We are officially past the halfway point and things are starting to move quickly! This week was all about the accent wall. Here is what I did, step by step. This is a beginner friendly DIY that you can do with just a few tools!
First, I started with the wallpaper. This was my first time every putting up wallpaper and I was a bit intimidated. It turned out to be not too difficult! It helped that I was doing a small space and only a third of the wall. I’m sure it would be tougher to do a really big wall or a ceiling which looks fun! This is the wallpaper I chose: Joss & Main Ryker Mare
There are several different types of wallpaper application: peel and stick, paste the wall and pre-pasted. The wallpaper I got was the paste the wall type which is exactly what it sounds like. You roll on the wallpaper adhesive with a paint roller and then put up one panel at a time.
I started in the middle of the wall and made sure the first panel was plumb. Then I worked my way out.
I only needed four panels and I have plenty leftover from the one roll I got. I’ll find a use for the rest of it I’m sure. This is the adhesive I used.
After the wallpaper was done, it was time to add the board & batten. I started with a 1×4 baseboard and top rail. The battens are 1×3 and I added base cap moulding inside each box to give it some more depth and interest. A general rule of thumb for board & batten is to divide the wall into thirds. From the floor to the top of the top rail is 55″, the ceilings are only 7′ tall in the bathroom. So the wallpaper is the top third of the wall and the board & batten is the bottom two thirds. It also worked out that the battens were exactly 48″ so I bought two 1×3’s that were 8′ long and cut them in half to make the 4 battens. Typically the space between the battens is between 18-22″, mine are 19″ which made 3 boxes on this small wall.
I also trimmed out the door with 1×3’s. I would have liked something a little bit more decorative, but you can see there is no room at the top for anything more than a 1×3.
After using my brad nailer to put up all the boards and picture frame moulding, I filled all the nail holes with DAP DryDex spackling. This stuff goes on pink and dries white. A light sanding when it’s dry and it’s ready for paint!
After spackling, I primed all of the raw wood. The baseboards and base cap moulding came primed already. The next step after priming was caulking all the seams. This is an important step and makes everything look seamless and finished with no gaps between the wall and the wood. My tips for caulking: cut the top of the tube at a 45 degree angle and don’t make the hole too big. There is a cutter built in to the caulk gun. Apply a small bead of caulk and smooth it out and clean up any excess with baby wipes. Works like a charm! The caulk is paintable after 20 minutes.
The last step was to paint! I went with the same white I’ve used in the rest of the house but in a semi-gloss finish. I used a semi-gloss to give the wainscoting a different finish than the walls, plus it’s a good finish for a bathroom where there is more moisture. The color is Behr Frost which I color matched at Home Depot. I put up two coats of paint using a brush and a small dense foam roller to get as smooth a finish as possible. I think the final result was pretty good!
Next week we’ll be waterproofing the shower and starting on the tile. Things are coming together! Thanks for following along. Remember to check out the other One Room Challenge participants on the blog. There is some amazing stuff!
