Before you start!
For this project you will need:
30 1”x2” primed MDF boards
a measuring tape
a pencil
a miter saw
an 18 gauge nail gun
an air compressor
18 gauge 1.75” nails
liquid nails
nail filler
your choice of paints
painters paper
small 4” paint roller
4” rollers for each color of paint (5)
sand paper
ladder
level
Inspo:
I spent months trying to design the perfect nursery for my sweet little girl! She’s 21 months now so I wanted something that she could grow into. I wanted something girly and sophisticated! The inspiration for this room came from an Instagram friend @hollyb_at_home after I saw the adorable rainbow room she did for her daughter!
I wanted something a little more subtle, more muted. I found this image through a google search and it was the basis of the whole project!
For the project:
First, I went to Lowes and bought 30 pieces of 1”x2” primed MDF boards. I only ended up using 25 of them but always buy extra just in case! I wanted the wall to be the same size as a queen size headboard which is 62”. My slat wall is a tad longer due to the math. Each 1x2 is realistically 0.75” x 1.5” so I used 25 slats total with 0.75” in between each slat. My wall ended up being 67” wide once finished. I wanted to use 5 different colors so I chose to do 5 slats in each color to equal the 25 slats and keep everything even!
Once I had my slats I went to the paint store. My favorite paint is Sherwin Williams. These are the colors I chose in a matte finish. I personally love their Emerald line so that’s what I used.
You need the miter saw to cut the pieces to the height of the wall you intend to have your accent wall on. I have 8 foot ceilings but we have 6" trim so I cut my pieces to fit in between the ceiling and the top of our baseboards. Once the pieces were all cut to the correct size, I gave them a quick sand. Now you're ready for painting!
I have a paint sprayer but with 5 different paint colors, I figured rolling them would be the quickest. I used a painting mask because I am also pregnant with baby number 2 (a little boy) and because I had to paint them in the basement due to the weather. I laid out painting paper and then laid my slats on top, grouped in 5's so I wouldn't accidentally paint too many. I used a new roller for each color. Starting with one side of the slat I began painting each one and letting them fully dry in between coats. It took 3 coats total to make sure they were fully covered.
Once the slats were dry, it was time to apply them to the wall! This was the fun part! I used liquid nails on the back of each slat and then secured them to the wall using my 18 gauge nail gun, a level, and a scrap piece of slat as my spacer to ensure each one was placed the same distance from the slat before it. You can see how I used the slat to space near the top and then moved it down to make sure everything stayed level! Practically fool proof! I used 1.75" long 18 gauge nails to attach each slat to the wall and used 6 nails per slat. You want to make sure your air compressor is turned up high enough that the nail penetrates far enough into the slat that you will be able to fill it with nail filler and tough up the paint. If the air compressor isn't high enough, the nails might stick out which won't be good for tiny hands!
Once you have all the slats secured to the wall, you'll want to fill your nail holes. I used some nail hole filler I had lying around the garage that goes on pink and dries white so you know when its ready. Give the holes a quick sand and then do some paint touch ups! It's seriously as easy as it sounds. I promise!
I loved how the slats turned out and I found these muted Rainbow decals from @urbanwalls so next up was putting these guys up! I was shocked how easy they were to apply and also how easy they are to remove!
The finished product:
Social media and links:
Let me know what you think and give me a follow on IG at @littlehouseonalittleland
Link to muted boho crib sheet:
If you would like the links to the decals, or anything else in this nursery, I have linked them here on my Like to Know it and you can click here to access it!