Okay so I wanted to freshen up my kinda boring guest room, right? Stumbled across these oak design ideas online – people were using raw oak plywood and planks to make cool wall panels and shelves. Looked amazing and honestly, kinda doable. Figured why not try it myself?
Getting Started (And Overwhelmed!)
First thing? I headed to my local lumber yard. Wanted to see the oak plywood in person. Saw some beautiful pieces, but man, prices were all over the place! I grabbed a couple of smaller 4×8 oak plywood sheets that had this nice, consistent grain without too many knots. Oak’s heavy though, almost dropped one trying to load it!
Tools I figured I’d need:
- My trusty circular saw (dusty from the garage)
- A level (which later proved crucial)
- A drill with different bits
- Wood screws
- Wood glue
- Sanding paper – lots of it!
- A stud finder
Honestly, just pulling everything out felt like I was already halfway there… wishful thinking!
The Messy Part: Cutting and Fitting
Had a wall above the guest bed I wanted to panel. Measured carefully (measured twice!), marked my cuts on the plywood panels, and started cutting with the circular saw. It was loud, super dusty, and my first cut? Totally not straight. Ugh. Had to redo one panel. Learned quickly that using a straight edge as a guide is a MUST.
Fit the first panel against the wall. Looked good! …Except the edges were rough. Spent ages sanding them down – oak is tough stuff, needed coarse grit then fine. Dust. Went. Everywhere. Seriously, invest in a good mask!
Hitting the First Snag
Marked the stud locations using the finder. Pre-drilled holes into the plywood panels where they’d hit the studs. This felt smart. Lifted the first panel back up, squeezed some wood glue on the back where it would touch the studs, and started screwing it in. Used the level constantly – didn’t want it wonky!
Got the first panel secure. Felt great. Went to attach the second panel right next to it. Big problem. The wall wasn’t perfectly flat. One corner of the new panel stuck out slightly. Tried forcing it, nope. Tried sanding the edge more, still a tiny gap. Almost panicked. Ended up having to take it down, carefully shave a millimeter off the joining edge with the saw (super nervous!), sand it smooth, and try again. This time? Perfect flush fit. Huge relief.
Adding Accents and the Final Reveal
Got all four panels up. Looked solid, but flat. Needed some depth. Remembered seeing floating shelves. Found some smaller oak planks. Cut them to like 3 feet long. Sanded the heck out of them until smooth as butter. Drilled two hidden holes at angles on the underside for metal brackets. Mounted the brackets onto the plywood panels, checking level again and again. Then slid the planks onto the brackets. Boom! Instant floating shelves. Did two above each other.
The raw oak looked nice, but the room felt rustic cabin. Wanted something warmer. Bought some clear matte polyurethane. Gave all the wood – panels and shelves – two light coats, sanding gently with super fine sandpaper in between. Made the oak glow without looking shiny or artificial.
How It Turned Out and What I’d Do Different
Honestly? The room is unrecognizable. That wall is now this stunning, warm oak feature wall with cool floating shelves. Guests can put their books or plants up there. The oak just makes the whole space feel richer and way more expensive than it actually was. Takes all the attention.
Would I change anything? Yeah!
- Definitely use a plunge saw if you can borrow/rent one next time – straighter cuts, less sanding.
- Check the entire wall for flatness before cutting a single panel. Seriously.
- Have more wood glue on hand – I underestimated how much seeping out I’d get from behind the panels when screwing.
- Buy way more drop cloths. That fine sanding dust? Unreal.
It was messy, sweaty, and took me way longer than those pretty DIY videos show, but sitting back and looking at it? Completely worth the effort. Oak’s magic for a reason!
