Installing a Beadboard Backsplash in the Kitchen

This post will show you how to install an affordable, modern, and beautiful beadboard backsplash in your kitchen or any other room. Installing a beadboard backsplash is an affordable and gorgeous way to update your kitchen!

I’m a huge fan of any DIY project that can make a huge change in your home on a budget. We have been working on making some budget-friendly changes in our kitchen, but the backsplash area has been a problem. I would love to tile it, but that’s out of the budget right now. And honestly, outside of the scope of time I’m willing to put in!

Recently, my mom offered up some beadboard that they had leftover from renovating my grandmother’s house. I jumped at the chance and decided that instead of a tile backsplash, I’d install a beadboard backsplash. I had plenty of people look at me kind of funny for saying I was going to install a beadboard backsplash in my kitchen (including my husband, let’s be honest). But, I knew it would look fabulous so I stuck to my guns.

And boy, am I ever so glad I did.

How to Install a Beadboard Backsplash:

Materials Needed:

• Beadboard (I used tongue and groove planks, but beadboard paneling works great too!)
• Trim (whatever style you like, for finishing off the edges)
• Liquid Nails
• Nail gun + Nails
• Caulk and caulk gun
• Primer
• Paint roller + paintbrush
• Paint (I love white for a kitchen backsplash, but do whatever you want!)

Step One: Prep Your Wall

If you’re new around these parts, let me show you what that wall used to look like:

That lone little cabinet sitting on the wall all by itself has bothered me since the day we moved into the house. It made the room feel smaller, it looked strange all by itself, and I knew it had to go. When we painted the cabinets we chose to leave it alone. I knew that we would eventually get rid of it! So, it was the only unpainted cabinet. And it stuck out even more.

So, I don’t think I need to tell you that when it was time to finally take that cabinet down I was practically doing a happy dance. The room looked better pretty much the second we took it off the wall.

Step Two: Install Beadboard

I used beadboard planks for this project because they came from my mom and they were free. But typically when I work with beadboard, I use beadboard sheets! They come in panels of 4′ x 8′ and they’re really easy to cut down and install.

If you’re working with sheets, you’ll want to apply your Liquid Nails to the back, place the sheet in place, and use a nailer to install it. Sounds overly simple? It’s honestly that easy!

With the tongue and groove planks, it was easy, too! We started by drawing a level line across the top of the ceiling. Ceilings aren’t always level, so this helps ensure your planking is. Then, we nailed in the boards across the top row.

We decided to go with a staggered look similar to how you would install flooring. The top row started with a 32″ board, then the next row started with a 16″ board, and the third row started with a 24″ board. Then, we just repeated the pattern all the way down. This keeps the seams from looking too uniform and helps your eye to skim right over them.

This works like a charm to cover up the ugly texture in our kitchen, so I’m really thrilled with that little bonus!

Step Three: Install Trim

Once the boards were completely installed, we moved on to installing trim.

For the edges (both sides, top, and bottom) of the beadboard backsplash, we installed a simple trim piece that’s about 2″ wide. We cut a mitered edge so it would look nice and clean. This is just a really easy way to finish off the project and hide any rough edges.

We didn’t have any outlets or appliances (like a stove) to work around. But, if you do, you’ll just cut around them using a jigsaw.

Step Four: Caulk and Paint

With your beadboard kitchen backsplash installed, now it’s time to add the finishing touches. There will be cracks where your beadboard paneling meets, and lots of little nail holes. You’ll want to use caulk to fill in aaaaall of those little gaps. Just be careful not to get a lot of caulk in the grooves of your beadboard!

I primed my beadboard because some of it was raw pine. However, a lot of beadboard you find at Lowe’s and Home Depot comes pre-primed, so you may not need to worry about that. Then, I painted the whole shebang white (Olympic’s Flagstone to be specific).

I am truly so thrilled with how this turned out. I never thought I’d be into a more farmhouse kitchen but, the white beadboard backsplash just works. It’s a beautiful, clean look, and a super affordable option for a backsplash.

The moral of the story here, my friends, is that even if people think you’re crazy for wanting to try something a little different in your home, just do it. Most projects like this are relatively low cost and don’t require a ton of time, so why not just try? I’m so glad we took a chance on this DIY beadboard backsplash and Corey can’t stop talking about how it transformed the entire feeling of the kitchen – it feels brighter, bigger, and more open now!