Beadboard can give even a room in a new house a wonderfully antique look, and using faux techniques, you can also make your beadboard look like it’s been in your room forever. Here are the basic steps to getting that designer look for less money.

First of all, of course, you’ll need to create enough account dashboards to fit your application. You can find it at an architectural salvage store, or you can buy it new at most large home improvement centers. Either way will work, but you’ll probably have an easier time finding a great deal if you buy your tally board new.

Once you’ve got your bead board, the next step is to glue it to your wall, just as you would if you were putting up panels. This technique works better than trying to nail bead board to the walls, because your thin strips won’t allow you the luxury of finding studs.

After the bead board has been applied to the wall, you are ready to paint. Use two shades of the same color. To maintain the antique look of your new link board, it is preferable to use an eggshell finish, which will have a small amount of shine, a little more than matte paint, but not as much as a satin or high-gloss paint. Using an eggshell will also allow the bead board to be cleaned more easily and make it more resistant to stains and wear. Your second color should be two to three shades lighter than your first choice.

It’s a good idea to mix some water into the dark shade to allow the paint to flow smoothly into the grooves. You will only paint the grooves between the boards with this darker color. Use a sponge brush with a wedge-shaped tip for this first coat, then allow the paint to dry.

Next, dip a larger sponge brush, one wide enough to cover at least two grooves, into your second can of paint, which should be undiluted. Then, brush the entire surface, keeping it flat so the paint doesn’t get too deep into the grooves. Allow that layer to dry as well.

Finally, using a sea sponge, apply a blue wash coat consisting of a glaze tinted with a similar color to your first coat. Apply it initially by simply dabbing the polish in random patterns, and then sponge back and forth over the bead board, rather than up and down as with the first two coats. This will give your bead board a nice ridged effect, making it look older and more worn than it really is, especially if you originally bought it new at your local home improvement center.

Take your time as you go and you should be pretty happy with the results. Applying a faux-aging technique to your bead board can drastically change the look of a room and add a nice touch of whimsical Victorian charm, without breaking the budget in the process.