Add a small dining area off the kitchen for casual meals.
Today's dining rooms do not need to be formal, stuffy affairs. Most modern families are more casual than in years past, and prefer a cozy, small area where they can gather for meals. You can create a snug dining nook in the kitchen by using half-walls to create the illusion of a separate room, but still giving you a sense of openness.
Instructions
1. Mark off the area to be converted into the dining nook. Make a line on the existing wall where the new wall will attach. Determine the height you want the wall to be, taking into consideration the height of your dining room table and adding 8 to 12 inches to the measurement. Cut 2-by-4s to size.
2. Build the wall, using two 2-by-4s back to back at each end, doubling the thickness on the ends of the wall for greater strength. Space the remaining 2-by-4s 16 inches apart. Nail these 2-by-4s to an upper plate and a bottom plate, made from 2-by-4s, to form a rectangular box. Stand the frame upright and nail it securely to the floor and the wall.
3. Cut sheets of drywall to fit the new wall. Screw pieces of drywall into the 2-by-4s, placing screws every 12 inches or so, drilling into the 2-by-4 set every 16 inches. Tape the seams of the drywall with drywall tape. Apply joint compound with a trowel to cover the tape and the drywall screws. Sand the joint compound after it dries, and apply two more coats.
4. Sand the joints smooth. Prime and paint the walls.
5. Using simple wood moldings that lay flat to the wall, create the illusion of wainscoting by creating rectangles or squares on the new wall, along with the other walls in the new area. Use a miter box to cut the angles, and glue them on the wall a bit at a time. Nail the pieces in place with finish nails. This will tie the walls together and make it look like a room that is original to the house.
6. Nail up a traditional molding at the top edge of the half-wall using finish nails, and continue the chair rail around the rest of the room. Miter the molding in the corners for a seamless look. Nail a 1-by-6 board across the top of the half-wall, cutting it one inch longer than the wall to create a ledge which will overhang the wall by one inch on each side and the end. Add more molding around the ledge if you want.
7. Finish by priming and painting all the wood trim.
Tags: chair rail, create illusion, every inches, finish nails, joint compound