High End Wall on a DIY Budget

Yeah, I can't leave well enough alone. Good enough is never enough for me. Take our guest bath.... so so. It never felt done or right. Suddenly it hit me, a great wall idea, but all my material options were too expensive.

Alas, never fear. That means it's time to get creative. Enter wood lath. So for under forty bucks, I transformed a room like mad.

This bathroom is hardly ever used for a shower if you're concerned about the wood; it's been used maybe all of six times and won't be for years, so lath will be a-ok. But hey, this idea is great for any room in the house!

Sure, lath is tricky. It's wonky, it's bowed, it's not consistent. It's also rough and tumble. But! It's a budget saver and it actually looks great without veering into design styles I didn't want to veer into.

First I stained it with a mix of Golden Mahogany and paint thinner.

Be sure to come by my blog for the great story of how I revealed this to my unsuspecting husband over at Flipping the Flip!

Next, tacking it to the wall time. I did not plan the vertical seams but I did want an eighth of an inch between each horizontal seam. Easiest, most consistent way to get that? A free paint stirrer.

I have all sorts of great tips on this project, like how I got around the outlet and the light fixture so click the link below to be in the know!

It took a lot of trimming, to say the least. If you don't have a pneumatic nailer, either borrow from a pal or rent from a hardware store.

And there it is! Definitely a high end look on a budget!

Be sure to click the link below for all those hot tips, the fun story, and all sorts of other great stuff!