Easy DIY bedroom wall panelling
This simple wall panelling is an instant bedroom level up. Whether you prefer bold or neutral tones, a feature panel wall lends itself to all styles and palettes.
What you’ll need
Wood panels
Adhesive bonding agent
Saw
Pencil
Tape measure x2
Spirit level
Paint primer
Paint
Measure up
First thing to do is decide on the dimensions of panel you want.
In our bedroom there’s not a lot of space between the end of the bed and the wardrobe, so I picked stripwood with the shallowest depth I could find to avoid eating up usable space in the room.
Then, measure the length of the wall you’re adding panelling. Decide how many panels you want across the wall so you can work out the spacing.
I chose to have five panels across a 290cm-long wall. A single bit of stripwood was 6.8cm wide, to create five wall panels I’d need six vertical units of wood framed by horizontal units.
2. Do the math
Disclaimer: maths was by far my worst subject at school, so if I could do this, anyone can!
To work out how far apart to space your panels, use this formula:
Wall length — (Width of one unit x Number of vertical units needed) / No.of final panels desired
So in my example:
290cm — (6.8cm x 6) / 5
Or
(290cm — 40.8cm) / 5
= 49.8cm between each panel.
I cut down the vertical units to the length equivalent to 3/4 of the wall height. I used the offcuts to elongate the horizontal pieces at the top and bottom.
3. Stick it
When you have your wood cut to the right sizes, stick it on the wall with tape first.
This allows you to see the panels on the wall before they’re on there forever, giving you the chance to make changes if you need to.
When you’re happy and ready, apply adhesive bonding agent to each wooden unit. Stick the wood to the wall and use a spirit level to line them up.
4. Prime and paint
Prime the wood and apply two coats of paint to reveal the final look!
Top tip
Use the best quality paint you can afford — it will make a huge difference to the finish.