A bare wall is an invitation. With a set of wood slat panels, a saw and one free afternoon, you can give a living room the kind of depth that usually takes an architect — or at least a decorator with a very good eye.
We installed our first panel wall in the studio two years ago. It still gets comments from almost every visitor, and it remains the single most-asked-about element in the space.
What you need
For a standard 3-metre wall you will need five 240 × 60 cm panels, construction adhesive or screws (depending on your wall), a fine-tooth saw, a spirit level, a pencil and about three hours.
If your wall is freshly painted, wipe it down and let it dry fully before you start. Felt-backed panels forgive a lot, but not dust.
Step by step
Start at the corner that faces the room entrance — the first panel sets the line for everything that follows. Mark a vertical guide with your spirit level, apply adhesive in vertical stripes, and press the panel firmly against the wall for thirty seconds.
Work across the wall panel by panel, checking alignment every metre. Where you reach an outlet or a corner, measure twice and cut once with a fine-tooth saw — oak veneer cuts cleanly if you let the saw do the work.
Finish by running a bead of matching acrylic along the top and bottom edges. Then make a coffee, sit down opposite your new wall, and enjoy the way the light moves across the slats through the day.
