**I’m posting this to The Best DIY Projects of April at Beneath My Heart.
As Jeff would say, “Leave the tribal council area immediately.” Heidi would tell me, “You’re out.” Ali would looked at me with a sympathetic face and inform me, “I’m sorry, but you are not the biggest loser.” And Clive would say, “Your show has been cancelled.” (Can you tell I like reality competition shows?) Anyway, I was booted out of the SYTYCD competition today. If I was competing for a million bucks or my own show, I may have cried, but this was for fun, so it was just a bummer. It was bitter sweet news. This competition has been stressful at times and has distracted me from things that are higher priorities, so it’s a relief to be done. It’s hard because I was over the moon about my guest room. Well, I still am, but it’s tough to lose on something that was labored over with love and photographed with such excitement.
The competition moves on and two of my very good blog friends, Donna from Funky Junk and Flea Market Trixie, are still competing with the lovely and talented ladies from All Things Thrifty, so make sure to continue to vote for your favorites. These three blogs are tops in my book and they are all deserving of a win. Good luck, ladies.
So, if you’re interested in making your own exposed wood wall that would lose in a decorating competition, here’s how to do it. (Only kidding.) Now, I wouldn’t call this a full blown tutorial. I was in a mad rush to get this finished, so I didn’t snap pictures all along the way, but if you’re reasonably handy, you should be able to figure this out.
First of all, make sure this treatment is right for your space. Is it going to work with your existing trim? Will it look right for the period of your home? Is it going to be a practical treatment for the use of your room?
I would also hesitate to do this treatment in a kitchen, bathroom or any room with a lot of moisture. Make sure you check with someone who really knows what they’re talking about to make sure that the moisture will not be trapped between the hardboard and the wall and cause mold, mildew or termite issues.
So, now that you’ve determined that this is perfect for your space and your spouse is willing to let you fill a wall with nails, let’s get to it.
1.) Measure the wall you want to cover and figure out how many sheets of hardboard you will need. I needed two sheets for this project and I had the 4′x8′ sheets cut to two 4′x4′ sheets at Lowes, so they would fit in my van and be easier to manage.
2.) Determine what width you would like your “boards” and cut them on a table saw. My husband stacked the sheets on top of each other and cut them all together, so this took about ten minutes. I decided to make my “boards” 4″ wide.
3.) Line your first board up in a bottom corner of the wall. Make sure it’s level and nail it into place. This board will be a guide for all of the boards above it, so make sure it’s perfectly level. Nail it into place using a nail gun or brad nailer. If you don’t have an electric or pneumatic tool, an old fashioned hammer and nails will work just fine. I used as few nails as possible, so it will be easier to take down if I ever want to.
4.) Use the thickness of one of your “boards” to act as a spacer. This will ensure even placement. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but you don’t want things to look totally off. Continue to apply the boards in a staggered pattern, using a chop saw to cut pieces to length and a jig or scroll saw to cut around angles and corners.
I would definitely suggest painting the wall and boards prior to nailing them up, but I had to do the nailing while the kids were awake, so I could paint when they napped. I was in a rush to get this done, so I had to paint when I could.
If you have an angled ceiling, like I do, you use a piece of paper as a template, so you know the proper angle for cutting your boards. Hold a piece of printer paper level on the wall by the corner. Fold the paper over, matching it with the angle of the slope. Line up the top of the piece of paper with the top of the board you want to cut and it will be the exact angle.
Again, this is the kind of treatment that doesn’t have to be perfect. When something’s perfect it looks new and machine made. This should look imperfect and old. I left the nail holes for this very reason, but you can fill yours in if they bother you.
Happy DIYing.
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I LOVE that idea! When we get our home I want to do that! You have the best ideas!
Love this idea!! What a great economical way to dress up a room. Really nice.
Thank you for sharing the how-to's of this project! When I saw it the other day…I was astounded! It looks so cottagey!!! I love it and hope to try it in my bedroom, too! Thanks again, Beth
Great tutorial! I love it!
Hmmm….. now where could I use this?
What a great way to add texture and interest to a wall. Would also be perfect for a fix for a less than perfect wall. Great idea. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for the tutorial!
