How to Build Beautiful Faux Ceiling Beams (DIY)
Introduction
Magicians never reveal their secrets, but I’m a carpenter, so I’ll tell you one of mine. You know those beautiful ceiling beams you see in rustic, industrial and farmhouse interiors? Most of them aren’t real!
This is good news — it means you can get the look even if you don’t have exposed beams. You can add depth and character to any room by building your own. You can stain them, paint them white or choose a weathered, decades-old look. I’ll show you how to make beams for any home.
Authentic, Seamless Beams
For this project, I’m going for a real-beams look. Using a method called miter folding, I’ll transform a pair of 1x6s and a 1×8 board into a hollow beam. The miter seams will be invisible, and each beam will look like an actual solid piece. You’ll need a table saw or a track saw to pull this off, but your beams will look as if they are actually holding up the ceiling.
Beam Styles for Any Home
Hardwood + Stain
This is the clean, modern real-beam look I used for this project. I used red oak lumber with Simply White 275 Minwax stain.
Box Beams
You can build this beam style without a table saw by using 1×6 boards right from the store. No long bevel cuts needed.
Painted: Use finger-jointed preprimed boards, which come perfectly straight. Just nail them together, and then caulk, paint and install them.
Hardwood: Use straight-grained hardwood like mahogany, and the seams almost disappear. Nail the boards flush, apply finish and install.
Veneered Plywood
The advantage of veneered plywood? The sheets come straight as an arrow, making them easy to cut and fold together. The downside? You’re limited to the length of a sheet of plywood. Build longer beams by butting them together and covering the seam with a piece of matching molding.
Rustic/Distressed
With reclaimed barn wood, you can achieve that authentic farmhouse look. Barn wood is much more forgiving because it already has nail holes, dents and dings, and it requires no staining or finishing.
Ready-Made Faux Beams
A few companies manufacture beams of all styles using high-density foam. These beams are lighter than wood, easier to install and look realistic. Barron Designs customizes ultra-realistic beams in any length, width and height, and can even cap beams with a decorative scrolled end.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7p63MoqOyoJGjsbq5wKdlnKedZL2zu8memq1nmKTEbsDOZpmuoZyZeqet1LFknJ2Zobavs4ybnJqlo2Q%3D