Reader Project: DIY Pine Accent Wall

This was a fun project where I could involve my wife in some DIY remodeling. I took new 1″ x 5″ pine boards and ripped them down to 3/8″ x 5″ on the table saw to get twice the yield, save weight, and not take up too much space over the bar top. I distressed one side using a wire wheel brush in my electric drill, then further marked them up with an awl, 1″ chisel, and hammer (you can use whatever distressing tools you prefer to make them look “worn”).

My wife had never worked with stain before so she was in charge of picking out the colors and staining the boards using variations on the three colors she chose (Dark Walnut, Special Walnut, and Golden Oak). Some boards received 1 coat, some received two coats, some were wiped off to make them lighter, others received one color followed by a different color. No two boards ended up the same due to variations in the wood grain.

I put 1/4″ underlayment on the drywall first using a few drywall screws through the studs, then glued and nailed the boards to the underlayment. The corner moldings were also homemade using a standard 2×4 ripped in half and using the table saw to cut out the “block” so that only the corners were left.

I enjoyed designing the wall and she loved figuring out what colors to use, how long each board was going to be, and where to place them on the wall.  Now she wants to continue it under the bar and maybe do another wall! — Jamey Heim

Photo: Courtesy of Jamey Heim