Mid-century Modern Accent Wall

Change a wall... change a space.

An easy DIY, but yes you will need a saw!

Adding an accent wall can be a dramatic change to your home. You can do this with wallpaper, murals, gallery wall, or different patterns of wood (i.e. board & batten, shiplap, herringbone. Although, "accent walls" are a trend that is beginning to fade. Monochromatic textured walls, on the other hand, are the craze these days. What makes mid-century modern? MCM (mid-century modern) designs are known for juxtaposing sleek lines with organic shapes. The looks were futuristic, but they weren't a total departure from the past.

With the most recent "fashion" poised to cross over into interiors is the "head-to-toe" monochromatic look. The monochromatic look is modern, because it's seamless- no break in color from floor to ceiling.

Depending on the color used, it can create a distinctive personality or provide a serene or lively experience.

I believe a home should be exemplary of the home owners' personality.

Okay, let's get on with it!

First things first:

1. Choose the color Consider the mood you want to create. Deep colors can create a moody feel, while brighter colors are more playful. Neutrals can brighten up a darker room.

Materials

• Blue Painter's Tape

• Wood Slats: MDF (white primed) 1x2x8

• Paintable Caulk and Caulking Gun

• 2" Nails

• Paint (your choice of color, I used an eggshell finish)

• Primer

• 4" Roller Kit and Extra Roller Pads

• Spackle (the pink stuff)

• Sanding Block 220 grit and Sanding Block 180 grit

• Hammer

• 5-in-1 tool

• Miter Saw or Hand Miter Box

• Plastic Drop Cloth

• Ladder

• Cleaning Cloths/Rags

• 4-foot Level

• Plumb Bob

• Pencil

• Tape Measure

• Straight-edge

• Air Compressor Kit with Nail Guns

2. Measure the wall and create your design

• Measure the width and the height, and come up with a tentative plan and drawing. (Simple, and it doesn't have to be perfect) You need to do this so you know how much wood to get.

• Easy method is to count the number of vertical sets in your design, then purchase 8-foot or 10-foot pieces depending on the ceiling height.

*When creating the design, take in to consideration the width of the wood slats and the spaces between. I used 1"x2"x8' boards.

**Pro-tip: The actual measurement for these is .75"x1.5"x8'.

If you choose a wider slat, here's a chart for the nominal versus the actual sizes:

Nominal Size	Actual Size
1" x 2"	.75" x 1.5"
1" x 3"	.75" x 2.5"
1" x 4"	.75" x 3.5"
1" x 5"	.75" x 4.5"

• I used 5" wide spaces in between the vertical slats. The space looked nice for my design and also was the perfect size to use a 4" paint roller (let's not make this too hard on ourselves!)

• Don't forget that in order to have a 5" space, you must consider the placement of the wood slats. With my 1.5" wide slats and a 5" wide space in between, that gave me 6.5" from center-to-center. If you mark the wall every 6.5" inches, you can place your wood slats on top of the marks and end up with your 5" spaces between the slats.

Now that you have all of your supplies, it's time to prep for painting.

First, prep the wall for painting

• Remove old nails

• Repair holes with spackling or painter's putty

• Remove any switch or outlet plates

We had to remove some chair-rail molding, but hopefully you will not have to deal with that for your project!

Prime wall if necessary

• If you are doing a major color change and need extra coverage

• Let it dry the appropriate time indicated on the product

Paint the FIRST COAT ONLY of the new wall color

You will finish painting after the wood slats are installed

*** Make sure to use "Primed" wooden slats, like you see If not, you will need to prime them before installation***

Measure out based on your drawing, coming out from the corner or trim to 2.5" for the first piece

• Place painter's tape on wall to make sure your drawing translates to the wall so that both right and left sides have approximately a 2.5" from wall or trim

• I like to put the painter's tape in the approximate are and stand back to take a look. Then I use this opportunity to make any adjustments to the design/layout.

• You may want to make some slight adjustments in order to avoid outlets, light switches, and other obstacles. The cold air return was unavoidable for this wall, but I changed the design to work with it.

Now, it's time to cut your slats to your own design or you can use this one:

Your paint is dry, and it's time to install the slats!

Grab your loaded nail gun, compressor, measuring tape, level, and pencil.

Keep your design handy for reference.

• You can leave your tape up for reference on the placement, to make sure you're staying on track, but remove the pieces of tape as you go.

• Measure over to your starting point, use your level against the slat, and install it with your nail gun. After each piece, you can measure over to the edge of the next piece.

• Make sure you are measuring over using the proper measurement you chose for the gaps of wall for in between the slats.

• Nail in a zig-zag pattern as you go up/down each slat.

After all the slats are hung, it's time to caulk

Grab your caulk and gun, gloves, paper towels, damp towel, and grocery bag for trash.

• Run a small bead of paintable caulk in the gaps in between the slats and the wall.

• Wipe smooth with your finger.

After 30 minutes to an hour (read your product carefully), your caulk will be dry and you can paint.

Painting your final coat:

• I like to use a 4" roller frame with a roller pad specifically for walls. This works easily with the 5" gaps I chose for my design.

• Before rolling, you need to cut-in with a brush on the edges of the slats and against the ceiling/crown/base or whatever boundaries and/or obstacles you have on your wall.

• After cutting in, roll your wall gaps and the faces of the slats.

• Add an extra coat of paint if necessary, depending on your color choice.

We are done!!

Now you can style your space and sit back and enjoy your own new piece of art.