DIYs Archives - Neatly Living

Modern DIY Slat Wall – Ready for a Weekend Project?!

I’m back with a simple but cool DIY slat wall project! Our inspiration for this accent wall came from Pinterest which shouldn’t be a surprise! Literally some of our greatest ideas have stemmed from an image discovered on Pinterest!

After our recent completion of the One Room Challenge, I was all blogged out. We took some time to really enjoy our freshly updated master bedroom and take in all the hard work that was put into our new space! If you have no idea what I’m talking about then check out our Master Bedroom Reveal blog post!

This post contains affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you make a purchase using any of included links. As always, your support is greatly appreciated!

60″ total width || 12 pieces of 1″x 2.25″ wood boards || 3″ spacing between each piece of wood

DIY Slat Wall Design

Looking for a quick weekend project? Then this DIY slat wall is just what you need! I love instant gratification, so any project that can be completed in a couple of days is alright by me! We tackled this project a few weeks back, in the midst of the One Room Challenge because it gave us a quick sense of accomplishment. This wall is actually part of a spare bedroom update we’ve been working on for some time. It’s important to have a visual of the project you’re attempting so Hubby created our desired layout using Adobe Photoshop. This allowed us to select the perfect wood width and spacing ratio.

I’ve set this crazy goal to NEVER recreate the exact wall twice in our home. Now it’s always a fun challenge to find new ideas that are still consistent with the clean lines you all have come to know and expect from us! This DIY slat wall totally fits our style and it’s so darn simple!

The Preparation

DIY slat wall preparation. Measuring and spacing the wood boards.

Taping the space for the DIY slat wall in preparation for painting.

We chose 3″ Douglas Fir wood for this accent wall. However, be advised that the actual width of these wood boards can be as small as 2.25″ which was the width of the pieces we purchased. According to our calculations, we needed 12 wood boards, each 2.25″ wide and spaced 3″ apart. These measurements would completely fill the 5ft wall space we’d dedicated to this project. Some of the wood boards are cut at a 45° angle but you can get as CREATIVE as you want with the cuts! Have some fun and truly make this design your own!

Painting and Slat Wall Install

Painted the area for the DIY slat wall in a dark gray paint color.

12 Wood board are installed 3 inches apart to create the DIY slat wall.

If you’ve been following our Instagram journey for a while now or have read some of our previous blog posts, then you already know what paint color this is! YES, Sherwin Williams Iron Ore … AGAIN! It’s my equivalent of the perfect white paint! Once you find it and you love it, it’s so hard to use any other color! We decided to paint the wall first, then install the wood boards using a polyurethane adhesive and our trusty nail gun.

DIY Slat Wall Reveal

Paint wood boards to complete the DIY slat wall look.

DIY slat wall is complete. Both the wall and the wood boards are painted in dark gray.

After taping the necessary areas to protect the rest of the wall and ceiling, Hubby used a paintbrush and painted each wood board. Living in Arizona, most homes have textured walls which I’m not a big fan of. However, this DIY slat wall project is the FIRST accent wall completed, where the textured wall added another design layer to the finished look. There’s almost a leather-like quality to the wall which I’m LOVING so much!

Project Recommendations

If you’re attempting this project, you may want to consider painting the wall first, then painting the individual wood boards, all prior to the actual installation. Another option would be to install the wood boards first, then paint the wall and wood boards all at the same time. Choose the solution and order that works best for you. When painting, I highly recommend using a mini roller frame with mini rollers for a much cleaner finish. It’s also important to note that since we used the same color throughout this project, and particularly a dark color at that, we did not see the need to fill the nail holes or caulk the sides of the wood boards.

Please consider these additional steps based on the paint job you have planned for your DIY slat wall. Lighter paint colors may not be as forgiving as my SW Iron Ore! There you have it, friends! Such a SIMPLE and AFFORDABLE DIY slat wall. Did I mention this project was completed for under $75?! It’s also very possible to make this a 1-day project but with our 2 demanding girls, both weekend days were absolutely necessary!

