How to install a DIY beadboard backsplash (Kitchen Makeover)

The kitchen makeover is coming right along and I just love it more and more with each change!  If you want to go back to the beginning you can see the before pictures here, considering all the much updated options available in laminate countertops, and installing our own new laminate countertops.  And now we have a beadboard backsplash and beadboard on the back of the bar wall too. Beadboard is an inexpensive, easy DIY option for a backsplash and also goes with the somewhat farmhouse look I am going for.

LOVE!

Here’s a reminder of the before…

And what it looked like after installing new countertops but without any kind of backsplash.

And here’s how it looks now!

So here’s where I admit I am horrible blogger… You guys, I put on the last sheet of beadboard and trim, stepped back thinking about how excited I was to blog about it, and realized I took ZERO pictures during the process.  ZERO.  BUT, that’s ok, because I can still walk you through the whole process and since your kitchen has totally different measurements, outlet placement, obstacles to work around, etc. it’s the process not the measurements and step by step that you really need anyways.

So you want to install a beadboard backsplash, here’s the steps you need to take:

1. Measure the area for the beadboard.  Measure the walls from the counter or small backsplash attached to your counter to the bottom of your counter.  Then measure the total area of length that you need.  If you different heights of cabinets make sure to measure all of that too.

2. Measure how much trim you need.  You will need some kind of trim but where you put it depends on your personal taste and also what you are working around.  I thought I was going to have to put trim  on the bottom and top of each piece of beadboard, but I was able to just use it on the bottom where the beadboard met the counters.  I had a rather large gap in between the counter and wall in some places because of the walls not being completely square so there was just no option but to add trim.    I opted to use just general quarter-round for this area but you could use whatever type trim you want.

I also used corner trim on the back of the bar wall on each corner. 

3. Head to Home Depot for beadboard.  I did the entire backsplash with ONE sheet of beadboard ($19.97 a sheet) and the back of the bar wall took another sheet of beadboard.  I had the sheet for wall cut in half, and the sheet for the backsplash cut into 19 inch strips (from cabinet to counter in my kitchen was 18 inches but I wanted to leave a little extra for any variance I may have). 

4. Cut the beadboard to fit and to fit around any outlets.  If you did not have it cut to the exact size you will need to cut your beadboard to fit and also cut around any outlets.  I used a Kreg Jig Rip Cut attached to my Ryobi Circular Saw to cut the pieces of beadboard down to size.  I love the Kreg Rip Cut because it allows you to use your circular saw like a table saw and get straight even cuts.  I got my Rip Cut a few years ago in my swag bag at Haven and have used it a lot.

 

And you will need to cut out any outlets with a jigsaw.  I tried several “tricks” that I saw on Pinterest like putting blue painter’s tape on the outlet, then putting the board against it, the tape sticking to the board and marking your spot – yeah, that totally didn’t work for me.  So it was just a good ole tape measure, pencil and measuring twice (or three times!) so I made sure I only had to make one cut and not mess up a piece of beadboard. 

5. Secure it to the wall.   I secured the beadboard to the wall with a nail gun.  I opted to not glue it too just in case a future owner wanted to remove it.  But if you were installing over tile or wished to use adhesive like liquid nails you can do that too.

6. Cut trim to fit.  Like I said I used quarter round trim around the bottom edge of the beadboard on top of the counter.   I used my miter saw to cut all of these pieces to fit and to be mitered in the corner.

I did not install trim on the end of this wall and the beadboard that ends right by the fridge opening (those are the only open ends of the beadboard backsplash.)  I just made sure to use a factory edge there and painted the edge.  (Still need to touch up the wall paint and decide what I am going to do about the chair rail.)  I would love to use a piece of trim there but just haven’t found one that I like yet – need something with just a bit of a lip that would overlap that edge or a table saw to cut something down.  But honestly I don’t mind this either – sometimes tile backsplashes just end with a straight edge just like this.

I used corner trim right there on the wall to left up to where it met the cabinets.  And re-used the quarter round that had been under the bar since that was more of a raw edge up against the bottom of the countertop.

Here’s the corner trim on the back of the bar wall. 

And I wrapped the beadboard around this edge of the wall and used corner pieces on each side to hide the unfinished edges. 

7. Caulk and paint! 

Once it is caulked and painted, it looks like this!  So amazing!  I just love the way this corner turned out!

Caulk makes a huge difference!  Don’t stress if your mitered corners aren’t exact or you have a small gap – all of that can be covered in caulk and you will never notice!  I painted all of the beadboard and trim with Behr Premium Plus (which is Paint + Primer in one) in Interior Semi-Gloss Enamel.  I wanted a super-wipeable finish which is why I went with the semi-gloss.

Caulk + paint is the finishing touch!  (I think I need to straighten the outlet cover ).

So here’s some more after pictures…

This backsplash area looks SO different and makes the wall/backsplash area look so much bigger since before it had that skinny backsplash and a tiny bit of wall.

Oh and can we just do another happy dance that those old laminate counters with the wood edge are GONE!!  YES!!

I had all of the backsplash installed in one evening, then did the wall and all of the trim the next day.  So maybe a total of 6-7 hours total in all of this from cutting, installing, trim, caulk and paint.  But it was fairly easy and definitely frugal!  My total cost was $40 for the 2 sheets of beadboard and about $25 in trim.  I already had all the tools and paint, but if you were only doing a backsplash and not an entire wall that cost would probably be cut in half.    Can’t beat less than $40 for an entire kitchen backsplash!

Not done yet, but it is coming along!  Painted cabinets, new hardware and possibly a new light fixture coming up next!

*Affiliate links included for your convenience to products I used for this project.  You pay nothing more if you choose to purchase through these links but I earn a bit of commission for referring you so it’s a win-win situation!