Beautiful, practical, and affordable, beaded board never goes out of style. And if we have anything to do with it, it never will. Beaded board protects walls from dampness and the everyday nicks and bumps that go along with family life at the beach. You can use it to cover whole walls, portions of walls, ceilings—even the inside of kitchen cabinets. What’s more, you can leave wooden beaded board untreated so that it fades to a soft brown, or seal it with colorful paint. Can’t decide which way to go? We know one homeowner who whitewashed her beaded-board walls, then sealed them with furniture wax for a look that combined color and graining.If you’re searching for a design element that blends informality and tradition, look no further. Beaded board’s the answer.
Beaded Board Tips:
Design Thoughtfully. The height of the panels, the width, the style of molding—even the profile of the bead itself—makes a big difference. Don’t let those choices fight your room’s basic proportions. You can ask a designer for help. Or, purchase a few sample panels at a neighborhood home-improvement store and have them cut to different heights. Take the panels home and place them against the wall to see what dimensions work best.
Accept Innovation. I’m a traditionalist, and I’ve installed beaded board the old way, one tongue-and-groove board at a time. But I love the convenience of panels and strips made from compressed wood materials and new synthetic materials. They install easily and stand up to abuse in kids’ rooms, and in kitchens and bathrooms where water is a factor. I use products from Nantucket BeadBoard Co., which has a great Web site (beadboard.com). And I like the look of New England Classic systems, as well (newenglandclassic.com). To check out a sample of the synthetic approach, go to azek.com/beadboard.asp.
Understand the Tradeoffs. Now that I’ve said how much I like the panel approach, I have to warn you—it’s not necessarily easy for do-it-yourselfers. The larger and thicker the panels, the heavier they are. If you want to cover large areas (a ceiling, for example) with single panels, you’ll need two strong people to handle the sheets. If you use the easier-to-manage strips, you’ll have to take care to match seams and bead lines to avoid the look of a patchwork job.
Marry Materials and Location. Is the beaded board purely decorative in a living room, or is it expected to stand up to abundant moisture in the bath? You might want to consider easy-care synthetics for wet places, backed by the waterproofing panels installed behind tile. Always tell your salesperson exactly where you plan to install beaded board. Some companies design location-specific products that will last as long as your walls.
How to Speak Fluent Contractor
Some helpful terms in a beaded-board conversation:
Wainscoting: The term for decorative panels—in this case, beaded board—applied to an interior wall. Originally, it offered vital protection for fragile plaster walls. Now it has evolved into a popular design element.
Rail: The piece of horizontal molding that caps wainscoting, once designed to protect walls from the backs of chairs. You can use chair rail atop beaded board in combination with cove molding or shoe molding. To see samples of these and other styles, visit archmillwork.com/home/am2/listcats.
Name: Is it “bead board” or “beaded board”? Here at Coastal Living we call it “beaded board,” but whichever term you prefer, it means the same thing.
