DIY Ceiling Beams

   

One important element of my dining room design plan were these DIY ceiling beams. They are finally finished and I love how they turned out!! Adding these beams created much-needed contrast and dimension in the space.

And I am so thankful that my handy husband continually entertains my DIY design wishes. 😆

 

>>You may also love DIY Board and Batten Accent Wall

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So often we think of decorating our walls, but taking your design to the ceiling is an unexpected way to make a grand statement. Here is how we did it.

 

 

Do It Yourself Ceiling Beams

Materials:

• 1×6” pine boards (8)
• Wood Conditioner
• Weathered Oak Stain
• Early American Stain

 

Process & Dimensions:

We built our wooden ceiling beams from scratch! We used three 1×6” pine boards for each beam and attached the edges in a u-shape with butted joints. Installation may also go more smoothly if you add a couple of shallow supports inside the beam.

This created a final dimension of 6″ deep and 7″ wide. Note, that we do have 9′ ceilings. I would have scaled back on depth had they been any shorter.

The wood pieces were secured with wood glue and finished with nails.

 

Stain:

After sanding the boards, I applied a pre-stain wood conditioner. This helps you get a nice, even finish when applying your stain.

Next, I layered MINWAX Weathered Oak Stain followed by Early American Stain. This combination created a pretty medium wood tone that complements our floor and wood furniture.

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How to Install Beams on the Ceiling

Installation:

We installed 1×6” boards on the ceiling joists as the cleat ‘base’. After those were attached, we positioned the beam on top of the cleat and secured it with screws.

Once the beams were installed, we trimmed and replaced the molding. But the final touch-ups of caulk and paint brought this vision to life!

We also swapped our chandelier and introduced some new furniture during this process. See my full dining room design plan here >> Dining Room Mood Board and Design Plan.