Pretty Pinterest-Inspired Painted Plywood Plank Wall, a Half-Assed How-You-Do & 1 Link Party. Possibly.

Say that 9 times fast.

Then get your hot little hands on some 4' x 8' plywood sheets and cut them (or have them cut for you) into planks.

To determine the width of your planks it will be necessary to do math.  I'm so, so sorry. Measure the height of your wall & then sit in a quiet place with a calculator to figure out the magic equation that will give you the perfect plank size:

Wall height × Amt of aggravation + Mgs of caffeine in your system = *MAGIC*

Based on my inspiration photos, I knew I wanted to use wide planks of equal size. If you want to use a combination of different plank widths then you're on your own. Just the thought of that math problem makes my eye twitch.

In our case, I used the following: wall height approximately 102 inches ÷ 12 = 8.5 inches.

Your finished product will depend, to a certain degree, on the grade of plywood you choose for the project. The grade of the wood will determine how "finished" your surface will look.  

If you want a 'rough and rustic' wood finish, select a lower grade (i.e. less expensive) plywood which will have more knots; but, keep in mind you may need to prime excessively with an oil-based primer to prevent any bleed-through. 

I wanted a smooth easy-to-scrub surface but with a slight wood grain for texture so we chose a mid-range B/C cabinet grade plywood.

Aggressively sand the top and sides of the planks.

Apply several coats of primer and 1 topcoat of paint.
We used Behr "Ultra Pure White" in a satin finish.

Measure at least twice & trim planks to desired length.

Starting from the center of your wall mark a level line,
take a deep breath and attach your first plank, rinse & repeat.

For spacing between each plank
we used a super secret system of spare pocket change
combined with a dose of good old-fashioned eyeballing it.

P.S. don't forget to measure and cut fancy holes for outlets, light switches

and plumbing. xoxo - Me.

Cut planks as needed to make a seam for easier installation
and because it makes you look cooooool.

If you can, try to strategically place any seams
where they will disappear behind fixtures or furnishings.

Once all of your planks are up
(see how fast things get done on the internet?)
fill the nail holes and add another coat of paint
to clean it up nice & purty.

Whattayathink, eh? You like?

[I love every painted plank-y inch of it.]

Now it's YOUR turn. What have you been working on?

Link up your Pinterest-inspired projects below. Show us what you've got.

Provided I can figure out how to make this dopey link-up widget work because I partially procrastinated finishing this post until the last possible second, drank a beer, stuffed myself stupid with french fries and THEN tried to follow the instructions for responsible widget-wielding via the Inlinkz website. 

It's been one of those days.

Don't forget to visit the lovely lady bloggers at What the Graham?!, Baby Gators Den, Design Build Love, Hernando House, Merrypad, Mrs. Priss to see what they've got to share.

So let's get down to business.

I don't have any lame party rules around here at the bungalow about buttons or flair or forced-march following BUT it would be pretty righteous of you to share the love and add a link in your post back to the blog where you're partying. [FYI: this post has been linked up with the following: DIY Project Parade]

If you have the time, check out the posts by other folks and leave a kind word or two for them in their comments section.  I would consider it a personal favor.