You all loved this accent wall so much that it is currently our most LIKED photo on Instagram! Even more than our master bedroom makeover! It was, therefore, only fair that I share the details of this well-loved DIY project! Would you tackle a slat wall like this? Be sure to let me know if you ever do! What are some of your favorite accent walls? I’m quite partial to color blocks, shiplap, and other wood paneling! Until next time my friends!

Aminah Chung

2 months ago2 months ago

One Room Challenge Week 8 || Master Bedroom Makeover || REVEAL DAY FOLKS!

It’s the end of Week 8 and our Spring 2020 One Room Challenge participation is coming to an end. I’m so happy Linda Weinstein created this event! It gave us the encouragement and motivation we needed to buckle down and complete our master bedroom makeover!

This post contains affiliate links and I will earn a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using any of them.

If you’re now joining us and you’re unfamiliar with this event, here’s what it’s all about. Each Spring and Fall, 20 Featured Designers are selected by Linda Weinstein and the ORC team for a 6-week challenge where they each take us along on their room transformation! Feeling inspired? Guest Participants, like yours truly, with a blog or Instagram account can register and join in on the action. This year, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the challenge included an additional 2 weeks of work time which was so helpful for newbies like me and Hubby!

Before

Let’s take a stroll down memory lane! I still can’t believe that just 8 weeks ago, this was OUR bedroom! Looking back at this photo, I have a true sense of appreciation for how far we’ve come and all we were able to accomplish as a TEAM! For more details on individual DIY projects we completed as part of our master bedroom makeover, check out the following One Room Challenge Weekly Updates :

Week 1 || Week 2 || Week 3 || Week 4 || Week 6 || Week 7

After

I’m experiencing many EMOTIONS right now my friends! I’m beyond EXCITED to share our master bedroom makeover with you all and I’m so incredibly PROUD of the time and work Hubby and I have put into this project! I hope you LOVE it as much as we do!

Master bedroom makeover reveal photo showing black shiplap, a photo ledge with framed prints, new bedding and nightstand decor.

I’m OBSESSED with how well our DIY shiplap wall turned out! I think the dark, moody vibe is absolutely perfect, and just what this space needed! Sherwin Williams Iron Ore has never let me down and it delivered once again!

Faux Window Trim

So believe it or not, our initial plan for this wall with the large window was just to add some shelving. We figured with all the other updates we were doing, this wall could be kept simple and minimal, however, our plans quickly evolved!

In addition to shelving, we repainted the wall in Sherwin Williams Pure White. Just to keep it interesting, we also created this faux window trim using Sherwin Williams Iron Ore. I’ve always loved the added dimension window trims create, but I knew that wasn’t a project we’d be embarking on … not now anyway! The painted trim was the next, best thing and I scoured Pinterest looking for inspiration but found none. So remember my friends, you saw this PAINTED (FAUX) WINDOW TRIM here FIRST!

Cozy Corner

My plan for this corner was to add warmth, layers, and coziness. I wanted to create a little area suitable for reading, working or just hanging out with a cocktail.

I think we achieved our goal for this space. They’re so many beautiful details I adore here and I look forward to many comfy moments! I actually shopped my home for these pillows because the ones I ordered from Crate&Barrel didn’t arrive in time. I’m living for them in this space so maybe I’ll just leave them be!

Color Block Mural

I know in the home decor world, displaying one’s TV is a hot topic! Personally, I have no qualms showcasing my 75″ TV, however, she needed to be dressed up first!

When we decided to paint a color block accent wall, our original plan did not include the space behind our TV. However, after painting the first half of this 19 ft wall, we soon saw how incomplete this space looked. Extending the color block wall behind our TV was a smart decision. Now our TV isn’t the only interesting thing in this view! And yes, that is a mini-fridge! I like to keep my ice cream close!

Color block accent wall as part of our master bedroom makeover

Night Stand Decor

I intentionally kept our nightstand decor minimal and yes, we have no lamps! Our bed has a built-in light that provides the perfect ambiance, so although we could have purchased lamps for aesthetic purposes, we chose practicality … this time! These little, ceramic trays are perfect for your TV remote, phone, and jewelry. We keep a couple of coasters in ours for those WINE down evenings!

