DIY Wall Paneling

My bedroom was once my least favorite place to be. I pretty much avoided it at all costs except when I needed to rest the bod. It took a while to realize how unhealthy that was, truthfully. I mean, why would you continue to hate the place you lay your head, when turning it into an oasis is so cheap, quick and easy?

So my room makeover journey started about 2 months ago, on a terrible weekend that involved working a third shift for the first time (and hopefully the last time) in my whole life. While staying up all night is 100% on my list of things I never do, that awful work requirement actually gave me time to rip out my old, disgusting carpet and paint my floor!

Now, I'll admit to you, I didn't complete this project with a happy spirit. I think I hit about 2 AM and I was convinced that my floor was growing larger with every stencil I painted. But, now I am a couple months into loving my room and I am so glad that my crabby-pants self persevered and finished that floor.

Even though that was the biggest project to compete, it was still only the first.

I moved into this bedroom when I was only 13 years old. I know. Its painful for me to think about too. Anyway, living in the same room for nearly 10 years without any changes meant that I was living in the design mind of a pubescent, moody, and highly opinionated little girl. Yeah I'm still moody and highly opinionated at times, but I've since come to realize that 1) everything doesn't have to be pink, and 2) "Paris" is not a theme that really grows with a person.

The Eiffel Tower is super neat, but I think I'd rather just go see it in person someday than look at it on my wall, on every surface in my room and on my light switch... (yes I had an Eiffel Tower light switch until I was 22).

So I went for a much more neutral and flexible color pallet for my room. It will allow me to add color in my linens and decor without fully committing to one theme.

The wall under my window was a challenge. I knew I wanted to add some interest and texture to my walls without selling my soul. (I'm sure you can imagine how strapped I am for cash if I was willing to work a third shift to keep my job...) Anyway, I happened to luck out when my dad brought home some extra paneling from a job he just finished.

Since I am the most forgetful and "project-impulsive", I didn't get a picture of the raw wood. (I will never try to convince you that I am a pro at anything!) Anyway, it was rough-sawn yellow Pine. Any let me tell you, this stuff was YELLOW. The picture above is with one coat of white stain and the yellow is still peaking through.

Which brings us to the finish I decided on. My sweet father happens to believe that painting wood is against his "religion". So painting this stuff the same color as the trim was out of the question. It actually wasn't even a question because I knew if I asked, I would probably be written out of the will. He takes wood very seriously. 😉

I knew I definitely didn't want to leave it yellow so waltzing I went, into Lowes and I found myself in the stain department. I was pleasantly surprised to find Minwax's Wood Stain line that can be mixed into a wide array of colors!  I chose Marshmallow and in 10-15 minutes I was walking out with 29 fluid ounces of marshmallow happiness. 
 

This stuff is highly pigmented and it really does have amazing coverage. Since I was trying to cover yellow with white, I did end up needing two coats. But I still have about half a can left and it looks amazing!

You can see that the second coat really did wonders for this wall and completely covered the yellow. I really appreciate that the stain allows the wood grain to show through, which paint would not have done. So the stain really allows for an added element of texture, compared to paint.

AND as an added bonus, since I went with the water-based stain, there was NO ODOR. Literally not a whiff of awful stain smell, so I was able to sleep in my room through the entire process and I didn't feel like my lungs would dissolve from the fumes. WIN!

And here it is, all done and in all it's glory! I am so happy with it and it literally cost me about $11 and some elbow grease. You can totally find the paneling part for super cheap or free if you know the right people or have a keen eye. Just talk to people and keep a look-out before committing to buying it from the store and paying for convenience. Good things come to those who wait!

I hope you enjoyed reading about my little room transformation and I hope you stick with me on this journey of mine! Thanks for reading and come back soon!

Little Mitten Girl