Wood Plank TV Nook

Ok, party people, I did it. I did something I'm REALLY excited about. And would you believe it was INCREDIBLY easy? 

For almost a full year, I've been trying to mastermind a way to work a rustic wood planked look into my TV / fireplace area. It started with wanting to clad the entire TV / fireplace wall in reclaimed lumber. I started casually pitching the idea to a few strategic folks. I told Adrienne, my design and DIY guru. First, let me just say that Adrienne is a great person to toss ideas with because she's very good at visualizing the perfected result. If the concept is good, but the execution still needs work, she jumps in as if it's her own project and has helped me perfect so many projects. Everyone needs an Adrienne. So, she and I started researching options...we talked through the process of dealing with reclaimed lumber. Two seconds into that conversation I realized that might be a tad above my pay grade. Then, we looked at this company called Texture Plus that sold faux reclaimed lumber out of high density foam that could be fire-rated. I requested a few samples, and was actually pretty impressed. But, at that point, the fireplace and TV area had moved down the priority list so I never actually ordered the stuff. And, I wasn't as convinced anymore that I wanted to turn the entire wall into reclaimed lumber. 

Weeks turned into months, and I ended up committing to a delightful mint green penny tile and with a crisp white surround for the fireplace. Y'all remember that project, right? I love that fireplace more and more everyday. 

And not a few weeks after I finished the fireplace, Sarah from the blog Thrifty Decor Chick posted about a DIY wood plank wall she had installed en route to her basement. And that's when the wheels started turning. I pitched the idea of installing a wood plank wall just behind the TV to Brian, and he was immediately sold. Done. Pass Go and collect $200. In fact, he continued to mention to me at random moments what a great idea he thought it was. Yessssssssss!! A supportive hub = extra muscles to get the job done!

And THAT, my friends, is how we came to install our own wood plank wall. 

I've mentioned this before, but the TV nook has always bothered me. Not because I'm against TV nooks, but because I knew we went using it to it's full design potential. First, our dinky TV stand that we bought for our previous TV just wasn't cuttin' the mustard. I mean, seriously, look at all of that figurative mustard! And the nook itself just looked so cavernous and boring.

I followed Thrifty Decor Chick's instructions and picked up 6 packages of pine paneling from my local Lowes at $6.99 a pop. Since I already owned the same dark walnut stain she used (which is one of my favorite go-to stains), this project cost me about $42 plus tax. 

I cut the boards to size and applied one coat of dark walnut stain. Unlike Thrifty Decor Chick, I opted to stain these puppies outdoors (while wearing a mask) to minimize the fumes I would have to breathe in, since I've got a wiggly bun in the oven.

Gorgeous, right? I let the board dry, though I'll be honest, I didn't wait the recommended 24 or 48 hours the stain instructions recommended. I was just too eager to get them on the wall. 

I started at the top and worked my way down. The boards have a tongue-and-groove edge, so they fit together quite nicely. I did not use construction adhesive, as my nail gun seemed to handy dandy enough on its own to affix the boards to the wall (but you could certainly use it if you so desired). I used my long level to make sure everyone stayed level as I worked my way down the wall.

As I got to the bottom, I started using half and partial pieces of board. Why? Well, one reason was because I had to maneuver around the outlets. The second reason was because some of the boards in the package, unfortunately, did not have straight edges. I was bummed about this, until I came up with a way to use those ragged boards for another project (it's a surprise!). So, I simply used half-boards to ensure all of my boards had straight edges.

When I got to the bottom of the wall, I didn't quite have enough room to lay one more row of board without hitting the baseboard. And I really didn't want to take the baseboard out. But I also didn't want to leave the bottom of the wall looking like this:

So, I went ahead and laid one more row of board and let it overlap my baseboard. It actually ended up looking quite seamless.

And HERE is the finished product!

Remember how plain it looked before?

Now it's an amazing focal point. I can't stop staring at it. Brian loves it and tells me often how amazing it looks. And everyone who has walked into our house since then (men and women alike) have stopped in their tracks and let out a involuntarily, "WOW!!" as soon as they see it. 

One of these days, I'm hoping to find an wide dresser or TV stand that I can refinish in a glossy white to replace our existing TV stand. I want it to be wide enough to span the length of the TV nook. 

I also want to replace the art above the fireplace with something with a bit more pop. Other than those two projects, I think the family room is just about done. And that makes me happy.

Cheers, y'all!