I am adding wainscoting to my kitchen… love it so far, looks fantastic.
However, there is one kitchen wall that meets the hallway forming an outside corner. I am at a loss for the best way to terminate the wainscoting at this corner.
If I end it flush with the hallway wall (which will just have a chair rail) then I think it would be an odd transition on the hall side where two dissimilar colors meet (wainscoting is green, hall will be orangish), plus the joint of wainscoting to wall will be odd, it seems.
I thought about wrapping it into the hallway a few inches… and then running the hallway chair rail into it. My wife hates the idea and thinks it would look stupid but I think this would look the best. And, of course, I am always right {looking over shoulder to be sure wife isn’t watching}.
The third option would be to end the wainscoting short on the kitchen wall by an inch or so and either paint the green to the corner anyhow or bring the hall color around to the kitchen side.
Then the last idea is to leave that section of kitchen wall plain, no wainscoting. It only shows about 18″ before it runs behind the refrigerator…. but it looks so incomplete that way.
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I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia
Replies
How about an outside corner "board"--don't know what they are called, but a decorative vertical spindle that has a "V" in it to fit over the corner.
Edited 9/6/2009 2:36 pm ET by Danno
I guess that would be similar to the idea of wrapping the corner by a few inches... maybe 4 inches.A spindle would not match the wainscoting design now but the wrap would, of course.
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I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia
Build up the corner with an "L" shaped piece. Fancy up the corners as needed. Butt the ends of the chair rail into one side and the wainscoating to the other. Paint it trim color with finishing the wall colors each side.
Edited 9/6/2009 2:45 pm ET by USAnigel
I've already built the wrap. I think it will be the best looking option.
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I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia
So, to be clear you do not need input any longer. Right?TFB (Bill)
Well, I wouldn't mind the discussion but I've made the move already so unless there would be some incredibly compelling reason to do otherwise, I think it is done.
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I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia
......so unless there would be some incredibly compelling reason to do otherwise,........
Such as a "no" from the wife? :)
Geoff
Good choice. One of the basic and often overlooked rules of design is that materials should never end on an outside corner. It makes them feel thin. By adding a return, as you did, the material becomes a volume rather than a veneer.
Some of the worst examples of this are roof dormers where the front is one material and the sidewall another. Stonework on the front of houses that ends abruptly comes a close second.
You can sleep well knowing you were right, but keep an eye on your wife whose plans you thwarted.
She is used to the fact that I am always right... no matter how much she objects... lolOf course, she still is not watching me type.I have to say, the wrap around the corner came out very nice. I'll have to post a pic later.
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I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia
Ask your wife what SHE wants!
Typical detail and something I'd probably do is a pilaster strip. That is a piece thicker than the wainscot material and wider than the individual boards. The length is usually a bit higher than the cap on the wainscot. Cap the top with some detail and put a plinth block at the bottom if you think it'd help.
I usually wouldn't wrap this around the corner unless I had some sort of theme going on in the rest of the house.
I know you've done it already but I'll say what I was going to anyhow. There are many ways to end paneling like this at an outside corner. I think the best looking is not to wrap it but to end it just shy of the corner leaving the bead still showing. If there is to be a return on the rail that is the top of the wainscoting, then end your wainscote panel right at the bottom of where that piece returns. The end of the wainscote should be a piece of plain stock that sits just proud of the paneling maybe 1/8".
Just as I am writing this I reread your first post and it became more clear what the situation is. I was envisioning a sheetrocked arch corner for some reason. Then the first thing that comes to mind is the cornerboard and nicely done returns on both sides.
Or....come up with an interesting end piece for the chair rail and don't do the corner board
Maybe you are clairvoyant! My walls are gypsum lath and plaster (1951) and the kitchen enters the hallway through an arched opening.here is a pic of how I finished it.
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I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia
ok, here it is again, sorry.
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I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia
Looks good! I would like details on the wainscoting. I did a fake wainscoting in the living room, basically 16"x24" picture frames that I routed with two different profiles, mitered and glued/pin nailed together. I'm in the process of building up the chair rail, which is basically just an "L" with a routed profile on the bottom and some bed moulding (mini-crown) covering the joint. The door and window trim is "arts &crafts" style, the same type in my Mom's 100 year old Craftsman. The paint is chocolate below the chair rail with the "picture frames", and a mocha color above the rail. All of the trim will be a high gloss white. Believe it or not, I was inspired by a DeWalt ad in FHB. I'm about 80% done and so far, I'm completely pleased with the results.
I'm asking because soon I will be concentrating on the bedroom. I'm thinking about a board & batten style of wainscoting, but using red oak with a cherry stain. I'd like to extend it all the way up to picture rail heigth, and put a shelf with brackets on the very top of the paneling. The "picture frame" wainscoting looks nice to me, but I had no idea that it would be this labor intensive. The great thing about it was I was able to use up leftover materials and dumpster dive at job sites for the 1x4s.
I like the more traditional wainscot, but it can be expensive. Please, tell me more about the profile and cost.