Gallery Hallway

Hallway of framed art prints as part of our master bedroom makeover

I’m so glad Hubby suggested we create a hall of frames. As much as I enjoy looking at these white walls, the black and gold metallic frames break up the white and provide some ease on the eyes. I’m also digging the black and white, architectural prints we selected! It appears we’ve created our very own little art gallery!

Cube Shelving

I love collecting decor pieces of various textures and styles! Vases, books, and greenery are some of my go-to styling items that have never let me down. These cubes have so much styling potential and I look forward to playing around with them in the future!

West Elm Inspired Shelving

DIY horizontal shelf as part of our master bedroom makeover.

DIY vertical shelf as part of our master bedroom makeover.

One of my favorite DIY projects from our master bedroom makeover is the West Elm inspired framed shelving Hubby created! The frames are painted while the actual shelves are stained, creating an illusion of metal and wood. I’m seriously OBSESSED with these and I love their overall clean, modern look! I must have more of them in our home!

DIY Modern Blanket Ladder

Brown and white blanket ladder as part of our master bedroom makeover

Hubby felt this particular view of our master bedroom needed some contrast against the dark shiplap wall. He came up with the brilliant idea to create a blanket ladder, but of course, a traditional blanket ladder wouldn’t do. He angled the top and bottom rungs of the ladder which added so much more dimension and character! The half-dipped finish was the icing on the cake! A beautiful union of stain and paint!

Bedding

We can’t ignore one of the most important upgrades in our master bedroom – the BEDDING! I’ve been having some of the best sleep of my life on our new bedding set! I searched high and low for the perfect, affordable olive sheets, and would you believe they were on Amazon this whole time?! That’s not even the best part. I paid $34 for the king sheet set and no, a zero isn’t missing! Our Belgian Flax Linen duvet cover, in frost gray, pairs perfectly with the olive sheets. A little pop of brown leather was all that was needed to complete the look!

I cannot believe it’s a wrap my friends! It has been an honor being apart of the One Room Challenge community. I’m so GRATEFUL for the love, support, and encouragement we’ve received along the way! THANK YOU for following our journey and I hope our master bedroom makeover was worth the wait! Be sure to check out the reveals of the Featured Designers and other Guest Participants of this event! Until next time!

Aminah Chung

2 months ago2 months ago

One Room Challenge Week 6 || Master Bedroom Makeover || New Kid On The Block!

To say it has been a difficult couple of weeks would be a gross understatement. There is so much hurt and pain happening around us which has evoked many emotions. I was relieved when the One Room Challenge announced there would be no Week 5. I certainly did not have the mental capacity to write a blog post last week. Home decor and DIYs were too trivial next to the heavy events our nation was and still is experiencing. We are in dire need of change and I hope it’s on the horizon. We all need to do better and be better!

It’s the end of Week 6 of the Spring 2020 One Room Challenge and I’m so glad you joined us. If you’re unfamiliar with this event then you’re in for a treat. Each Spring and Fall, 20 Featured Designers are selected by Linda Weinstein and the ORC team for a 6-week challenge where they each take us along on their journey to an incredible room transformation! Feeling inspired? Guest Participants, like yours truly, with a blog or Instagram account can register and join in on the action. This year, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the challenge includes an additional 2 weeks of work time which has been so helpful for newbies like me and Hubby.

We’ve been working on our color block mural over the past 2 weeks and no surprise, my paint woes live on. At the end of our paint sampling process, our wall looked a lot like an artist’s paint board. While it may have appeared chaotic, I knew each and every color on that wall and why I liked or disliked it.

*Top – Behr Eider White || Middle – SW Agreeable Gray Bottom – SW Dromedary Camel*

My original color block design focused on utilizing soft, neutral colors to contrast the large, dark shiplap wall on the opposite side of our master bedroom. For that reason, I settled on Behr Eider White for the top, Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray for the middle and Sherwin Williams Dromedary Camel for the bottom. I love the rich, warm pop of color provided by the SW Dromedary Camel and the Agreeable Gray was the perfect transitional color to add enough contrast and interest between the top and bottom layers.

Here’s a painting tip that’s been working great for us. We strongly recommend using frog tape and properly adhering it to your wall with either a roller or decal/wallpaper applicator. This technique allows us to achieve clean, crisp lines every time. We rarely experience paint bleed and all our walls are textured!

