Add some character to your space with this easy DIY master bedroom wood accent wall.

Several years ago we did a master bedroom makeover after living in our home for 6 years. Since then our tastes have changed some and this year we decided it needed a bit of an update. My style has really become more rustic cottage so we’re updating with some new paint and a new accent wall behind our bed to create a warm focal point. 

Here is the before. It’s very pretty but it needs some warmth…

 

 

I found some inspiration on Pinterest for a wood accent wall and we were off and running. It just feels so cozy to me. 

 

Pinterest

Wood trim is a fairly easy way to update a space and it can be fairly budget-friendly way to do it if you can DIY the project. We did a board and batten accent wall in our foyer and in our mudroom and we love them. You can see those projects here:

Entryway makeover

Mudroom wall makeover

How do you figure out what size boards you need? 

Originally we were only going to add the wood wall to behind the bed using the windows as a “frame”. As we were measuring it out, it just made more sense to do all the way across the wall including under the windows because the room is on the larger side and I felt like a smaller accent area would not have been enough to really make an impact.

When you have a larger wall, you want the board or the pieces of tongue and groove to be a little bigger or it will look too busy. We chose to go with 4″ boards. We started by measuring the section between the windows which is 91 inches. We planned on using a “nickel gap” which is the width of a nickel to separate the pieces so they were all an equal distance apart. 

 

If you allow for about a 16th of an inch for each nickel, we figured out we needed 26 boards between the windows. 

Since we didn’t want to spend a lot of money, we decided to buy 2 sheets of MDF and cut them down to the right size board instead of actually buying the tongue and groove boards. This cut the cost quite a bit. Once the boards were cut, it was on to priming and painting.

I started by priming and painting the boards with a foam roller but would have preferred to use the paint sprayer if it was warm outside. It’s really important to sand the boards before painting so you get a smooth finish. You also want to make sure to paint the sides so no color shows through the openings. 

 

 

We painted the wall where the boards would go.

 

It was at this point I realized I wanted the accent wall to go all the way across the entire wall. The nice part of this project was that all of the cuts were a 90 degree angle. 

Then we attached the boards to the wall with the brad nail gun.

 

We had to remove the trim under the window to make the boards fit square. 

 

 

In order for the boards to lay flat against the baseboard trim, we cut down the base board to remove the bevel a the top.

Once all of the boards were up on the wall, we added a cap piece and shelf to the top using the nail gun. We decided not to use any adhesive because it really felt like overkill. 

 

 

 

 

I painted the shelf, spackled all of the nail holes, sanded a bit with a 220 grit sandpaper and then gave everything a second coat of paint. 

For the color, we chose to go with more of a warm cottage feel and opted for Benjamin More High Park. I added some of my favorite decor to the shelves and I love how it turned out! 

 

 

 

I added new longer curtains to raise the eye up. 

We also decided to add these pretty wireless sconces to the wall. I love these because they are rechargeable, super easy to install and they add just enough light. They come with a remote and have different color light settings, too. 

 

 

A gallery wall is one of my favorite ways to decorate a wall. It’s an easy project and the perfect way to add I kept the one we created during the last makeover almost the same above the dresser and added a few updated pieces. 

Other DIY master bedroom accent wall ideas: 

1. Faux brick wall.

 

You can see the full tutorial here. 

2. Create a focal point with a stone wall.

 

Source

3. Modern accent walls.

These would include a painted wall with geometric patterns, vertical or horizontal stripes which can be done with painter’s tape or a laser level.

 

See the full tutorial here.

4. Shiplap accent wall.

This is another classic master bedroom wood accent wall. You can go horizontal…

 

Source

You could also try vertical shiplap. 

 

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5. Herring wood wall.

 

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6. Wall paper.

While wood accent walls are pretty permanent, peel and stick wallpaper can be an inexpensive way to create a stunning accent wall.

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7. Wall murals. 

 

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With the boards, paint and sconces this project cost about $250.

 

The type of accent wall to choose really depends on your style. If you want more of a rustic look, you can go with a faux stone wall. If you’re looking for more of a farmhouse feel you can try shiplap. We lean more toward a rustic cottage feel so we went with the beadboard or tongue and groove look. If you’re unsure of what you style is, read this post on how to find your style. 

I am super happy with the way the space turned out! It’s exactly the warm and cozy feel I was looking for! I still plan on getting new night stands, a new rug and spiffing up the rest of the space so stay tuned!

 

I hope you found this tutorial for a DIY master bedroom wood accent wall helpful and found some inspiration to try your own DIY project. Let me know in the comments if you are making plans. 

Happy DIY’ing! 

Col

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