DIY plank wall

During my time away from the blog, I haven’t been sitting on the couch eating bon bons. Really. I’ve been in full nesting mode and I’ve decided that this is my favorite nursery so far. Simple, clean and created with a lot of love.

If you have a similar home decor style, you’ve seen the latest craze of planked walls all over Pinterest and the internet. If you don’t have the same taste, you’ll be thinking to yourself, “she spent her time doing nailing wood to her walls?” Trust me. Some people like it and I’m lucky that my husband is one of them (that could have been a bit problematic).

I don’t usually do tutorials, but I was recently asked to share this project by a magazine (crazy that it might end up in a magazine) so, I thought I’d share the step-by-step here as well. Full nursery pictures to come once I clean out all the paint cans, get a changing pad cover, move the hammer back to the toolbox, etc. For now, a little sneak peek.

The previous owner turned an entire bedroom into a closet. Since she no longer needed the closet in the closet (did you catch that) she turned it into a bench seat, but kept a shelf and rod above it. One of the first things we did when we moved in, was to remove the shelving and rods that were around the entire room, and turn it back into a shell of the room. What was originally the small closet in the room with the bench needed some love. I decided this was a good spot to try the plank wall look without too much risk.

Supplies that I used:
• ¼”x 4 × 8 Utility plywood boards cut into 6 inch strips – I was able to get someone at Home Depot to do the cutting for me
• Wood filler
• Primer and paint
• Nail gun

Step 1: Once I had the wood strips, I measured the sides and back wall of the closet and used a miter saw to cut the boards the length of each corresponding wall.

Step 2: Starting at the bottom of the wall, I used my Ryobi nail gun to attach each board to the wall. I used roughly six nails per board on the shorter side walls and eight on the longer back wall boards. I chose the bottom as the top is more hidden in the closet and would make hiding any imperfections easier. If doing a full wall, you might want to start at the top and use the baseboard to cover any imperfections. I wanted a little space to show between the boards to give it a more rustic look so I used a popsicle stick to be sure to keep my boards straight. If you decide to place a space between boards, make sure that the wall behind the boards is painted to match as it will show through.

Step 3: Fill nail holes with wood filler and let dry. Once dry, lightly sand any excess wood filler prior to step 3.

Step 4: Apply a coat of primer and, once dry, apply one or two coats of paint. I used Sherwin Williams trim and baseboards paint to match what I used on the trim work throughout our home.

Step 5: For this project, I had a gap where the sides meet the back of the closet. To give a more finished look, I cut two pieces of quarter round and attached them using my nail gun. I then primed and painted the quarter round.

Tips: This look can be achieved on just about any wall. I used the same look on a large wall with the only difference being that I intentionally staggered the lengths of the boards across the wall. If I can do it, with three kids while pregnant, you can do it! Don’t be intimidated by power tools. There are plenty of online videos and blogs that can give you more “how to” information on how to use them safely and they will make your projects that much easier.

Here it is on the larger wall across from the closet (and a peek at the nursery).