DIY Network

Separating Rooms with Wall Columns Separating a living room and dining room — with a sophisticated touch. From "The Inside Job" episode DISJ-108

	The living room, before the Inside Job makeover. . .
	. . .and after.

In this Inside Job project, a living room and dining room need some help in gaining separate identities. Master carpenter Carter Oosterhouse has the answer to this identity crisis. He and his team of pros take you behind the scenes for his HGTV show, Carter Can, where they create a faux wall division with an ornate column. And they do it in under 48 hours. Also: a green tip for an environmentally friendly front door.

Below are the materials, tools and a summary of the basic steps as seen in this Inside Job.

Materials:

3/4" MDF: 6.5" wide column face
3/4" MDF: 3" wide column sides
3/4" 6 3/8" wide cleat
4" wide fluted molding pieces
crown molding for top and bottom
1.5" brads
2" brads
1.5" countersink screws
glue
paint
caulk

Tools:

chop saw
jig saw
nail gun
cordless drill
measuring tape
pencil
safety goggles

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

Steps:

1. Determine how tall you want your columns to be. Cut your MDF face, sides and cleat to the desired length.

2. Cut MDF face to 6.5" wide. Then two sidepieces to 2.5" wide. Glue the edges of the MDF face and attach your side beams, securing them with 1.5" brads (figure A).

3. Next cut your fluted molding down to size so that it covers the entire face. Measure the width of your crown molding and cut the same width from the end of the fluted molding. This is where your crown molding will be placed once the column is erected.

4. Add glue to the backside of the fluted molding and place it flush with the bottom end of the MDF, then attach with brads (figure B).

5. Take your face baseboard piece and place it over the bottom of the column. With a pencil, mark the back of the board where to cut. Then, cutting from the back towards the front, make a 45-degree angle miter cut (figure C).

6. For the baseboard sides, cut a 45-degree angle on the ends connecting to the face piece, and then a flat cut on the other end so that the back is flush with the MDF back sidepieces. Repeat for the opposite side. Assemble and attach with nails.

7. If you have a baseboard already in place on the wall where the column will go, you will need to use a jig saw to cut out an area that equals the full width of the column’s baseboard.

8. Cut an MDF cleat to 6-3/8" and attach with countersink screws where the columns will be placed. Make sure you are attaching the cleat to studs and not into dry wall. Now, install the column over the cleat and attach with 2" brads from the side.

Figure D

9. Cut the crown-molding piece the same way you did the baseboard. Then glue together and secure with brad nails. Once dry, install at the top of the column, over your MDF piece (figure D).

10. Use calking to cover up all the nail holes and seams. Once dry, paint your columns to the desired color.

Inside Job Green Materials Tip: Ask for Plantation Grown Wood

Plantation-grown wood is a great sustainable resource as it helps prevent naturally grown trees from being destroyed. Plantation grown wood is planted on a "tree farm" and grown until the wood has reached an appropriate age to cut. Once the trees are removed, the cycle is then restarted. For this project, the new front door installed by Carter and his team is made from plantation-grown mahogany.