Way back in October I added cedar shingles to a wall in our laundry room. Installing them was easy, they were relatively inexpensive, created so much depth and texture to the room, and I could not love it more. Keep scrolling to see this simple DIY accent wall.
Before
Before I walk you through the super simple steps, here’s how it looked when we first moved in.
The pantry was in a closet of its own before we opened up the wall to make it all one room.
And here’s how it looked when I first made it over in early 2019.
It was very pretty but the longer we’ve lived in this house, the more I’ve honed it’s style. This room was not the cottagey, minimal feel I’m not going for.
Inspiration
The Nester, Myquillyn Smith has a cedar wall but she also inspires me to create beauty with LESS. (read the caption on this post. THIS, exactly.)
The wallpaper became too busy, the pop of pink became too busy.
I wanted maximum style and coziness with the least amount of things. So, I ordered shingles and put them right over the wallpaper.
Here’s how I did it, the supplies I used and some tips and tricks along the way.
Materials
Finishing nailer- here’s the one I have
1/2′ nails. I used longer ones that I had on hand but they were overkill.
cedar shingles– these were hard to hunt down and expensive if they were exterior shingles for houses and not secondary buildings like sheds. The link goes to the exact ones I bought. There were some junky shingles in the mix. I knew that beforehand and was willing to take the risk. I did order one extra bundle in case I needed it.
A miter saw- this makes things quicker but the shingles are tapered so the parts you’ll cut are pretty thin and easy to score with a razor blade.
Paint- I didn’t think of this beforehand but it might be helpful to paint a dark color behind the shingles so that if they shrink as they dry, you wont see the wall behind them. I’ll show you where this matters.
The Process
You’ll want to start in a corner at the bottom of the wall. Each shingle layer overlaps with the previous one so start on the floor and move up. Remember how I mentioned the paint? The bottom row is where this matters, and for me, the row above the window because there was no previous layer below it.
See the black lines next to the center shingle in the picture above? I added black paint in those gaps after the fact. See the wallpaper in the row above it? It’s not something others would notice but that could have all been remedied with some paint. You’ve been warned. : )
I did choose to stagger our shingles but I kept them relatively lined up and straight. They’re all parallel to the ground. Myquillyn’s are a little more varied and whimsical.
I just worked around the shelving by using shakes that were narrower or wider based on the gap I needed to fill. Meaning that I didn’t have to rip any shingles to be more narrow. The pack has plenty of options.
At the window’s edge I did the same thing. They butt right up to the edge of the window and still vary in width.
You can see I didn’t complete the rows all the way across before moving up. You don’t have to go over all the way first, but you do have to go back down to the bottom if you’re installing shingles that don’t have anything below.
I might be confusing the matter more but all I mean is that I wouldn’t be able to go past the edge of the window and work my way down because the previous, lower shingle has to be underneath it. Always adding shingles up or over.
The good thing about staggering the shingles is that there are no precise cuts. I grabbed a few shingles at a time, staggered them and cut.
The note is from my Instagram stories. These shingles are really thin at the top. Quick and easy to make some simple cuts with a utility knife. That’s actually what I did to carve around the window sill trim.
Another tip. Make sure you check the depth setting on your nailer. If there’s too much power, the nail will shoot straight through the thin shingle. You should also be able to hide most of the nail holes with the shake that overlaps it so nail it closer to the top of the shingle.
It took me a couple days, just picking it up when I had some time. I fully intended to add a piece of art on the way next to the window, beside the cabinets but, to me, this wall doesn’t need a single thing.
It’s rich, beautiful and adds so much character. I did add the bamboo shade and gussied up the cat food and bowl situation. I painted the cabinet the same color as the walls, Sherwin Williams ‘Ripe Olive’. For pictures I added the spring stems, obviously. I thought about moving in a rug but you know what? This is how we use it. This is how it looks most of the time, so this is how you’ll see it.
Shop the post by scrolling through the images below:
Let me know if you have any questions. I’d love it if you’d pin an image or two. It helps my posts be seen by more people! Also, let me know if I can help you make a room exactly what you want it. Find out more about my e design services (including zoom consultations!) here.
Thanks for reading, friends!
