboards that could hold their heads high at the national baseboard convention.
But the baseboards in this room?
They were full of shame.
Yikes.
They looked like this. Small. Not cute. Scuffed up from people dragging furniture along them.
No worries.
Baseboards like this are a afternoon away from looking like a superhero.
Here’s the step-by-step if you are interested in a DIY baseboard project.
Simple DIY Baseboards
Step 1: Remove the baseboards
Here’s a close-up of the before. These baseboards are about 4″ tall.
To remove them, we simply took a screwdriver and inserted it at the joints of where the baseboards attached and lightly tapped a hammer.
The baseboards came right off in long strips.
The key is to find your joints and start the removal process there.
Step 2: Cut and nail the new baseboards to the wall
Here’s a look at the new pine boards we used as the new baseboards.
This pine is 1″ x 8″ tall.
We just used inexpensive-grade pine. The key is to cover those knot holes when you paint with a full-coverage primer so the knots don’t bleed through (but I’m getting painting-ahead of myself).
We cut the boards to fit around the bottom of the room. We had to miter several corners because the room has a bay window. If your room is square, all you need to do is simple abut the boards to one another on the corners.
Step 3: Add 1/4″ round on the top of the board
I wanted the molding to have a finished look like the rest of the house.
Sometimes just a little piece of simple molding (like a 1/4″ round) can make the baseboards feel so much more finished.
The pine board is 1″ x 8″ so the 1/4 round fit perfectly on the top.
We cut the 1/4″ round to fit and then nailed it to the top of the pine board on the molding around the room.
You will need to miter the corners where the joints meet.
Step 4: Add 1/4″ round to the base of the board
After we added the 1/4″ round to the top of the board, the next step was to add it to the base of the pine board.
We cut the 1/4″ round to fit and then nailed it in front of the pine board around the room.
You will need to miter the corners where the joints meet.
Here’s what the finished molding looked like before we started painting.
Step 5: Paint primer and two coats of paint
You could use a small roller for a project like this, but we went old-school and used a paintbrush.
Quick tip: a 2″ angled painter’s brush is the perfect tool for a project like this. It has enough thickness to give you good coverage and the angle helps get in the corners.
Quick tip #2: MAKE SURE (I cannot stress this enough) to use a high-coverage primer on this project. DO NOT skimp on the primer if you are using pine boards. If you don’t, the knots will show through. This premium high-quality primer from Sherwin-Williams is one of the best ones on the market.
Here are our finished baseboards with one coat of primer and two coats of paint.
Here are the beautiful new baseboards.
And this weekend?
The rest of the project will begin.
I can’t wait to show you all the details and how this room is going to go from neutral to a little blue and white.
And no one is happier than me.
Well.
Except my baseboards. 🙂
Your new wide baseboards look great! There is one other simple, inexpensive way to have wider looking baseboards for those that have regular drywall on their walls. You take a 1/2 round molding and nail it 6"-8" above your base molding. Then you paint that whole area including base, 6"-8" of drywall and new 1/2 round with a satin or semi gloss paint in the color and finish of your other trim. It really ends up looking like a wide base molding! I have used this method for a number of clients and they are all thrilled with the look. My painter even told me he is suggesting this to clients.
Lovely! Any tips for dealing with cords that need to run along your baseboards? I detest cords, and especially those that get in the way while dusting baseboards. What a pretty office you have!
Karen, Do you know what we use? Have you seen those stick on cord covers? They actually look like the quarter round that’s at the base of our baseboards! They hide the cords and make them disappear! happy day, karianne
Great new look on the baseboards. Can't wait to see future projects for office.
I love thick big pretty baseboards. Actually big trim anywhere. Those look perfect. Wonderful. Your room will look so pretty blue and white. But I have to say I like the neutral too.
Can't wait to see the entire makeover!! xoxo
Waiting for the makeover with bated breath! The baseboards look wonderful, and even better, they make you happier with the room.
They look great Karianne! Your office looks so much more inviting and light and calming from what it was when you purchased the house. I can't wait to see the new blue and white decor!
Karianne, they are beautiful! They look like they were meant to be there!
Love the baseboards. Your office is soooo pretty. Sometime, talk about how you did your curtains. They allow your window trim to show off.
Love this! Looking forward to seeing the room updates.
What a difference!! They look fantastic and sure do change the feel of the room. I can’t wait to see what else you do in there. I’m a huge fan of the blue and white..I have it in my home too. Ha! So did my mom.
KariAnne, I love your new wide baseboards! They are so classy! Looking forward to seeing your office done in blue and white. It's going to be so pretty!
What a great upgrade. One question .. could you primer and maybe even do one coat of paint on the pine boards before installing them? Seems like it would be easier than going along on your knees after they're nailed in place.
Such a smart baseboard DIY KariAnne. Love it! Can’t wait to see your room makeover & all the blue and white. Hugs, Scarlett