Soooooo … remember when I said I was going for a soft, neutral look? Well … that went out the window! The more I looked at the wall and the rest of our room, the more I realized I wanted more drama in the space. I mean are you even surprised by this? I’m like a one-trick pony around here with this SW Iron Ore!

This color block mural actually spans 19 FEET so it’s quite a sight, but in a good way, I hope! Half of it is recessed and will be hidden by our 75″ TV, a dresser and a mini fridge. I think if we added a microwave, our room would officially be considered a studio apartment! Is that judgement I hear?!

*Top – SW Iron Ore || Middle – SW Agreeable Gray Bottom – SW Dromedary Camel*

It was definitely a bittersweet moment saying goodbye to our photo gallery wall of our firstborn, Neah, but I’m thrilled with how this turned out! There is so much potential from a styling perspective for this little corner. These were just 2 ideas that came to mind but I’m excited to play around more with this new space!

What You Missed Last Week

So in addition to completing our accent wall, I also reevaluated the curtains I’d hung up a few weeks back. The sheerness of the curtains did not photograph as well as I’d hoped and caused some distortion in my images. I purchased replacements from Target but came to the realization that curtains just weren’t as necessary as I’d initially thought. The space already feels so much lighter and lends more to the clean, minimal style you’ve come to expect from us!

This Week’s Agenda

As we’re quickly approaching reveal day, we have one more project to complete and that’s the wall cubbies we purchased from IKEA. I’m going to be a stinker and not say more than that! You’ll just have to stop by next week to see what I’m talking about!

It’s such a good feeling to check tasks off our list! Be sure to subscribe to our blog and follow us on Instagram to stay up to date on our personal journey in this event. You’ll also definitely want to follow along and see what the Featured Designers and other Guest Participants are working on! Anyone else a fan of color blocking?! Help settle a debate between Hubby and I, would you call this a color block wall or a mural?

Aminah Chung

3 months ago3 months ago

One Room Challenge Week 4 || Master Bedroom Makeover || Hall of Frames!

Welcome to Week 4 of the Spring 2020 One Room Challenge. So glad you joined us! If you’re unfamiliar with this event then you’re in for a treat. Each Spring and Fall, 20 Featured Designers are selected by Linda Weinstein and the ORC team for a 6-week challenge where they each take us along on their journey to an incredible room transformation! Feeling inspired? Guest Participants, like yours truly, with a blog or Instagram account can register and join in on the action. This year, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the challenge includes an additional 2 weeks of work time which is so helpful for newbies like me and Hubby!

The idea for this DIY shelving project came while sourcing home decor from West Elm. I saw these beautiful metal and wood shelving collection and it was instant LOVE at first sight! Do you know what I didn’t love? The price! These framed shelves cost $50 – $100 depending on the size.

Tall Vertical Framed Shelving || FRAME – 30″ x 12.5″ || SHELF – 12″ x 6.5″

Short Horizontal Framed Shelving || FRAME – 19.25″ x 14″ || SHELF – 18″ x 6.5″

Hubby managed to recreate 2 of these shelves, entirely out of WOOD, for a total of $30! Let’s hear it for handy Hubbies! We installed one on each side of the large window in our master bedroom. To simulate the metallic look of the West Elm version, we painted the framed section in, you guessed it, SW Iron Ore! I think it’s safe to assume that any dark color in my home is likely this paint. What can I say? It’s super versatile and so pretty!!

Pine wood stained in NATURAL AMERICAN – 95% NATURAL STAIN and 5% EARLY AMERICAN STAIN

Now let’s talk stain! I was not a fan of staining because the colors never turned out as I’d envisioned. After trying many brands and colors, I came to the realization that achieving what I want would require some MAD SCIENTIST action! So allow me to introduce you to our OWN CREATION and the ONLY BROWN stain I’ll ever use – NATURAL AMERICAN!! This gorgeous color was birthed from Minwax Natural stain and Varathane Early American stain. Through some trial and error, this color was created using 95% Natural and 5% Early American stain. If you’re like me and have been struggling to find the perfect brown stain, then I highly recommend trying this concoction! You’ll thank me!