I'm bummed you're out of the competition. I was positive you were going to win. But alas, you leave the runway …
I too am bummed that you got voted out this time. I really loved this bedroom wall entry. It reminds me of an old fashioned sleeping porch. Thanks for the tutorial, I'm going to try this one for sure!
Rose
LOVE the paper folding trick. I use that technique for my vehicle lettering business. And here I thought I invented it!
So sorry to see you leave, MMS. I'm still in complete and utter shock.
But happy for you to get on with other things. I'm right behind you. 
Donna
I love it and it looks fairly simple! Not nearly as difficult as I would have thought by looking at the picture.
I want to try covering my living room wall with the paper bag method. I loved the look it gave my bathroom vanity in our last house so I'm ready for a larger canvas to work with.
Sorry to hear you got the boot. That's a bummer! But your room still looks so AWSOME! And the wall is one of the best parts.
I just love this look! It adds so much charm to your space, and I'm bookmarking now !
Too bad about SYTYCD, but like you said, now you can focus on you and only YOU and your family. I was rooting and voting for you !
xo have a lovely weekend
Kate
fyi: i wish you were still in the competition! i think you are one of the most talented people that was in the competition!
-Sierra
I am so sad you lost out, ugh! But your reality show references made me laugh, we are total reality show junkies over here.
We are hopefully moving into a new house soon, and I've been gathering ideas for ways to add some character to the other-wise lifeless rooms, I love this idea!! It would be a perfect addition to our master bedroom. Thanks for the ideas!!
wow, I have to tell you that i am surprised. I voted for you. I have a spare room that has walls like yours. I had a hard time falling asleep last night thinking about how to make it over. So, thanks for the inspiration.
This wall looks amazing. Thanks for the idea and the tutorial.
Sorry to hear your bad news – onwards and upwards!
~Sam
I haven't had time to follow the competition, but I thought this was pretty ingenious, so I was surprised to hear you didn't make it to the next round. If only it would look at home in my 2006-built home.
Thanks for the details!
So sad about you on the show. I don't watch reality tv or any tv for that matter. I have enough of my own reality right here!!!
You will ALWAYS be a winner to me. Now and forever!!!!
I learn so much here I almost feel like I should be sending you a check. It's crazy!!! I hope somebody is sending you some cash. All the stuff I get for free here is amazing!!! (especially my paints! LOL!)
The wall is wonderful. Did you post a picture of it with the window? I'd love to see that!
So sorry you are no longer in the competition. I so enjoyed seeing all your incredible projects.
This is GORGEOUS!!! I'm trying to think of a room in my house where this would work!!! I would lose in a competition any day if I had a room that looked like that!:)
Great tutorial and one gorgeous wall. So sorry you have been voted out. That sucks!! But I will be looking forward to seeing all your new projects in the future!!
Chin up and all that stuff!
Hugs
SueAnn
So sad to see you go..I thought you were ( are) the best. By the way, can I have that red chair in the corner of your bedroom? I loove that style chair, they seem to fit me just right, and I can never find one!
Janet@Housepeepers
sorry you got the aurevoir… but we will keep following you!
I really like your room, it reminded me of my parents'house, same angles and similar wall effect.
thank you for the great tutorial.
I'm sorry you are out of the competition, you had fabulous entries every week. Don't forget though, you weren't actually "voted out," you just didn't get enough votes to stay on… there is a difference! You have lots of fans out here in blogland, so keep on doin' what you're doin'!!
I am sorry that you are out of the competition, but you did a wonderful job and you should be proud. Your guest room looked beautiful! I love the way you did the wall in your guestroom. It turned out great. Love & blessings from NC!
Bummer you got kicked off. I was so rooting for you! This wall treatment turned out gorgeous. I know you just love it!
Your pictures Are absolutely stunning!! I said a lot of oooohs and aaaahs when viewing them.
I found a little treasure for 25 dollars this weekend that now looks like a million bucks! I can't wait for you to see it.
have a blessed weekend!
this was a great tutorial! prior to being married, I lived in the most adorable cottage, which had walls like this. It's nice to see HOW to do this…it will go on my long term project list!
So smart. This is the reason I blog, and blog stalk. simply put.
I am stunned by the creativity of some people….like you. This treatment is wonderful and I would love to repeat it somewhere!
