Weekend Living Room Makeover

Adding an architectural detail to a wall can make a dramatic difference in any room. So the following day we purchased panels of beaded-board wainscot for the lower half of the walls. We nailed them around the whole room at a height of 5 feet (about 2 feet higher than a traditional chair rail). Then we chose simple pine moldings for the cap and added a bonus—a ledge on top for leaning artwork and family photos, plus a few votive candles.