FEATURE WALL Archives

I think my Little House on the Prairie obsession is why I love a planked wall. It’s the closest thing to a log cabin I am going to experience. So when I suggested to my husband we create a feature wall for our master bedroom I left out the cabin on the prairie details.

How to Create a Bedroom Feature Wall

So I borrowed the idea for my own home. You know for my brownstone in the suburbs type home. So close to a cabin living life. #wink

Supplies

The supply list is familiar and not intimidating.

distressed wood planks from a lumber supplier
miter box saw
level
paint similar in shade to the wood planks
nail gun
stud finder
1/2 gallon of paint to match the wood planks

For the feature wall we purchased distressed wood planks from a specialty lumber supply company in Denver/Littleton.

Steps

1.Paint the Feature Wall

If the feature wall is white I suggest a quick coat of a paint that is similar enough to the color of the wood planks. The paint diminishes any potential gaps between the planks.

Do not overthink the paint color. If your wall paint is a darker/darkish color you might get away with it.

We skipped this step on this feature wall.

2. Stud Finder

We (my husband) used a stud finder to mark where the studs were located. It was easier to find the studs before we mapped out the location and pattern of the planks.

We started the top corner and worked our way down paying attention to spacing. We alternated lengths to give us a rustic vibe without it screaming cabin in the suburbs.

It cost just under $250 to plank the wall. The best part was we finished this on a Saturday afternoon. I love the finished look. We added these sconces above our bed.

The mantel above our bed was my first DIY project by myself. It was a copycat Pottery Barn mantel that I made with the help of the Home Depot lumber manager. He was awesome. I had my measurements and the photo of the mantel.

When we created the feature wall my husband added new pine trim and I stained it my favorite stain on the planet.

The distressed wood planks worked in our “brownstone in the suburbs” home where a mix of industrial meets Pottery Barn on a budget.

This was a half-day project and the hardest part was moving the bed and frame away from the feature wall. We loved the look and it warmed up the space. Do you recognize the framed “prints” on the mantel? I shared the repurposed project here.

Here is another feature wall idea for around $50.

Thank you so much for stopping by today!

Here is another planked wall project we created using a different product we found at Home Depot.

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My house wish list is long on wants and short on cash. While prioritizing projects for our pending empty nest, we set our eyes on our basement. I just completed this one-hour corner home office project, when I realized the room needed a little something with a “wow” factor on the opposite wall. This is how to create a feature wall with reclaimed wood.

How-to-create-feature-wall-with-reclaimed-Wood-planks

This feature wall update came together when I found these weathered, hardwood boards at Home Depot. The wood boards provided an authentic, reclaimed barn wood appearance without having to find a dilapidated barn.

When I found it was cheaper to plank a feature wall with wood boards than to refinish/install wood floors, the feature wall project moved to the top of our DIY wish list.

And, that Happy Meal analogy was my pitch to my DIY partner and husband on how to create a feature wall for his basement home office/sports lounge.

To appreciate the after I have to share the before photo.

How to Create a Feature Wall (Before)

It was like a Happy Meal for DIY enthusiasts.

On a Saturday, in between work and travel, we nailed this feature wall project. The project took less than seven hours, cost under $300 and added a layer of warmth to a room that needed a cozy update.

The only prep for the planked wall was to paint the wall before we installed the wood planks. The install instructions suggested painting the walls a darker color to disguise any gaps between the planks.

I did a quick prep with leftover paint in the garage. The paint was leftover from the Tuscany inspired period almost two decades ago.

You could also check the “oops” section in the paint department at Home Depot.

Supply List for Feature Wall

table saw/chop saw
nail gun (+ air compressor my husband gave me on Valentine’s Day)

We (mostly my husband) used a table saw (chop saw) and an air compressor nail gun to create the easiest, most hassle-free project ever.

The only math needed for this wall was when we measured the width and height of the feature wall. We started in the bottom right corner and worked to the left and up. Because we had an “open wall” on the left side of the feature wall that became our endpoint.

We positioned a plank horizontally to trim the open-ended wall.