Buying your first home is exciting but can often be daunting when you think of the renovations needed to transform this space into your own personal sanctuary. Whether you’re the overwhelmed DIYer thinking you can’t possibly do this on your own, or a seasoned vet that is ready to tackle projects and make your home look like something in Architectural Digest, the Good Neighbors are here to help (and to let you know, from experience, when to leave it to the professionals).
As we’ve taken on our own renovations, both for our homes and our STRs, we are here to tell you that you can transform your space with some wood, glue, paint and a little creativity! If this still seems overwhelming to you, we’re happy to provide contacts for contractors to turn your home into your dream; if this has peaked your interest, keep reading!
A fun and moderately simple DIY project is making an accent wall. Accent walls can change your space significantly into a modern and beautiful focal point in your new home.
First step is to find the wall you want to use. I personally used my wall behind the bed, instead of a head board I created a beautiful accent wall to act as the headboard and focal point of the room. Once you find the wall of choice, you need to see the texture of the wall. If it is heavily textured I would recommend purchasing a smooth hardboard to lay over the wall. This will give the wall a smooth and clean look.
Second step is to decide on your design, the more angles you choose the more challenging it will become. I chose a 1×3 primed common board as the vertical boards, and a 1×4 primed common board for the top and bottom to give it a clean classy look.
Third Step is to measure! You want to measure the wall from end to end to determine the proper distance you want each vertical piece to sit so the wall will look symmetrical. Once you determine the lengths of the vertical and horizontal boards, it’s time to purchase. Any local home improvement store will have all the materials you need. First , you will need the wood. With the measurements you gathered you can ask a local associate to cut the wood to the lengths you needed. Then you need a few tubes of liquid nails, a calking gun, paintable caulk, a level, wood filler, paint brush and roller, and whatever paint color you feel will work best in the home. You can either purchase or rent a 15 or 18 gauge nail gun, or you can get by with just the liquid nails.
Fourth Step is to assemble! Once you’re home, glue the hardboard on the wall then follow up with the vertical boards. Use the level to make sure they are straight and also based on your earlier measurements make sure the boards are placed where you want them. You will need to wait if using only the liquid nail glue, but if you use the nail gun you can begin covering the holes with the wood filler after nailing into place. With the caulk, fill the seams of the side of the wood and smooth with your finger so you do not see the gap.
Fifth step is to paint and finish! After the caulk and glue has dried, you can begin to paint the wall with the desired color you chose. Once the wall has dried you are all finished!
Now you have a beautiful accent wall that was created by you and will make your home that much closer to your dream!
If you have any other questions or want to see my wall I did, feel free to reach out! I have tons of other fun DIY projects that can be easily completed to make your home as beautiful as you hoped!
About Good Neighbor Realty:
Good Neighbor Realty specializes in helping clients invest in short term rentals to achieve passive income and financial freedom. Whether you’re a seasoned investor or a beginner who wants to get started, the Good Neighbor team has the tools Airbnb hosts need to outperform their competition.
We are proud to be the leading brokerage in short term rental investment sales in Colorado and our clients are consistently ranked in the top 10% of hosts statewide. If you’re ready to make the first step towards financial freedom, we’re ready to help you get there. Give us a call/text any time at 720-702-9150 to start the process and follow along on Instagram for more helpful content!
