DIY: Build a Stunning Diamond Feature Wall Tutorial
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Feature walls are everywhere right now, and it is a trend I am HERE for! I love that you can go as bold or as subtle as you want and can totally reinvent a space without any major structural changes. When we first started designing a room makeover for our toddler, I thought a Feature Wall would be a great way to make his space special for him. His ever growing Sports Memorabilia Collection led me to the idea of doing Diamonds on his wall as a understated nod to his Baseball Collection.
Supplies needed for this Feature Wall project include:
- Tape Measure
- Painters Tape
- Brad Shooter/Air Gun (I linked my Favorite!)
- Miter Saw
- Trim
- Sandable Wood Filler
- Level (I LOVE this one!)
- Angle Finder (optional, but very helpful)
Before you dive into your project you’ll need to make some design choices. How many diamonds do you want on your wall? How big do you want them to be? How far off the wall do you want them to be? How wide should your trim be?
Tips and Suggestions:
I definitely suggest sitting down with some graph paper and sketching out how you want the wall to look, and then mocking the design up on the wall with painters tape.
Once you have an idea of the dimensions of your Feature Wall design, you’ll be able to start the math on your actual wall!
Helpful Math tips for Diamonds:
- All four angles of a diamond will always equal 360°. All three angles of a triangle will always equal 180°.
- The diamonds we used are made of two equal triangles (equilateral triangles) made with the following angles:
- When you are cutting these angles on your miter saw, it’s important to remember you’re only cutting HALF of that angle on your trim. For instance, to create a 60°, you’ll need two 30° pieces going in opposite directions.
For our wall, I went with boards that were 1″ x .25″ to give the illusion of Paneling. You could certainly use thicker or wider lumber depending on your desired look.
- Square out the Wall
Chances are, the walls of your home aren’t 100% square. To make the measurements for your diamonds even, use a thin piece of trim to square out the edges of the wall. Use a level and a speed square (I LOVE this combination tool) to create straight edges for your wall. Secure the trim with your brad shooter. You’ll be able to fill in any gaps between the trim and the wall with your sandable/paintable wood filler after the trim is all installed.
- Mark off your Wall
Using a pencil, mark the center of your wall at the top and the bottom. Then, moving out from the center points, mark off the beginning of each Diamond. I knew I wanted my diamonds to be 15.5″ inches wide to fit Eight across the wall.
- Cut your Spacer
To keep your lines parallel and your angles straight from the ceiling to the floor, you need a spacer you can slide up and down the wall. I made one with a scrap piece of wood. It measured 14.5″ across (15.5″ diameter of the diamond minus the 1″ of the trim”, and was cut with two 30° miter cuts.
- Cut your Trim
Cut your Full Length Pieces of trim that will all go down the wall in one direction. Make sure that they end a few inches shy of the floor trim. Cut the tops of them at a 30° Angle as shown below.
- Hang Full Length Pieces of Trim
Starting at your center point, begin hanging your trim pieces with your brad shooter. Having an Angle Finder will help you ensure your first piece is holding a 30° angle all the way down the wall. Then, you can hang your subsequent pieces using your Guide.
- Cut and hang Shorter Pieces
Once you have your full length pieces hung (shown in blue), you can cut and hang your shorter pieces. Your angle finder will help you determine the angles you will need to cut to fit these pieces (shown in Red) in.
- Cut Boards going Opposite Direction
Use your Guide Board as a template to cut out the two other boards to complete your diamonds! Again, along the edges, you’ll need to use your angle finder (or some fancy math work!) to find some of your angles.
- Add Cross Pieces
Begin hanging the rest of your diamond pieces starting at the top of the wall. Using the same method of spacing with the guide and shooting with the brad shooter.
- Finish Bottom of Wall
To finish out the lengths of board that were first hung, cut the bottom of your piece at a 30°. I had lots of little scraps that made this step very easy.
- Patch and Sand
This is my Go To Sandable/Paintable Wood Filler that I use for all my wood projects. It goes on pink and dries beige so you know when it’s ready to sand and paint.
- Paint
You’re ready to paint! As hard as it was for us to paint this wall (SO TIME CONSUMING!!), I’m so glad we painted AFTER we put the Diamonds Up. Putting the two coats of paint over the whole thing really made it look like one cohesive unit that has always been a part of the room! We were able to paint most of it using a Paint Roller with a 3/8″ nap, using a Brush to cut in at the angles.
This Feature Wall project puts us ONE step closer to a total bedroom renovation for our little guy, and I’m so happy with the way it turned out! Would you ever consider doing a Diamond Accent Wall in your home?