Easy DIY Kitchen Soffit Makeover on a Budget

Hello everyone! I’m so excited to share with you how we gave our kitchen soffit a quick and easy makeover on a budget.

We added open kitchen shelves a while ago. Personally, I think open kitchen shelves with a kitchen soffit is not the most aesthetically pleasing but complete removal of the bulkhead is on the backburner. We plan on removing the kitchen soffit/bulkhead at some point but we have other projects higher on our priority list.

BEFORE KITCHEN SOFFIT MAKEOVER

When we took down the upper kitchen cabinets, unpainted plywood was showing and the corner was just open and exposed. To say the least, it was not a pretty sight. This has been bugging us ever since we put up the open kitchen shelves. So I decided to cover up this ugly kitchen soffit using beadboard.

RELATED POST: DO-IT-YOURSELF OPEN KITCHEN SHELVES

Using Beadboard to Give the Kitchen Soffit a Makeover

tools + material used

• 4×8 beadboard panel
• liquid nails
• nail gun
• wood filler – we used Bondo brand
• paintable silicone caulk
• circular saw – (table saw would be more appropriate)
• primer – Kiltz2
• paint – Sherwin Williams Infinity

Step 1: Cut the beadboard paneling

The beadboard paneling we are using is a 4×8 panel with just under 2” wide planks.

We made cuts to the beadboard panel so that the planks were vertical when we face the shelves. Since we have a limited amount of tools, we used a circular saw. A table saw would have been the best choice and would have made more accurate cuts.

The trickiest part to cut was the corner part. We made a template using cardboard. It actually took three cuts to get the corner piece. We would try to alter each piece but kept messing up.

Full disclosure, we did have to buy a second panel of beadboard. We would have needed only one panel if we got it right on the first try. 

Step 2:  Attaching the beadboard panel.

To attach the beadboard to the kitchen soffit, we used liquid nails and an electric nail gun.

For the corner area, we added 2x4s so there would be something to attach the beadboard piece to. After messing up so many times, the feeling of putting in the corner piece was pure victory!

Step 3: Add trim

We picked up PVC corner trim mainly because that was the cheapest.  For the trim above the microwave and over, we’re using flat wood trim that matched the closest to the size of the PVC corner trim. This was the only thing that matched the size of PVC corner trim.

Since we don’t have a miter saw, we used this nifty miter box that we picked up from a thrift store for only $3!!

I found a couple of highly-rated miter boxes, very similar to what we used, on Amazon here.

To attach the trim, we used an electric nail gun.

Step 4: Fill in nail holes and cut lines

After getting all the trim up, we used wood filler to fill in the holes in both the beadboard and trim. We used Bondo wood filler which we had a difficult time using at first. This product dried so fast but after awhile we got the hang of it. I also used paintable silicone caulk along the trim and the seams.

TIP: Use a nail set punch to push in any nails that may be sticking out a bit.

Step 5: Prime + paint

Once everything was dry, we sanded it all and primed the entire kitchen soffit.

We used Kiltz primer. For the paint, we are using Sherwin Williams Infinity paint in a satin sheen. It has been color-matched to Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace. Chantilly Lace is my favorite white. I know it can feel too stark for some people but I love how it’s a true, crisp white.

Since all the shelves were down, we also went ahead and painted these two walls.

Once all the painting was completed, I was so relieved to finally put everything back. Typically at this point of projects, I am so done with it and desperate to just have that space back to normal. Does anyone else relate?

We put the shelves back up, gave everything a good clean, and put all the dishes put away. Here is what the kitchen soffit looks like now!

AFTER KITCHEN SOFFIT MAKEOVER

Kitchen Soffit Makeover Final thoughts

This project was definitely a learning experience for us. Especially since we are still very beginner. This was my first time using the nail gun and totally winging a project. I will say that I am so glad that we did this and I am honestly surprised at how much I not only tolerate but now like the kitchen soffit.

The total time it took for us to complete this project was three weekends (6 days total). If we did not mess up with the corner piece and have to get another panel (along with being more experienced and didn’t have to stop and feed our kids every 10 minutes😜) this would have easily taken only one weekend.

SAVE THIS FOR LATER!