So this little hallway update wasn’t a part of our initial mood board! Once the hallway got painted, Hubby came up with a brilliant idea to create a photo gallery aka Hall of Frames! The original frames we wanted, were wooden ones from Target but when they all arrived completely shattered, I was very disappointed. I guess the silver lining to that was we were able to see how easily those frames could be destroyed. I returned the broken, wooden frames and purchased METAL ones in black, silver, and gold. I also received all my prints from Shutterfly and I absolutely love them! The architectural theme is so our style and I couldn’t be happier with the entire look of this space. Of course, the impractical hallway styling was only for a photo opportunity, but gosh if only our bedroom hallway was wide enough to accommodate this staged set up! Oh, and do ignore the SW Swiss Coffee door. We plan on repainting all our interior doors but that’s a project for another time, outside of the one room challenge!

What You Missed Last Week

What I haven’t shown you is our repainted wall we tackled last week. I decided to switch from SW Pure White to SW Agreeable Gray which is a super light and warm gray! I will share a photo soon with our wall cubby install! I snagged a few home decor pieces from Target as well and received a CB2 delivery so this girl is in home decor heaven!

This Week’s Agenda

COLOR BLOCK is happening!! We’re grabbing samples to determine the colors we’d like to use. Selecting paint colors hasn’t been in my favor as of late, but I’m hoping inspiration strikes and we’ll have some success! Wish me luck!

Aminah Chung

3 months ago3 months ago

One Room Challenge Week 3 || Master Bedroom Makeover || Serving Up Moods!

Welcome to Week 3 of the Spring 2020 One Room Challenge. So glad you joined us! If you’re unfamiliar with this event then you’re in for a treat. Each Spring and Fall, 20 Featured Designers are selected by Linda Weinstein and the ORC team for a 6-week challenge where they each take us along on their journey to an incredible room transformation! Feeling inspired? Guest Participants, like yours truly, with a blog or Instagram account can register and join in on the action. This year, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the challenge includes an additional 2 weeks of work time which is so helpful for newbies like me and Hubby!

Are you a fan of dark, moody accent walls? I for one am OBSESSED with this look! There’s just something about the dark, rich color, particularly in bedroom spaces, that adds another layer of warmth and coziness.

Without a doubt, I knew I wanted the shiplap in our master bedroom to be painted in a dark color, however, I debated on whether or not I wanted to stick with good old faithful SW Iron Ore (on the bottom) or try something new like SW Carbonized (on the top). I took to Instagram stories, asking for everyone’s opinion and 75% chose SW Iron Ore!

According to Hubby, painting shiplap is no fun. He ended up painting the entire wall using a paintbrush instead of a roller because with the roller, paint was collecting in all the shiplap grooves. Another good option and likely, an even better option, would have been to use a paint spray gun.

Honestly, I don’t think you can go wrong with SW Iron Ore! The amount of lighting in your space will obviously have an effect on how this color appears. With natural daylight, it appears as a warm, charcoal color and at night, depending on your bulb type, it can appear as a much darker, almost black color. Either way I love it and I’m so happy with my decision!

This was definitely the week of PAINTING! In addition to the shiplap wall, we also tackled 2 other wall spaces and our bedroom hallway. Our original room color, SW Accessible Beige, was such a warm color and at night, it was straight up TAN which has bothered me ever since we moved into this house, some 3 years ago!

Needless to say, the pressure was on to find a replacement color that would work better in our bedroom space and compliment the SW Iron Ore. I really wanted white, but finding the right white was easier said than done! I took to Instagram once again and contacted friends with white interior walls, compiling my list of white paint options. The 2 main choices that came highly recommended were SW Pure White and BM Chantilly Lace.

When we tested both color options, the BM Chantilly Lace appeared too warm with a yellow undertone. The SW Pure White looked more like a true white and so that was the decision we made.