You are still my fave… The wall treatment is a great idea, especially if you have less than stellar walls and need to do a relatively inexpensive cover up. So many old homes in PA have plaster (or even worse, horsehair plaster!) and finding someone with the expertise to repair is expensive.
I rarely, if ever, comment but had to today. First, I was shocker, just SHOCKED to see that you were out!! WHAT?! You and Donna are a locked tie for first in my book. I honestly could never decide between the two of you. I loved every project. Every. Single. One. And second, that bed in your guest room. We have two twins with the exact same design! I don't know much about antique furniture. All I know is we have the exact same (or as close as you can get, at least) beds in my daughter's room. They were mine and my brother's growing up. And my Dad's and his sister's before us. And before that, I'm not sure. I just know they are well over 50 years old. And I LOVE them! They are not something I ever would have picked up on my own, but because of the sentiment and beautiful solid cherry woodwork they are one of my most cherished pieces. We always called them the "pineapple" beds because of the little finials on the posts.
Anyway, I'm rambling now. But seriously, LOVED your posts in the competition. You're amazing!!
You know you're a winner to us! This looks so inviting and I just love, LOVE, the red fabric.
You're right it's a bummer to see you leave.
I like this project so much, I'm guessing you could use any boards, beside mdf…although I think your original post you mentioned the low low price of $11. a sheet, so not too costly. I'm looking for a way to implement this same idea. (actually, have been looking for a while) I want to do it on the cheap!
loved it!
Sorry you're out, glad you participated.
Thanks for sharing how you did this. I just had a similar inspiration to do a similar treatment in my guest room. I am glad to see how you accomplished it.
I look forward to seeing you next projects.
I am so sad you were booted after this entry! I LOVE this room! I keep thinking about it, and coming back to look at it and wondering where an exposed wall would look best in my own home. I think you should know how much you have taught and inspired me. I read a lot of blogs, but only two religiously: Yours and Knock off Wood. I read your blog every day, and it's usually the first URL I type into Google Chrome. And then I usually follow links from your blog. I love your style and you are amazingly talented and have a great eye.
Thank you so much. It really means a lot to me to hear that.
I loved the wall, still do! I would do it in my bedroom in a heartbeat if it wasn't for our brick walls. Nailing anything is not an option, it would require major drilling and a wall that would end up looking like a swiss cheese. So I'll have to keep looking for ideas for my bedroom a little longer.
Posted once, but I'll do it again!
I love this room!!!!
Thanks for linking to my party, friend.
Traci
Thank you SO much for this tutorial. I've been wanting to do this forever in our bedroom. It previously had wood paneling up, part of which has peeled off and part of which refuses to come down. I tried skim coating it and it just cracked right away. So I thought type of cottage-y fix would look charming and fix our problem. However, I wasn't smart enough to figure out using masonite – everything I priced was uber expensive once three walls were factored in. Thanks again – I can't wait to do this!
Hi! I came over here from The Lettered Cottage and I just wanted to say that your room turned out beautiful!! We are looking to do this in our dinning room and I have pondering what board or material to use. The masonite looks like the perfect material and it is inexpensive!! Thank you so much for sharing!!
Love it…saw this on the Lettered Cottage….
Love your work…thanks for sharing the tips.
Just found your blog over at The Lettered Cottage and I love it! Love this idea and am thinking now of how to copy it
That looks fantastic! Thanks for the idea! I can't wait to explore your blog.
ok this was just meant to be..I have been pondering/procrastinating over what treatment to use on my bathroom walls. I have 3 different packages of wainscoting at home and none of them seen to be what we were looking for..too narrow or too thick or too small of a groove…etc this will be so perfect!I was really really leaning towards the horizontal but with the slanted ceilings I thought I would have to settle for vertical.
Thanks so much to Layla for re posting this and to you for coming up with such a cost efficient treatment!!So excited to go get some..maybe they will cut it into strips if I ask real nice
Natalie
http://carriagehouseantiques.blogspot.com/2010/08/bathroom-makeover.html
I love this. How simple! Thank you for sharing this. I'm going to feature it at Painting Your Home You did an excellent job.
ingenious! I had to pin it to a new board I created, "Tutorials – Great ones!"
tfs!