MY 1960s RANCH HOUSE WAS COMPLETELY DEVOID OF CHARACTER when I bought it 15 years ago, so I decided to add some wainscoting to lend the rooms architectural interest and scale. Since real wood paneling would have been prohibitively expensive, I faked it using drywall and MDF (medium-density fiberboard). I applied a smooth finish to the drywall on the lower half of the wall, then had my carpenter top the MDF baseboard with vertical battens installed at regular intervals using nails and adhesive. After the top rail went on, I painted it all with white semigloss paint, so the drywall actually looks like painted wood paneling. It really transformed the interior, and people are always surprised to learn that the background is nothing more than Sheetrock.