Before and After: A $600 Accent Wall Brings the Perfect Amount of Cozy to This Boho-Style Nursery

When you think about a nursery or kid’s room, chances are you envision a bright, airy and cheerful room to bring baby home to. But a lot of nurseries start out as long-forgotten guest rooms that need a lot of TLC.

That’s exactly the predicament Jordan Miranda, the blogger behind Boho on a Budget, was facing when the expectant mom set out to create a nursery for her son. “This space was an empty slate with high ceilings, which made the room super dark and gloomy,” says Jordan. “I wanted to brighten up the room since it was going to turn into our son’s nursery.”

What the space needed was a little bit of extra interest on the walls to help it feel a little homier. Jordan’s solution: a cozy wood accent wall. “I knew wood paneling would do the trick,” says Jordan. “We were going to go with wallpaper, but the white was just extra clean and brought that beachy boho surf style we were looking for.”

Jordan and her husband decided to tackle the project weekend warrior-style. They headed to The Home Depot, where they picked up about $600 worth of materials, including wood and hardware. Then, Jordan’s dad — a contractor — stepped in to help with the install. “I’m proud that my husband completed the accent wall project with my dad,” says Jordan. “It was a cool bonding experience for them to do this project together and for my vision to come to life!”

First, to give their wood accent wall a little more security, they started by mounting strips of plywood to the wall horizontally; screwing these into the studs locked them in place. Then, they attached their vertical wood planks into those anchors. Once it was up, they finished with fresh paint.

After that, Jordan got to work peppering the nursery with sweet details. “Using all local artists for the wall decor is another special touch,” she says. “From the tapestry, to the handmade wood surfboard fin, each piece is one-of-a-kind and picked with intentionality.” All the furniture and accessories work together to create a neutral-yet-still-warm backdrop for baby.

This one-wall wonder project was just what the nursery needed to imbue it with a welcoming and cozy vibe. “Some people were suggesting doing the ceiling and multiple walls, but I knew one accent wall would do the trick!” Jordan says. “The after turned out better than I ever expected.”

Inspired? Submit your own project here.