The following steps are for stained trim/beadboard. Painted trim/beadboard is covered in the last paragraph.

In your case, installing the door trim first is step one.

To get the base molding to match the door trim, it will need installing second, unless you cheat by planing the base molding thinner to allow it to match the door molding when installed over the beadboard. That will make the base molding thinner and it will be different looking in width from the door molding---but the surfaces will match. That generally is not acceptable to most people.

That poses a double problem, however. That problem is how to get the edges of the beadboard to match the edges/bottom of the door and base molding.

One way to eliminate this problem is to cut rabbets in the door and base molding. A rabbet is a groove cut into the side of a piece of wood and forms a notch the whole length(or as much as needed for the beadboard on the door molding sides) of the wood.

That allows you to fit the edges/bottom of the beadboard in the rabbets and elininates any gaps.

The only gaps will then be in the gaps created by the pattern of the beadboard. A colored caulk can be used to fill those if the moldings/beadboard are stained.

If you are painting both trim and beadboard, it is much more simple. Install both moldings first. Then install the beadboard. Then caulk the gaps with a paintable caulk, prime, and paint.

If the beadboard goes in first, make sure you've made allowances so the baseboard doesn't stick out when you get to the part without beadboard.

The downside of butting the beadboard up to the baseboard would be the very strong likelihood it'll look butted up, and may well tend to undulate.

I agree, though, go in the order that makes the most sense in your situation, and measure twice, cut once.

I put raised panel wainscoting in our dining room, and where it butted up against a door, I put 3/4" MDF around the door to build it out, then attached the casing to the MDF. Here's the finished look:

The most common order is door casing, baseboard, bead board. That way, door trim and baseboard installation are the same throughout the house. It's not a problem to tidily install the bead board afterward.

It would be difficult to keep a flush surface between casing and base, because the intersection of the vertical door trim and the horizontal baseboard will constantly flex and twist. Door casing usually sits proud of the baseboard an eighth inch or so for this reason.

Hi twiceremembered,

For me, the first concern is to review the material being used. Material dimensions; thickness of beadboard, baseboard and door trim, style of router profiles on trimwork near the edges. Only then, would I determine what the best method is. The style of material will determine the best method.

Woodwork Safely,
Jim Barry

What did you end up doing? I am in the exact same predicament. Wondering if I can run the beadbord all the way to my reveal and trim doors over beadboard? Lots of good ideas on here but also installing battens and need those flush as well. I’m ready to do this project but so stuck on this! Don’t have the tools or skills to cut panels to fit inside each section of the board and batten.

Door mouldings will be first, they provide a vertical "stop" for any baseboard or beadboard. Will there be a moulding at the top of the beadboard? I would think about installing the beadboard _behind_ the baseboard so that the shape at the top of the baseboard is maintained. Check to make sure that the thickness of the beadboard + baseboard on the wall is _less than_ the outside edge of the door moulding. You don't want the baseboard and beadboard to stick out like pic at the top of this page

If the thickness works out;

- install door moulding

- install beadboard

- install baseboard

- install beadboard cap

This is my same exact dilemma. Teaching yourself to be a master carpenter using the internet is exhausting😳😂🤪