DIY Wood Accent Wall

My daughter Lily’s room is getting a complete makeover! One thing she wanted in her room was an accent wall. Learn how I created and installed her DIY wood accent wall for under $100.

Preparing the Wood for the DIY Wood Accent Wall

I started with three sheets of 1/8-inch thick plywood. I ripped these down to be six inches wide on my table saw. If you do not have a table saw, this would be just as easy to do on a piece of foam on the ground with a circular saw and a guide. Once all of the planks have been cut down, my daughter and I are whitewashing them all. This whole wall is her design idea, I love that she is showing interest in DIY and the creation of her new room! I am wiping off all of the excess paint with a cloth while we whitewash. After we are done whitewashing, I am sealing the planks. This is easiest to do before installation. I am putting one layer of water-based polyurethane.

Once the polyurethane is dry, I sand all of the plank and its edges to make it nice and smooth. Once completely smooth, I go over it with a second coat of polyurethane. This gives each plank a satin sheen and a very durable finish. When the finishing was done, I laid them all in the sunshine to dry!

Getting the Wall Ready For Installation

In the room we are renovating, there was already a wall treatment of Wayne Scotting. The walls are plaster and lath. I had no clue that when we removed the existing wall treatment, there would be a terrible surprise. Behind the treatment, the wall was covered in black stuff. What this is remains a mystery. I tested it for mold and asbestos and both tests came back negative. Because I do not know what this is, I feel the most comfortable removing it.

To do this, I am starting by taping off the HVAC so particles do not get into my central system. Then, I am spraying the parts I am removing with water. I am wearing PPE while doing this just to be safe. Once the wall is damp enough, I started to remove the plaster bit by bit. This is SO tedious. It took me several hours to remove the part that needed removal, but it was for the best and gave me peace of mind.

Installation of the DIY Wood Accent Wall

I am starting the installation of this DIY accent wall with my laser level! I am starting by having it throw a vertical line on the wall so I can install my stretchers. These are vertical pieces of wood that I am adding to the wall where I want my wood plank seams to land. My seams are going to be symmetrical, but I cannot nail them into the wall in its current condition. Because I am lifting all of the planks away from the wall, I am also adding wood blocking. This is where I want to hang the headboard in the future.

Now, it is time to install the planks! At first I thought that I could install the planks right up against the ceiling, but my laser level told me that the ceiling is not level! It is off by an entire inch. I ended up having to bring my horizontal laser level down, measuring from it, and start the planks a little bit lower. Then, I cut the ceiling plank at an angle to fit where the ceiling is not level. Because these planks are hollow behind them, they needed more support than I anticipated. Because of this, as I was installing them they were bowing, and I had to add another piece of stretcher through the center. To install these planks I am starting by using a construction adhesive on my stretcher. Then, I installed the wood plank I cut to 24 inches first by shooting brad nails into the stretchers. Then I do the same on the longer plank to finish the row!

Adding the Final Touches

To get around obstacles on my wall, like outlets and vents, I am using my oscillating multitool. First, I am marking where the obstacles are. Then, I go in VERY carefully with my oscillating multitool because my material is so thin. Once everything was cut out, I installed the planks as normal. I am putting baseboards here, but only where the bed frame is not going to be pushed up against the DIY wood accent wall. On the edges where the wood planks meet the other two walls, I was able to run a bead of clear paintable caulk. When it cured, I ran a tape line, painted, and removed the tape immediately for a very crisp edge.

I love the way this DIY wood accent wall turned out! The variation of color on the planks adds so much warmth and visual interest to the room. My daughter loves it so much which is the most important! If you liked this interior upgrade DIY and want to see more, my post on how to lay self leveling concrete is a great place to start!