DIY Paneled Wall for less than $80

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his DIY paneled wall was the perfect solution to a design dilemma I’ve had in our home for awhile now. I first revealed it in our Fall entryway tour and I got a lot of questions about how I did it. So today I’m back with all the details! It’s such an easy project that makes a big impact!

(post contains affiliate links, see disclosure)

 

 

 

I always struggled with hanging art or photos on the walls because of the angles. Our great room is so open, that at some points you can see all three walls at once, and when each wall had art or a photo gallery, it always felt too cluttered and busy.

 

However, I didn’t wanna leave the walls blank either. So, this paneled wall ended up being the perfect solution. It was so easy to do, only took one weekend, and only cost me about $80.

 

 

DIY PANELED WALL

SUPPLIES:

 

• 1x4x6 common boards
• tape measure
• level
• nail gun
• caulk
• wood filler
• paint, I used Valspar Ultra White
• paint brush, this one is my fav
• Handy Paint Pail, I can’t paint without it! 

 

Most paneled walls are done with MDF. This is a great option, but because I was doing such a large wall it just wasn’t in the budget. Plus, I would probably have to cut the boards all down myself from a large 4’x8′ sheet. Um, no thanks. 🙂 So instead, I used common boards that are about $3 a piece. I use common board for a lot of my projects and did on our recent board and batten wall. If you take the time to look, you can find a good piece of wood that is straight and without a lot of imperfections.

 

I chose boards that are 4 inches wide to match our existing baseboards. This way, it all has a more uniform look. I also painted the wall white, but I’ve seen dark colored paneled walls that are absolute gorgeous.

 

STEPS:

 

 

1. Measure out wall and decide what size you want each square. Mine are 24″ by 24″, so each one of the vertical boards is 2ft apart. Our ceilings are 9 feet high, so I decided to purchase 6 ft long boards to cut down the waste. Vertically I stacked 1 6 foot board and then cut another by 12″ to fit. I found out very quickly our walls and ceilings are not perfect, so I measured every cut before nailing the boards into place. Also, because the boards are so light I didn’t worry about nailing them into studs.
2. I measured to make sure each board was 2 ft apart and used a level before nailing into place. Its important to make sure the vertical boards are straight every step, otherwise it will make the measurements difficult when getting to the horizontal sections.
3. Once I had the vertical boards in place, I started on the horizontal. I was able to cut multiple boards at 2 ft each, so this part of the project went pretty quick. So quick, I forgot to take pictures. 🙂

 

1. I did the two side walls first, then the angled wall. If you saw my Instagram stories during this part you know I used tape to make sure all my angles and mitered cuts were going to line up correctly. Plus, our dog Scooby can’t handle very much of the nail gun. He will hide under the bed for days!
2. I wanted the middle squares centered on this wall, so those squares are 24″ just like the others. However, the corner squares are probably about 26″ each, but because it’s on an angle its not noticeable. I chose to do this method to keep the three walls all looking cohesive instead of broken up. Plus, this way they were all the same size.

 

 

1. Once everything was nailed into place, I used wood filler to fill all of the seams where boards matched up to create the look of continuous boards. I also used the wood filler in each nail hole.
2. Then, I used caulk to seam the interior of each square. This helps hide any imperfections and gaps against the wall. Caulk is a magic wand that will give a more polished and professional look to any project.
3. Then, it was time to paint. First, I used Kilz primer on the wood so that it wouldn’t soak up all the paint and then painted about 3 coats of Valspar Ultra White. I used semi-gloss because I know I’m going to be wiping and cleaning these walls a lot. I learned from our bedroom wall that the molding collects a lot of dust and has to be wiped down often. So semi-gloss makes that a lot easier. You could also use satin, if you don’t like the sheen.

 

 

I absolutely love how much the wall has changed our whole house. Joe likes it so much, he wants it in more rooms but I’m not sure yet. 🙂 Plus the white is so bright and modern. I also love how I don’t feel the pressure to hang anything on the walls anymore. They feel decorated already!

 

 

 

Because the wall wraps around into our entryway and into the hallway, it helps make it feel like one big space. Before, it felt broken up and separated. I always felt the entry was separated from the great room, but now I love how cohesive it is. Probably the best $80 I ever spent. 🙂

 

What do you think? Is this a project you’ll tackle?

Leave a comment or chat with me on Instagram + Facebook!

 

Like this DIY Paneled Wall? Pin it & save for later!