How to Decorate the Wall Trim With the Box Look

Remove the baseboards in the room before installing the wainscoting. Do the same with any chair rails.

Paint or stain the wainscoting according to the manufacturer's directions. Allow the wainscoting to dry completely before installing it.

Line up the wainscoting panels along the wall. For the most attractive look, mark the center of the wall with a pencil mark. Position the box panel in front of the mark and line up the stiles on either side. The stiles are the vertical section of the wainscoting. Position it so the grooves fit together. Continue doing this until are the panels are in position. If you don't end with a stile in each corner, begin again with a stile over the center mark and reposition the panels and stiles.

Hire an electrician to move electrical outlets if necessary. The goal is for the outlets to be on the flat sections of the wainscoting, not the raised portion.

Set a carpenter's level on the floor along each wall. Do this to determine the highest point and begin installing the panels in the corners nearest the highest point.

Cut the base rails to fit with a miter saw. They go around the perimeter of the room above the baseboard area and may leave small gaps. You will cover these with the shoe rails later. Use a hammer and nails to install the base rails.

Install the panels and stiles. Do this by brushing construction adhesive on the backsides, inserting them into the base rails and pressing them firmly into place.

Insert any panels into the base rails near electrical outlets. Make four marks with a pencil to indicate the outlet size. Remove the panel and cut out the opening with a jigsaw.

Turn off the electricity to the room. Do this at the electrical box.

Unscrew the electrical outlet plate and pull it gently away from the wall. Do not remove it. Slide the outlet through the opening in the panel and slip an adjustable extension ring into the box left in the wall.

Twist the four screws on the adjustable extension ring with a screwdriver. Do this while holding the panel against the wall. The goal is for the ring to sit flush against the panel. Turn the electricity back on at the electrical box and continue installing the stiles and panels around the perimeter of the room.

Add the shoe molding along the bottom of the panels and the top rails along the top edge of the panels and stiles. Do this with a hammer and finishing nails. Add the decorative cap rails in the same fashion.

Seal any corner joints or holes with a caulk that you can paint over. Allow the paintable caulk to dry according to the label.

Touch up the wainscoting with paint to finish the project.