We were thrilled to have that section of wall removed and the contractor finished, but there was still plenty to do before the opening felt complete. Unless you enjoy a dining area that looks like this:
By the way, a few neighbors asked for the contractor’s contact info. After working with him and being very satisfied, we’re happy to share: Steve is a licensed Class A contractor (not a handyman), so he focuses on larger structural work—knocking down walls, building additions, and similar projects. His email is [email protected].
Back to the project: we left the protective plastic up because drywall installation was next and that can get dusty, especially when sanding. We’re far from drywall experts (it was my least favorite part of our bathroom renovation), but this job was small and straightforward enough to tackle ourselves. We only needed a short run of drywall across the top of the doorway on the dining room side to cover the exposed header and a few sections around the half-wall.
The kitchen side of the half-wall will be finished with paneling, which is why we kept the demolition scraps. I measured, marked, and cut the pieces with a small jigsaw — a quick and easy solution.
It was so simple that I positioned a cabinet against the half-wall before finishing the back. Steve recommended that so I could see the studs while drywalling and drill more accurately. There will be a 12″ counter overhang behind the peninsula with stools tucked beneath it, so the half-wall won’t be very visible from this angle when it’s finished. We also plan to top the half-wall with a chunky wooden ledge for extra function and visual balance.
Already looking more put together, right?
Okay, not quite yet.
I postponed the next step—transporting drywall—because a full 4×8 sheet won’t fit in our car. Renting a truck was an option, but spending more to move inexpensive materials didn’t appeal to me. Steve suggested cutting the drywall to size at the store, so I set up in the Lowe’s parking lot with a tape measure, chalk line, razor knife, yard stick, and a towel to protect the car. It took about 45 minutes to measure, score, and snap the sheets to size. The dining room wall uses two layers of drywall, so I cut double panels to match.
I packed the half-wall pieces and a few scraps into the trunk, and the long header pieces fit just barely through the car’s center, along with a door jamb kit for the next phase. Small victory.
With the drywall already cut, it was quick to start screwing it into place. Sherry helped hold pieces while I set a few fastening screws, then she took flattering progress photos.
Then I ran into a small setback. Despite careful measuring, the new doubled-up drywall was slightly thicker than the existing doubled-up wall. Even a small difference shows when light hits drywall, so I removed one panel and shimmed the new sections to match the existing plane. Short on shims and furring strips, I improvised with paint stir sticks screwed together—surprisingly dense and effective. The wood-and-steel header is solid, so the shimmed drywall held well. Any exposed shim edges will be hidden by trim later.
I repeated the approach for the large half-wall panel, making sure everything was as flush as possible before screwing. Because we accumulate paint stir sticks from our DIY projects, we had plenty to use as makeshift shims.
For the small end cap, thickness matching wasn’t an issue so a single drywall sheet went straight into the frame. We added metal drywall corner strips to sharpen the edges. Those strips aren’t typically used where paneling meets drywall, but a little improvisation can work well; the result looks promising so far.
With the drywall hung (and only a minor hiccup), the next step was mud and tape. I handed this over to Sherry—she has more finesse with finishing—and she took over the taping, applying joint compound, smoothing, drying, and sanding in several passes. Most seams received three rounds to achieve a smooth, seamless finish. For a tight crack near the crown molding she chose to use caulk instead of mud for a cleaner result.
Those corner pieces around the half-wall turned out better than I expected. They blend well with the wood paneling and the drywall, and once everything is primed and painted the end result should be straight, durable, and neatly finished.
So it’s definitely looking more finished than it did this morning, but there’s still work to do.
The opening still reads as a work in progress because:
- There’s no trim yet to tie it into the nearby doorways.
- Baseboards stop at the half-wall on both sides and need completion.
- We haven’t installed the wooden ledge above the half-wall, which will add function and balance.
- The peninsula, stools, and countertop behind the half-wall haven’t been installed yet.
- Several surfaces require priming and painting, so things look rough for now.
Right now the space feels a bit out of context, but it’s coming together. For anyone new to this project, here’s why we chose a half-wall rather than a full opening with a floating peninsula:
- We didn’t want the peninsula to appear tacked into a doorway as an afterthought.
- The half-wall will visually and physically anchor the peninsula so it feels solid and supported.
- We already have four base cabinets in the dining room from existing built-ins, so additional base cabinetry wasn’t necessary.
- Adding another built-in or bookcase close to the current built-ins would have been overkill.
- The half-wall makes the threshold and flooring transitions more seamless, avoiding an awkward strip of cork between peninsula cabinets and the dining room floor.
Next steps: install the door jamb, add the wooden ledge atop the half-wall, and finish the trim. Then we’ll prime and paint. After that, assembling the peninsula and installing the countertop will make the space start to feel truly finished. We still need to resolve the countertop situation in the rest of the kitchen, but at this stage that feels like a relatively small detail.
Psst—Sherry joined a lively discussion recently about design trends and what’s in or out on another blog. It was a fun read with plenty of different opinions.