BONUS ROOM MAKEOVER

Today, I’m showing you how to achieve the perfect accent wall for your space. I’ve got a tutorial for this awesome 3D wall mural I’ve installed and I’ll share a little-known tip for getting a crisp paint line using painter’s tape and just one simple step.

It’s Week 4 of the Spring 2019 One Room Challenge™ and our bonus room-turned family media room is finally starting to shape up …

This post is sponsored by WallArt Wall Decor but all opinions are my own.Thanks for supporting the brands that support me!

In addition to readying this space for our big reveal in just three more weeks, we’re also completing makeovers in the following spaces: Kitchen, Master Bathroom, Back Yard, and Front Yard. All this hard work will pay off once the house is sold in a few months (Missed that part? That’s okay. You can read all about my move here: We Are Downsizing: Why My Family Is Choosing Life In A Smaller Home).

Achy bones aside and without further ado, here’s what we learned this week:

Modern Wall Panels: How to install 3D accent wall panels for an eco-friendly home update

When we began this project, you may remember that I was attempting to talk Christine into letting me install a climbing wall or rope swing in our bonus room. Unfortunately, she didn’t like the idea and wouldn’t budge.

While I had an idea in mind of a blue paint color blocking treatment, I still couldn’t shake the desire to add more dimension to this space. So when WallArt Wall Decor reached out to show me their line of contemporary textured wall designs, I knew it was the perfect solution! These panels come in an array of designs but I had an idea to use them to create a display for my daughter’s artwork. I love that the Squares design looked like a collection of varying-sized frames, so I decided to go with that look.

The material out of which the panels are made is actually Bagasse. That’s the residue that remains after juice from sugar cane has been extracted. While they are thick and sturdy, they feel a lot like an incredibly thick cardstock, they’re thinner than cardboard. That means I can add a strip of metal behind the panels, before securing them to the wall. By doing that, I’m customizing them to function as magnet boards for these clips we used on our fridge for artwork display.

I’ve glued pieces of metal strips to the back of each panel before installation. This allows me to adhere the magnet clips to the front, without permanently damaging the surface of the panels.

metal strips | spray adhesive | square panel design

INSTALLATION PROCESS

Installing the panels to the wall was a pretty simple process but I did learn a few tricks to help you. Namely, determine the patterns you want to display before you begin each panel installation. For instance, with the squares, I could’ve chosen to install each panel in exactly the same direction so that each appeared identical to the previous one. I wanted a more random look, so I chose to turn each panel to counter-clockwise in order to achieve inconsistent order.

STEP ONE: Mark your first line on the wall.

Place your panel against the wall and mark where the top of the panel will hit the wall.

STEP TWO: Mark a level line across the installation wall.

This insures your panels will be evenly installed across the entire length of your wall, even if your baseboards or floors are uneven.

STEP THREE: Apply adhesive to the back of the panels.

I used Liquid Nails for a few of the panels but eventually, once I’d determined my panels were all placed evenly, I began using a finish nailer to make the process faster.

I was only confident in using a nailer because I knew these panels would be permanent and would be caulked in place. If you prefer a more semi-permanent installation, you can use adhesive or double-sided tape.

STEP FOUR: Press your panel onto the wall.

Hold for 15 seconds before releasing each panel.

STEP FIVE: Repeat this installation across your entire wall.

When you get to the edge of a wall, where you’ll need to make a cut, determine if you want to caulk the panel in place. If so, cut the panel (I used standard craft scissors) and install as necessary.

If you don’t wish to caulk your panel, I recommend choosing a space that allows for the exact dimensions of a set number of panels with no cuts required. For instance, since each wall panel is 19 11/16” (50x50cm) square, you would need a space that is 59 1/16” wide to accommodate 3 full panels.

I’m no stranger to caulking wall treatments, so I was confident in making the panels custom to fit my wall, with cuts and caulk.

Here, you can see the caulk lines I’ve drawn. Since the panels are paintable, I’m not concerned about the difference in color between the caulk and panels.

The only real accommodation I had to make for this project was adding some door trim around the opening. I did this so the panel would have something to butt against, allowing for a clean caulk line.

The entire process took only 2 boxes of panels and 4 hours. That even includes the time I spent cutting down trim work! Once painted, they’re going to look flawless in this space. But you’ll have to wait for the full reveal on ORC Week 6 for that.

For now, here’s my other quick tip of the week –

PAINTING A STRAIGHT LINE THAT DOESN’T BLEED UNDER THE PAINTER’S TAPE

The process for getting a good result with painters tape is always going to be a little time-consuming. But just one extra step on the front end can give you far better results.

STEP ONE: Mark a straight line across your entire wall.

STEP TWO: Follow that line to apply your painter’s tape.

STEP THREE: Using upward strokes, (towards the seam of the painter’s tape), paint the edge of the painter’s tape in the wall color you used prior.

Painter’s tape will always bleed but when you apply the existing wall color BEFORE your accent color, you’re insuring the bleed will blend. Allow to dry.

STEP FOUR: Now, apply your accent color. Use a brush near the paint so you don’t get overzealous with a roller.

Now is a good time to stand back and make sure your lines present evenly across the room.

Once you’ve verified your line appears straight, move forward with rolling on your accent wall paint.

Then remove the painter’s tape by slowly peeling it back once everything has dried.

Creating a straight line in a corner is easy because you can just flip the level to the next side. But getting a straight line when you’ve had obstacles, like windows, keeping you from accessing the full line is trickier.

Here’s how I handle it –

Measure the exact height of your existing line from baseboard to line.

Now mark that line on the next chunk of wall.

Follow the same process for creating a level line as before.

Using both of these accent wall ideas, I’ve managed to break up the massive beige walls in this space. This will allow me to create multiple zones in this room, which I’ll show you next week.

I’d like to take a moment to thank my sponsor for this week’s post, WallArt Wall Decor, the makers of the panels I’ve used to create the cool art display area I’ll be “gifting” my kid.

Their panels solve a problem in manufacturing- what to do with leftovers – that so many brands are ignoring. Their eco-friendly panels are available in a wide array of designs, from contemporary geometrics to soothing spa-like motifs.

So remember to check out the entire line here and thanks again for supporting the brands that support this blog. Without sponsorships like these, I wouldn’t be able to share all the free DIY remodeling and decor plans. Helping people love their homes is my true passion and brands like WallArt Wall Decor, make that possible.

So there you have it – you’ve gotten a peek into my space and some tips about how you can update your own rooms! Now go get some more inspiration and tips by checking out the other projects being designed for the Spring 2019 ORC –

I’ve been a long-time follower of the ORC™ and I’m always a little humbled and sentimental that it’s still around for me to participate in. So if you’re looking to kickstart a DIY home project or you just want to take a peek into the reality of renovating spaces, I highly encourage you to check it out.

Thanks, as always, to Linda Holt for bringing this event back every season! We love it as much as you do. And a super huge thanks to Better Home and Gardens and all of the amazing sponsors who keep this event going! You can see the full list of official sponsors here.

This time around, I’ve even got my own list of sponsors to show off. I can’t wait to tell you about each of these brands that has made my participation in this event possible. So stay tuned! That is, after you go check out all the other spaces.

ONE ROOM CHALLENGE™ BLOG

UNTIL NEXT WEEK, HAPPY RENOVATING!

xoxo
Teri

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Commenting on this post is disabled after 24 hours so I can focus on our upcoming projects + client designs. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to hear from you. Send me your questions and comments on Instagram by either commenting on my latest post or sending me a direct message. I really love to chat it out! xoxo