DIY Diaries - Bedroom Panelling

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I’m sure you’ve all seen online that one of the latest crazes is wall panelling! It can be an amazing feature to any room and it’s a lot easier to do than you would think.

I’ve wanted panelling in my bedroom for nearly a year now but until recently haven’t had the courage to try it myself! But thanks to an unlimited supply of time during lockdown, I’ve been able to research and create my dream panelling in my bedroom!

What you'll need

MDF sheets - A saw to cut MDF to size - A pencil to map out plan - A tape measure - A spirit level- Some sandpaper - Wood filler -Decorators caulk ( and sealant gun to apply) -No more nails - Panel pins and a hammer - Frog tape - Wood primer- Paint

Step 1 :

The first thing I did was measure the wall and map out my plan. I wanted the panels to be 70mm thick and I wanted six sections to my panelling. From this I calculated what size MDF and how much I needed. I drew my plan onto the wall itself as a guide to follow later on and to make sure I was happy with the overall look! When you’ re measuring your wall, you also need to take into account any plug sockets that could go where one of your panels will be placed. This is fine to do, simply measure accurately and cut the wood accordingly.

Step 2 :

Measurements of MDF in hand, I went to get the wood! I chose 9mm thick but you can go thicker if you want a deeper style of panelling. As I did my project during lock- down I couldn’ t use the cutting services at the hardware store so had to resort to cutting the wood by hand myself!

Step 3:

Once my wood was cut to size, I sanded the edges to ensure a smooth finish and double checked my measurements by placing the wood strips against the wall. Now I knew they all fit, it was time to apply the no more nails to the back of the boards using the sealant gun.

Step 4 :

Always start at the bottom with your horizontal pieces across the skirting board first. Then move onto the vertical strips of wood after and leave the top of the frame until last. Once the no more nails is applied, put the wood into the pre- drawn position on the wall and apply firm pressure. Double check it’ s straight using your spirit level and for extra support you can also pop a panel pin in each end of the wood to secure it in place.

Step 5 :

Once you’ ve put your frame up it’ s time to attach the shelf if you’ ve chosen to add one. I simply used no more nails and several panel pins at an angle to attach it to the frame below. It wasn’ t easy and I had to rope in a helper to hold it into place but you can use corner braces instead as an easier option should you wish!

Step 6 :

With or without a shelf, your frame should now be in place. Next step is easy, using wood filler go over any joins and panel pins. Don’ t worry if this is messy as when it’ s dry the next step is to sand it down for a smooth finish!

Step 7 :

Once this is done, the final stage before any kind of painting is caulking. You don’ t want to miss this step out, it seals any slight gaps and gives a much neater finish at the end too. Decorators caulk is paintable so don’ t worry about it being white if you’ re painting a different colour. Again using the sealant gun, simply apply to every edge around the wood and then using your finger ( or caulking tool if you don’ t want to use your finger) to smooth it down to create an even finish.

Step 8:

After your caulk is dry it’ s finally time to paint! As you’ re using MDF, you’ ll need to make sure you apply wood primer before using actual paint. The MDF is very porous and can absorb the paint unevenly if you don’ t prime it! So pop a coat of primer on, wait for it to dry and then you can put your coloured paint on top! I would recommend to use some frog tape around the panelled wall before putting your paint colour on as you don’ t want it to smudge onto other walls! And last but not least, you will still need to do two coats of paint for an even finish. After that it’ s time to stand back and admire your handy work with a victorious smile on your face!

I hope this has been helpful to anyone who wants to try their own panelling! But if you want to watch the whole process then please visit my Instagram page www.instagram.com/home_atplot 12 where I’ve released a detailed IGTV how to!