DIY wall treatments are one the best ways to add more style & personality to any space in your home! I decided to add this wood slat wall to my bedroom corner nook to add loads of texture & visual interest. The best part of this DIY project is that it is SO easy that even a beginner can handle it! So roll up your sleeves, and start scheming where you can add a wood slat accent wall in your home, while I answer all your questions about the process so that you?re ready to start tackling your project after you read this.

Basic FAQ’s

What kind of wood did you use?

We used 11/16? x 11/16? pine slats from Home Depot.  When buying these, we made sure to select pieces that were fairly straight.  If you hold the slat longways and look down the length of it, you?ll notice some pieces are crooked.  You don?t want those for a project like this.  So be sure to find the straightest ones you can!   Since these thin slats  can be bought in the exact size they are needed, you won?t have to use a table saw or anything to make them skinnier.  They are ready to go as-is!

How expensive is this?

This is not a cheap project.  The slats are pricey.  Doing just this little corner nook cost a little over $200.   It adds a lot of style and texture though, so I love it, particularly in a smaller space.  If you wanted a budget-friendly version, you could buy larger pieces of wood and rip them on a table saw to make your own slats, but I?m going to warn you, you need to be knowledgeable about how to use a table saw or you can end up hurting yourself.  Personally for a project like this, I preferred the convenience & efficiency of having the exact size I needed, even thought that meant spending a little more money.

How hard is this project?

Assuming you buy the skinny slats right off the shelf, this project is EASY!  It?s literally measure, straight cut, nail, repeat.  If you have the right tools, you can do this project even as a total beginner.  This is a SIMPLE YET HIGH-IMPACT project  – my favorite kind!

Supply List

• Liquid Nails
• 1.5 inch or 2 inch brad nails
• Brad nailer
• Thin wood slats
• Saw (we used a miter saw)
• Level
• Measuring tape
• 2 screws (if you want to make a spacer like we did)

Step by Step Tutorial:

Step 1:  Measure & Cut

Measure the height of your wall.  NOTE:  Sometimes walls/ceilings are not truly level, so I recommend you measure the height of the wall every 10 to 20 slats to ensure you are still cutting them to the right height for your particular space.   Once you?ve done this, cut the slats to the correct length.  We used a miter box saw to do this.

Step 2: Adhesive

Apply Liquid Nails on the back of the first slat and place it on your wall. Use a level to make sure it?s straight.  It?s really important to get this first one straight!   Then use a brad nailer to nail it into place.  I recommend one nail on top, one on the bottom, and one or two in the middle depending on the height of your wall.   The reason we used both liquid nails and real nails is because the combination of these 2 things will really help hold the slats in place over the long run since thin wood has a tendency to warp and move. 

Step 3:  The Spacer

Take one of your slats that is cut to length and put 2 screws into it, about a foot apart from each other.  Use this as your one designated spacer for the entire project.  It will allow you to have a consistent gap between each slat.  And the 2 screws on the front allow you to have something to hold onto since it will get pretty snug between the slats as you?re attaching them.  

After your first slat is up, hold the spacer right up against it.  Then get your second slat (remember to apply the liquid nails to that second slat) and place it on the other side of the spacer.  So you?ll have a 3 pieces at this point: your first slat, your spacer, and your second slat.  Give them a pinch together and then use the brad nailer to nail that second slat to the wall.   Remove your spacer in the middle. 

Step 4:  Repeat.

Now repeat steps 1 through 3 over & over, as you work your way across the wall.  It?s a good idea to use the level every couple of slats to make sure you are keeping things level. If it starts getting off a bit, just use the level and correct the next slat, making it nice & straight.  Also, be sure to keep pinching the slats and spacer together before brad nailing the newest slat, so that everything is staying nice & straight because these skinny slats of wood have a mind of their own and tend to want to kick out of go crooked.  So make sure you?re pinching them against the spacer, keeping everything in line so that you have a finished product you are proud of.

Step 5:

Step back and admire your hard work and killer DIY skills!

FYI: Be sure to find me on Instagram @cynthia_harper_ to watch the full process I filmed and saved in my stories highlight reel entitled ?DIY Slat Wall?.  That will give you a great visual of this entire process so that you are extra confident that you can do this!

Since I got SO many questions on Instagram about this project, I?m answering a few more here:

Are you leaving the slats natural wood?

Yes, at this point I am!  I love how the natural wood compliments the natural maple ledge against the adjacent shiplap wall.  I didn?t seal these or anything ? I left them completely in their natural slate.  Slats like this would look equally as stunning painted or stained, so those are definitely options to consider for your project if you?re going for a different look!  If you plan to paint or stain them, I recommend doing that before attaching them to the wall.

Why did you stop the slats at the door?

As part of this whole room reno, we are planning to add a built-in feature for the other portion of this wall, so that built-in will come right up next to the doorway, therefore meeting the slats right where they ended.  So it won?t look abrupt like it does now.  If we weren?t planning to add that feature, it would look ridiculous to stop the slats where we did.   But hang with me, and trust my vision, it will make sense once this whole reno is complete, I promise!