Hello dear friends! Thanks for stopping by! I have a major project underway- and at a great time, no less- during the corona quarantine of 2020! This project involves an overhaul of this wall. My plan is to add five feet of horizontal shiplap behind the TV. It will go from floor to ceiling. I will paint it white and center our faux fireplace in front of it. Additionally, we (need the hubs for this part) will raise the TV, making it more proportional to the wall. Eventually, I will add board and batten to each side to tie into the board and batten that is on the adjoining wall. Whew! So thanks for joining me as I share how to makeover a blank wall- part one!
Below is a picture of the wall before!
So this is a picture of the wall taken a year ago. As you can see, as much as I love this fireplace, I need to admit it is probably too small for the wall. This picture was snapped while our smaller (55 inch) TV hung on the wall. While shopping a pre-Black Friday sale, my hubs came home with a 70 inch TV and quickly hung it where the 55 inch previously rested. This made the fireplace look even smaller! Like, ridiculously small. Time to bring my decor to scale!
Step One for Making Over a Blank Wall
The first step I took to make over this wall was to remove everything from it. The TV, the wall mount that held the TV, and the current mantle needed to be moved. Part of removing everything creates that clean canvas- one ready for the vision to come to life! We are ready to makeover a blank wall!
Step Two for Making Over a Blank Wall
Alright, friends- now for the fun part! We are going to hang shiplap the entire length of this wall, which is ten feet! Whoa, right?! I decide on five feet strips, as this will cover the entire length of the new TV.
So let’s have some truth talk here…
My family is calm and cool with all of the DIYs I do. My hubs is incredibly supportive of my projects- which I love! We bought our home six years ago and while I love it, it is a cookie cutter house. I knew when we moved in, someday and somehow, I would make it into the home of my dreams!
A Pinterest girl at heart, I found myself pinning picture after picture- but never really doing anything more. Through Pinterest, I stumbled across blogs of ladies doing the things to their homes I had only dreamt about- hanging shiplap, board and batten, creating faux brick! I was so inspired! Here are these women rocking professions and raising families and doing all of the things!
And slowly, I went from pinning pictures to snapping my own! It is with so many of these images in my mind that I makeover a blank wall in our home.
Make DIY a Reality
I started small, most DIY projects that involved paint and maybe some joint compound. While Black Friday shopping in 2018 (…the second time I mention shopping on that day- what does that say about my family? LOL!), I did it! I took a leap and bought, finally, a nailing gun and circular saw! It would be another 6 weeks before I would put the tools to use. Eventually, though, I did this:
How to Make a Faux Brick Backsplash
Hanging Shiplap for the First Time
How to do Board and Batten for Beginners
How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets and Not Lose Your Mind
So back to the hubs! He is super handy and capable and supportive- and he HATES DIY projects! This girl learned a long time ago if I want the projects done, I need to learn how to do them myself. Girl power! So that, my friends, is what I did!
Let’s Chat About Shiplap!
I like to use 1/4 inch plywood. Home supply stores sell it in sheets, mine was 4 x 8 feet sheets cut into 8 inch strips.
Personally, I like thinner strips for shiplap. Six inch strips are my preferred size. But the Lowe’s near my home will not cut strips smaller than 8 inches, and the Home Depot will not cut it AT ALL- so a girl has to just get it cut and move on! Eight inch strips will work. For this wall, I need two 4 x 8 sheets of plywood.
To hang the shiplap, I use a nailing gun. This is my third shiplap project, and for all three, I opted not to use glue on the back of the board. I made this choice because if I ever want to remove the shiplap, I can do it (hopefully) without wrecking the drywall.
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Step Three- Hang that Shiplap!
Have you used a nailing gun before? Okay, I admit, it is a bit intimidating at first- but I promise, after a few clicks you begin to love the sound! Especially when you see what it can do. This is my third shiplap project, and quite honestly, it was the easiest. But what was not easy was finding a way to hang the boards ten feet high!
Hubs to the rescue! While he loathes projects, he will help me in a jam. And I love him for it! We contemplated purchasing a tall ladder. In fact, I had one reserved for pick-up at Lowe’s when my sweet husband said he would hang the high boards for me. (Was it to be helpful or to save money… I will never tell!) Win win! And just like that, he hung those high boards for me. Bam!
We use nickels as spacers between the boards. This makeover of a blank wall is ROCKING!
Step Four- Sand and Paint, Baby!
Okay, so maybe I combined some steps here! Once we have the boards hung, I use wood filler to fill the nail holes.
When it comes to wood filler, a little dab will do ya! I let the wood filler sit for at least 30 minutes. Then I bust out the sand paper. My least favorite part of any project is sanding! I sand each board, smoothing out the wood filler and roughing up each board so it will grab the paint better.
Sanding is not fun but it is necessary for the final project to look smooth and beautiful!
Once everything is sanded, I wipe the boards down with a damp rag. And then- whoop whoop- we are ready to paint!
Step Five- Planning What is Next
This is part one of the full wall makeover. Last year, I hung board and batten on the wall adjacent to this one. On the other side, I made a faux brick accent wall. Eventually, I will hang board and batten on both sides of the shiplap- tying it in to the other board and batten wall and the brick! Oh la la… I cannot wait!
Finally, I apply three coats of Ultra White Valspar paint to the shiplap. I love a crisp, clean white! And this is the perfect final touch.
Prepare to see this room transformed over the next couple of months! Part one is complete!
So what projects do you have planned for your home? Be sure to share in the comments! Until next time- stay well!
