DIY Faux Beams in my Dining Room

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I can’t believe it’s only been a week since I shared my DIY tile wall in my master bathroom and here we are again revealing another project – my dining room faux beams!  You guys, I honestly had no idea this project would happen so quickly but I’m even more in love with the result because of how FAST I was able to complete it!  Such an incredible “bang for your buck” type project that was also CHEAP!  You know those are my favorite kind!

Let’s take a look back at how far the dining room has come in just over a year.  When we moved in the first thing I did was hang my dual chandeliers.  It’s always been a dream of mine to have two matching statement chandeliers.  Unfortunately my exact ones aren’t available anymore but I’ve linked similar ones for you here and here.

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Then earlier this year I completed this huge statement mirror wall by myself.  Unfortunately a few months later, it acquired the tiniest chip in the corner of one of the mirrors.  Our neighborhood is still under heavy construction and one morning there was a crane right outside our house that was setting trusses on the house next door.  The ground was shaking severely and I walked into the dining room and noticed the small chip.  I should have waited until the construction was completed before I started the mirror wall.  But you live and you learn, right?   My only viable option was to replace it with one giant mirror since there is still so much construction going on it would likely happen again with the pieces of mirror I previously had.  So that’s what I did!

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Just like the tile wall in my bathroom, I’ve known for a long time I wanted to add faux beams to my dining room ceiling.  If you recall, right after we moved in last year I had these beams installed in the rest of our living space.  I hired a local carpenter for the job for 3 reasons.  1) I was 9 months pregnant at the time and that’s probably definitely something I shouldn’t DIY while pregnant.  2) My ceilings are 12 feet tall and I was slightly intimidated by that height.  And 3) I was impatient (as always) and wanted it done right.then.

But after watching them do it last year, I knew it was something I was capable of doing myself.  And it finally made its way to the top of my list this week!

DIY Faux Beams

Supplies:

The very first thing I had to do was remove pieces of crown molding.  In our dining room we have a tray ceiling that came with crown molding from the builder.  I used my multitool to cut out 7″ wide pieces of crown.

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Here’s a diagram I drew below that shows my plan for how to construct the faux beams.

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I used 1×6 boards for the top and bottom of the beam, and 1×8 boards for each side, leaving the inside hollow.  1×6 boards are actually 3/4″ x 5.5″ and 1×8 boards are actually 3/4″ x 7.25″ .  So that’s how my beams ended up 7″ wide and why I cut the crown accordingly.

Once my crown was removed I used my mitre saw to cut the top 1×6 the length of the ceiling which was approximately 90″.  Then I used scrap pieces of wood attached with double sided tape to mimic the side beam boards so that I could ensure I was attaching my top boards centered between the crown.  And finally I prepped the screws to make it easier once I was on the ladder.  I used 2.5″ coarse thread wood screws at alternating angles every 8-12″.

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The coarse thread and the alternating angles really help secure the boards to the ceiling since they’re only being attached to drywall.  My ceiling joists, or studs, run parallel to my beams and therefore it was impossible to hit them.  Overall, the faux beams are relatively lightweight so the drywall is capable of supporting the weight.

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I am fully aware I have flip flops on, but it’s do as I say not as I do, right? 😉

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To add an additional measure of support, I created a small L bracket out of scrap 1x and 2x boards and secured it to the top board and the side wall with wood screws.  The reason I did this is because the side walls are made entirely of wood so this essentially is the same as hanging the beams from studs.

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After the supports were up I cut and stained the rest of the box beam boards.  I used my all time favorite stain, Varathane Briarsmoke and a stain pad to apply.  I only stained the sides of the boards that you would see once they were hung.  I let dry overnight.

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Day 2 I began hanging the rest of the beams.  I used my nail gun and air compressor with 2.5″ finish nails to attach the side boards to the top support board.

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I also have a 25′ air hose to reach long distances like this.

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Here’s a view of the beam once the two sides were attached.  The bottom board was then sandwiched between the two side boards and nailed in from the sides with the nail gun.

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I did a little touch up with white ceiling paint where there were scuff marks and that was it!  No sanding or caulking!

DIY Faux beams

Here’s the finished faux beams!

DIY Faux beams

DIY Faux beams

Below you can catch a glimpse into my kitchen and living area where the other beams are and see how the match perfectly!

DIY Faux beams

DIY Faux beams

Here is the view I now see from in my kitchen and I absolutely adore it.

DIY Faux beams

Another peek from my kitchen.

DIY Faux beams

DIY Faux beams

DIY Faux beams

I’m in love and really think they help balance the dark color of our dining room table!  What do you think?  Beam overload or perfect amount?  Comment and let me know your thoughts, I love hearing from you guys!

Sources:

 

FAQ:

  • What about a pitched ceiling?  My friend Mysha DIYd box beams on her pitched ceiling here and she gives an awesome tutorial!  Check it out!
  • Why didn’t I assemble the 3 sides of the beams prior to hanging them?  Because I am a one man show and it would have been too heavy and awkward for me to lift them assembled alone.  But it would be a great idea if you wanted to do that ahead of time!
  • Are the beams attached to studs or trusses?  No.  Using a lot of the coarse thread screws at angles should hold them securely, although you could also add drywall anchors to secure them even further.
  • What kind of wood did I use?  Inexpensive Common board Pine
  • What was the total cost for the 3 beams?  $172!
  • How tall are your ceilings? 12 feet!
  • Did you caulk or fill the edges where the beam met the crown molding after you were done?  No.  The dark color of the beam blends with the dark seem at the crown so there was no need to in my opinion.
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6 Comments

  1. I can’t even… I mean just WOW. Are you going as Wonder Woman for Halloween because I’m pretty sure you are HER in real life!

    The beam color is a beautiful compliment to the dark table by the way 👌🏼

    1. Aw thank you so much Jaime!! And i’m so glad you agree that the beams compliment the table. That was one of my main reasons for doing them! 🙂 🙂

  2. Love seeing your projects. They are beautiful and perfect for your home. You have great style. Thanks for taking us along!

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