DIY Mid-Century Accent Wall

Hello Friends- I have a quick and easy DIY for you today. I am laughing as I write this as I am known for my accent walls (I have promised no more on a few occasions), and well, here I go again. 😉 Today, I am sharing my version of a Mid-Century Modern Wood Accent Wall.

We recently renovated our basement into a game room of sorts (see it here). I planned a wallpaper mural on one wall that was a very, very bold choice for me, so I felt there would be plenty of visual interest. But as often happens in design, once we started on the actual space, I felt as if the wall at the very back of the room needed something to draw your eye back through the room.

How I built a DIY Accent Wall

This is straightforward DIY and took me less than a weekend to finish. First up was a trip to my local Home Depot, and I bought twenty- 1 x 2 x 10 boards to cover the wall as far as the door. Then I used a saw to cut the boards so they overlapped in the upper third of the wall by four inches. I used the width of a board between each piece as a guide (because it was easy), and I liked the spacing.

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For the next step, I attached the wood with a bit of wood glue and a pneumatic nail gun. I use this nail gun but they are usually available to rent from your local home improvement store. I continued to attach the boards to the end of the wall. This goes quickly.

Mid-Century Modern feel

Because I wanted to keep this accent wall as clean and modern as possible, I also framed the door in the same wood. I think keeping the pattern and door the solid green- and not breaking it up with any contrast with door moulding- makes it feel a bit Mid-Century Modern.

Next up was calking the wood wherever it didn’t lie flat on the wall. I forgot to photograph this step, but it gives a more finished feel once it’s painted. I chose to leave the right side of the wall flat as I didn’t want to work around the pipes, and I also wanted to keep the lines simple. Then I primed everything.

It took two coats of primer- in addition to priming the door. I am a huge fan of Sherwin-Williams paint, and in full disclosure, they sponsored the paint for my basement renovation. All opinions are (as always) my own. Here I am using SW 6207 Retreat. It was a wonderful compliment to the SW 7008 Alabaster on the walls and the SW 7048 Urbane Bronze on the ceiling.

Painting

We were able to spray the primer, but I used a roller and brush for the paint. Spraying the paint would have made quick work, but I was too lazy to tape everything off again!

The final steps were to add a five-inch moulding along the bottom, which I painted the same green. The total time was about 30 hours, but that was because of all the waiting for the paint and primer to dry.

I think it was exactly what the room needed! It added enough visual interest that you look back when you walk into the room, which gives the room more balance. Here is the bold wallpaper that I was trying to balance.

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Are you looking for more accent wall inspiration? Take a look at this article by Porch.com.

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That’s it. I hope I have inspired you to try your own DIY accent wall!

Until next time,

-Libbie

PS. These awesome pics are from my friend Helen Gardner. If you are looking for a photographer in the midwest, I highly recommend her!