WALL #2 and HALLWAY || AFTER – SW PURE WHITE

I think the pressure to find that RIGHT color is getting to me because I’m not so sure I’m 100% loving this white. The lighting varies so drastically on each wall in our bedroom that it’s becoming quite the challenge to choose ONE consistent color! While the wall with the large window and our hallway both look great in SW Pure White, the wall on the opposite side of the room is picking up hints of blue and purple. I’m going to have to think real hard about my next move, so to be continued …

Our photo ledge measures 6ft in length so as to be in proportion with our king bed. We used pine wood for the ledge and stained it with Minwax Natural Oil-Based interior stain to simply enhance the natural color and beauty of the pine wood. I also added some sheer curtains on both sides of our large window. This is another decision I’m not 100% committed to. I love the light and airy element these curtains provide, but I don’t know if they’re the best choice for our space.

This Week’s Agenda

I’m going to order picture frames and a few home decor pieces from Target. I’m taking full advantage of their 2-day shipping! We’ve decided on a MODERN architectural theme for the prints and I’ve already ordered those from Shutterfly. I fell in love with some metal and wood wall shelves from West Elm that Hubby is going to try to recreate using ONLY wood!

It’s such a good feeling to check projects off our list! I’m going to be mulling over my paint and curtain decisions and thinking about what other options might be a better fit. Be sure to subscribe to our blog and follow us on Instagram to stay up to date on our personal journey in this event. You’ll also definitely want to follow along and see what the Featured Designers and other Guest Participants are working on! Anyone else having doubts about some of their design decisions?! Please tell me I’m not the only one?!

Aminah Chung

3 months ago3 months ago

One Room Challenge Week 2 || Master Bedroom Makeover || Shiplap is a WRAP!

The Spring 2020 One Room Challenge is finally happening! So glad you joined us! If you’re unfamiliar with this event then you’re in for a treat. Each Spring and Fall, 20 Featured Designers are selected by Linda Weinstein and the ORC team for a 6-week challenge where they each take us along on their journey to an incredible room transformation! Feeling inspired? Guest Participants, like yours truly, with a blog or Instagram account can register and join in on the action. This year, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the challenge includes an additional 2 weeks of work time which is so helpful for newbies like me and Hubby!

You guys, I learned so much about myself this past week that it’s kinda scary! I knew that order and organization were important to me, but I had no idea how vital they were to my everyday life until we started working on this shiplap install. I may or may not have had a panic attack … once or twice, but after I calmed myself and was able to think rationally, I understood that a bit of chaos was needed to create beauty! For this project, we purchased 6″ x 8′ primed shadow gap shiplap which was perfect from a convenience standpoint. Shadow gap shiplap is self spacing and removes the hassle of having to manually space each individual piece, significantly reducing our install time. The added benefit of this shiplap already being primed should also make painting easier.

You’ll notice vertical markings across our wall which indicate the location of the studs. It’s so important to identify your studs if you want to properly secure your shiplap. We also chose a horizontal layout because it’s a simpler process and doesn’t require any additional wall structure set up prior to the install. By choosing these options we were able to really maximize our work time!

FYI my friends, a nail gun is highly recommended when installing shiplap. It speeds up the process and because the nails are so small, it allows for a smoother end result. Hubby did a lot of cutting in this process, so to create a smooth surface for painting, he’s going to fill in the cracks with drywall putty (what we have on hand) and sand it.

The horizontal, white shiplap definitely lends more to a farmhouse style, however, I think once the wall is painted and our bedroom is completely styled, it will have more of that cozy modern vibe we’re going for!

We selected a pretty minimal trim that will border both windows and the rest of the wall, allowing the focus to remain on the horizontal shiplap. Adding trims is a great way to create a cleaner, finished look since it hides any uneven cuts made!

This Week’s Agenda

With the shiplap install complete, it’s time to select a paint color! I have 2 contenders in mind but you’ll just have to wait until next week to find out what we chose! We will also be building, staining, and mounting our photo ledge! We even decided to add one more LITTLE project to our growing list so come back next week to check out more progress!

It’s such a good feeling to check projects off our list! Be sure to subscribe to our blog and follow us on Instagram to stay up to date on our personal journey in this event. You’ll also definitely want to follow along and see what the Featured Designers and other Guest Participants are working on! Anyone else participating in the ORC? Comment below to let me know so I can show my support and celebrate your transformations!

Aminah Chung