| Having decided on a vertical layout, next consider the horizontal panel divisions for the feature wall. Horizontal layouts may be symmetrical with 2, 3, or 4 panels all of the same size or may consist of mixed panel sizes and be either symmetrical or asymmetrical.
The horizontal layout will be determined by the placement of major furniture, paintings, doors, windows, and by personal taste.
The space between each panel, the doors, and the room corners should be constant and can be 3-1/2 to 6 inches (9 to 15 cm). The space above and below a chair molding should be 1/2 to 1 inch (1 to 3 cm). The space above the baseboard and below a crown molding may be the same as the space between panels (3-1/2 to 6 inches). If there is no crown molding then increase the top space several inches.
Panel corners can be mitered or you can use Balmer decorative molding corners. Moldings can be cut to length using a standard hand saw and nailed into place with countersunk finishing nails. For a more professional appearance, apply a bead of latex caulk to the back of the molding before nailing it in place. If the piece abuts blocks or other lengths of molding that are already fixed in place, apply an epoxy or polyurethane (PL) adhesive to the ends of the molding. Joints and edges can be blended and filled with caulk. Nail holes are filled using a sandable, paintable filler (spackling). |
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| Vertical Panel Layout |
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| Horizontal Panel Layout |
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