Before & After: A Drab, Beige Wall Gets a Bold, DIY Upgrade
When Paige and Thorben moved into their San Francisco apartment, they knew they were going to stay put for a while. And though they were renting, the couple made it a goal to customize their apartment to their liking—something they could call home and be proud of. Throughout the years, they’ve tackled many ambitious projects: building a Murphy bed, custom shelving, and “hacking” their kitchen lighting. First on the list, though: covering up the drab, beige wall in the living room.
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From Paige: “When we first moved into our apartment, we immediately knew we wanted to do something to warm up the beige walls. We wanted to do more than paint and Pinterest provided the inspiration for a wood wall,” Paige said. “To obtain the wood, we found shipping pallets in the DogPatch, an industrial neighborhood in San Francisco. The shipping pallets were finds on the side of the road and we loved how each pallet was unique.”
She added, “Before attaching the pieces to the wall, we created a backboard that allowed the wood to sit on the backboard versus attaching directly into the wall. This way, if anyone ever wants to take the boards off the wall, they can do so without damaging it.”
The couple loved that each pallet was a different shade of wood, so they picked different color stains to create a fun pattern. The wall took about two months to complete from beginning to end (with some breaks in between), but they think it can easily be done in two weekends.
“Just because it’s an apartment doesn’t mean you shouldn’t create a space that feels like home,” the couple said about renting. “Don’t think temporary means sterile.”
Thanks, Paige & Thorben!