How to use cedar shake as a cottage style accent wall

I am at it again! I can’t seem to stop putting texture on my walls.

Today I am sharing how I added some cottage style to one of the bedrooms at the Airbnb.

I love the paint and trim color but wanted to give the space more visual interest and a cottage/coastal feel; the space lacked the texture.

Then last week, as we were adding some replacement pieces of cedar shake shingles to the porch outside, a lightbulb went off!

See how I made and accent wall from cedar shake to give a cottage style to the guest bedroom.

Using Cedar Shake for texture

Here is what the space looked like when we bought the house last Spring.

It was a foreclosed property and needed a great deal of TLC.

Yikes!

You can see the entire renovation here.

Before photo of foreclosed property.
Before shot of the bedroom.

We got to this point when we started renting the Airbnb.

And while I loved the room (especially the painted trim), it lacked a bit of warmth and personality.

It is a pretty space but not quite the cottage style I was going for.

The room is SW Alabaster with Morning Fog trim.

Guest bedroom at an Airbnb featuring white bedding and an Anthropologie quilt. Walls are painted Alabaster by Sherwin Williams and the trim is Morning Fog by SW.
Airbnb guest room with trim in Morning Fog by Sherwin Williams.

Materials Needed for Cedar Shake Accent Wall

These are the cedar shingles we used on the shed (more on that project soon).

  • Cedar Shake Shingles
  • Pneumatic Nailer- We have this one
  • Paint
  • Board for shelf
  • Brackets for Shelving

Since we had some leftover shingles, I decided to use those and order another box from Amazon for the accent wall.

Cedar Shake Shingles.
Cedar Shake Shingles from Amazon

First, I lined the cedar shake shingles along the wall to decide the pattern (the cedar shake comes in different widths within the box) of the accent wall.

Before shot of cedar shake accent wall.
Getting Started on the accent wall

I then used a pneumatic nailer (you can also rent a nailer from your nearest big box store) to attach the shingles to the wall with the thin side at the top.

Overlap the shingles as you go, making sure to nail the shingles three inches from the top where the next row would cover the nail holes.

DIY Accent wall.
Overlapping the cedar shake

I kept the rows going untilโ€ฆโ€ฆI RAN out of shingles!!

DIY of Accent wall using cedar shakes in guest bedroom.
Oh no! I ran out of shingles.

Usually, this would not be a big deal, and I would order more.

However, if you have recently tried to DIY anything (especially wood products), they are shipping slowly.

Shipping another box would be three to four weeks, and because we had Airbnb guests checking in later in the week, I didn’t want to wait.

So I sort of “hodgepodge” in the last corner piece and moved on to a plan “B.”

Before moving to plan “B,” I lightly hand sanded the shingles as they were a little rough.

I then whitewashed the cedar.

Whitewashing the Cedar Shake accent wall

Showing the process of whitewashing accent wall

Whitewashing is a simple process that I have used many times.

You can see another example of whitewashing on wood planks here.

Start by diluting the paint with water (use a paper cup) and brush or rag it on.

With this project, I am using leftover sample paint from another project.

I used three parts water to one part paint and wiped it on with a rag to apply.

I then went over it to add more color wherever I thought it needed more coverage and to even it out.

Wall featuring Cedar Shake accent wall and trim painted in SW morning Fog.
Finished Whitewashed Cedar Shake Shingles

Adding a shelf

Back to plan B.

With a little more than half of a wall covered with shingles, so what to do?

I loved the cottage feel of the cedar shake and it still felt like an accent wall.

After some thought, I decided to add a plant shelf.

Cottage style guest bedroom showing white bedding and cedar shake accent wall.
Plant shelf

The shelf would add a stopping point that feels intentional and allow for more color!!

Bonus win.

Unfortunately, I didn’t take my camera to the Airbnb the day I hung the shelf, but here it is finished!

I painted the shelf the same color as the wall trim (SW Morning Fog).

I used these 10-inch brackets from Amazon and spray-painted them white.

Guest bedroom with accent wall.

I love the texture and the look!

And it smells WONDERFUL!

Until next time,

-Libbie

You may also like:

DIY Mid-Century accent wall

Rope Accent Wall

Reclaimed Pallet Accent Wall

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  1. meegan says:

    Oh, Libbie! This is such a fun and creative idea to add life or texture to a cottage style home. Thank you for the idea.

  2. Christin Cieslarski says:

    So pretty! Nice work!

  3. Allison says:

    What a great idea, this looks so good! I’ve always been timid with texture, but I’ll definitely be trying this in the future.

  4. Meriah says:

    I LOVE this … great idea and super adorable! I may have to try this in a room sometime soon!

  5. Marie says:

    What a great way to bring in a cottage feel. I love the trim color in this room too!

    • Libbie says:

      Marie,

      Thank you for noticing the trim color. It’s one of my favorite SW shades called Morning Fog. xx

  6. Maria says:

    Wow this is a brilliant idea! Never though about adding cedar inside but it makes sense since itโ€™s texture like wood paneling

  7. Kim Waldorf says:

    This is a great project! I would have never thought to do this and it really changes the look of the room. Nice job!!

  8. Juliet says:

    Oh my gosh, I’m a huge cedar shake fan but I never thought to use it indoors. I LOVE this … its fabulous! xo

  9. Joanne says:

    That looks so pretty! Thank you so much for sharing with us at Encouraging Hearts and Home. Pinned.

  10. Marieza says:

    Wow, Libbie! this is such a creative idea and it looks amazing!

  11. Carol Karl says:

    What a great accent wall. It looks amazing!

  12. Anita holland says:

    When you first started I thought oh no, but the end it was "Wow". It looks fabulous.

  13. Clearissa Coward says:

    I love the focal wall. The change is beautiful. Thank you for sharing at #omhgww. Pinned and Tweeted. So creative.

  14. Barbara says:

    Libbie, I totally love what you’ve done with this bedroom wall!!! A great way to use up the shingles that were left over and it turned out beautifully (even with a couple of odd spots)! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Happy to feature your DIY post at this week’s Share Your Style #300. <3 Really nice job!
    Hugs,
    Barb ๐Ÿ™‚

  15. Rita C at Panoply says:

    This looks great, Plan B worked like a charm!

  16. Morgan says:

    I love how this came together! Plan B worked great!

  17. Maria says:

    Well isn’t this the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!!!
    This is such a great idea and I love it!!!

  18. Pam Grimley says:

    That is very ingenious & adorable! What did you do the the hole up top?

    • Libbie says:

      Hi Pam,

      We drywalled both before we put the cedar up.

      Don’t you just love the towel they used for the hole? The other side of the wall is the bathroom so I think they used it for privacy. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  19. Niki says:

    This looks great! If you didn’t tell I bet we never would’ve guessed stopping and adding a shelf wasn’t the plan! Thanks for sharing on Traffic Jam Weekend! If you don’t already, our readers would love to see this on Happiness is Homemade & You’re the Star Blog Hop on https://LifeasaLEOWife.com!
    XO~
    Niki

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