Custom Wainscoting for $4.49 a Square Foot

• Mounted clear poplar 1x boards for the rails and stiles: $643

• Installed a 5/4x4 plate rail and supported it with 3-inch crown molding: $192

• Trimmed the frames' interiors with 1 13/16 panel molding: $482

• Finished baseboards with 1 1/8 cap and ½ quarter-round for shoe moldings: $80

• Finished the stair skirtboards with 1⅜ nose-and-cove molding: $14

• Used low-VOC adhesive throughout: $11

• Installed crown molding salvaged from a job site: $0

• Used 2 gallons of primer and 3 gallons of paint for the walls and woodwork: $150

• Rewired an old brass light fixture received as a gift: $0

Total: $1,572