A few months ago, we coated the downstairs walls with Gray Owl paint, lightened by 50%. Most of the color will stay, but there are a couple of walls we’ve been wanting to clad with Simply White or Gray Owl-painted wood planks since the day we moved in. We’d love to give the place a little more cottage character and we’ve always had a heart for wood-covered walls. If you’ve been reading since last year, you know that we’re in the process of pinching our project pennies (#adoption), but I’m excited to share that I’ve got a fun gig coming up that will finally allow us the opportunity to add a few walls full’a wood as a part of the project! (#grateful) I look forward to sharing the whole process with you as it comes together this month, but first, I’d love to hear what you think about this:
We’re in the process of trying to decide if we want to run our boards vertically or horizontally right now. Here are a couple of Photoshopped mock-ups I put together yesterday to help us visualize both options:
Whatever we do, it’ll go all the way down this wall, to the corner…
…and then tie in to the built-ins we want to build on either side of the fireplace over there. I’m thinking we’ll do something sort of like this at some point:
When I see that photo, it makes me want vertically-oriented planks. I love them in Sarah’s farmhouse entry, too:
Our old living room had vertically-oriented boards too, and I always liked the way they looked in there:
Here are some more vertical board inspiration pics:
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That said, I’m also a fan of horizontally-oriented planks. We had a bunch of those in our old house, too:
Here are a couple more horizontal board inspiration photos:
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I guess if we can’t decide between the two, we could always do a combination of vertically and horizontally-oriented boards like they did in the 2012 Southern Living Idea House?
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Horizontal on the walls, vertical above the fireplace? What do you think? Thanks for your thoughts!
[poll id=”2″]
your room is plenty wide, so i think it would be better to elongate the ceiling height using vertical boards instead of emphasizing the width of the room using horizontal. i vote vertical!
Love the planking, whichever way you slice it (although I am partial to vertical for the way it affects the perceived height of the room:). We are about to build a new home and I can’t wait to plank some of the walls. Every since I saw how you wood planked walls in your last home, I’ve been itching to try. Can’t wait to see what you do with your new space. It’s looking beautiful already!
I vote for vertical, too. The Pottery Barn and Southern Living rooms are two of my all-time favorites. Can’t wait to see what you do- I know it’ll be great!
I like vertical on the walls except for over the fireplace which would be horizontal. Whatever you decide I know it will be beautiful!
Oops, that’s backwards. Horizonal on the walls and vertical over the fireplace.
Love both! We have a dining room open to living room…vertical on fireplace in living and horizontal on dining…Love the combo! I couldn’t decide either! 😉
Vertically, definitely. Gives it just enough character while not drawing your eyes to it as a focal, allowing the rest of the room/pieces to take stage. A great backdrop to what you have going on. Love it. 🙂
I love the visual height that vertical boards give to a room, but I like horizontal, too! I prefer vertical boards on narrow walls (less than 3 feet wide) as the horizontal is a lot of cuts and makes it look more “busy.” But I really like the horizontal planks on larger walls because it looks less like “old school” painted paneling. Does that even help?!? LOL. So I guess I’m a little undecided, too! QUICK QUESTION: What do you use for making your planks and how do you avoid paint “pulling back” and cracking between the spaces between them? I have two walls I’d like to tackle at my mom’s house to avoid dealing with de-wallpapering, but I’m nervous about paint cracking and peeling between the pieces. Any tips??
Thanks!
Amanda
I agree with Staci (first responder)…give your long space a little more visual height. I am a fan of narrower boards, too – they seem to have on ‘older’ feel. Have you chosen a width?
When I painted my Doug fir planks in a light off white, I spray painted with white between the cracks in the boards! Made my
Hand painting with a brush so much easier!
Good luck!
Horizonal on the walls and vertical over the fireplace.
That’s a tough one! I just added horizontal planks to the wall above our fireplace – your previous home’s fireplace and mantel were our inspiration! We went with horizontal because the fireplace wall extends two stories high, the only place in the house that happens. So I didn’t want to accent the height. Maybe horizontal on your fireplace and vertical on walls? Can’t wait to see what you do! It’s fun to watch you turn a standard home into a cottage home with character.
Love your cottage look! I like the vertical as it adds height to the room. Vertical would look nice in bedroom. Keep up the good work!
I like the horizontal. It feels more modern and fresh to me. By the way would you share where the chandelier over the piano is from? Love it.
Thanks, Tracy! Here’s the post about it:
https://theletteredcottage.net/wood-chandelier/
What kind of wood will you use? I’m interested in doing the same thing!
Everyone has given good ideas. I like to think of this type of decision this way….. Vertical = Hello World, here I am – it’s going to be a great day & Horizontal = BIG Hug.
Well, shoot, I raced over here from facebook so I could vote horizontal, but your inspiration pics have made me change my mind. Girl you are some kind of PhotoShop WonderWoman!! The vertical planks are sexy!
Love the horizontal. To me, it’s a little more unique, but whatever you choose, you will make it look amazing.
Definitely vertical, horizontal seems to close a place in (to me anyway)……
Good luck
I love both, but there’s something about the horizontal ones in your mock-up that just feels right. I have always imagined planked walls in my family room, but after the amount of woodwork we’ve done in here I didn’t have the heart to ask my husband to break out the saw again, lol.
Love the look, regardless of horizontal/vertical! I am considering turning a hall closet into an older looking china hutch and line it in wood. Would it be realistic to reuse deck wood that’s in good shape to do this? Or is that not the right look? I’ve turned some of the wood over, sanded and reused for other projects. Any ideas out there? Thanks, Sara
Love the wood planks – definitely vertical. If the horizontal planks occur naturally as part of the original house, I think they look great; but I never seem to like the horizontal look when it’s added. It doesn’t seem as natural to me.
Such a fun idea to ask for our opinion 🙂
Thank you, Layla.
How fun! What a great project to look forward to! I LOVE the vertical…with maybe horizontal above the fireplace. (opposite of your last question) Can’t wait to see what you do!
Total sucker for paneled walls over here, too. Just makes a space feel so dang cozy!
I tell you anything you do will be wonderful. I personally like the planks vertical. I just love the way you decorate – you have such great ideas.
Good Luck and let us know what you decide
Personally I LOVE both vertical & horizontal & don’t think you would go wrong with either option. I’m drawn more towards the vertical for your space after seeing your mock up photos. I’m kinda digging that you are talking about this right now. In our new home we went for all white walls & trim but after living there now for two months I’m ready for a little more cottage feel. I’m trying to decide which walls we may be able to clad in white wood. Curious, what wood material are you planning to use? I’ve seen so many different applications, it’s hard to decide.
I love your inspiration photos & I have always been drawn to the Cottage Living photo with the yellow sofa. It’s one of my inspiration images I use during our remodel. Great minds think alike;)
I love them both. A lot. But I voted for horizontal. There’s just somethin’ about it that leans me that way.
vertical planks scream “painted wood paneling” to me. horizontal planks say “cozy authentic cottage charm”. whichever way you choose, I’m sure it will look amazing.
Yes, ^ this! I vote for horizontal for the same reason.
I like the idea of mixing directions…I think running the boards vertically above the fireplace and horizontally all the other way around is cool. Otherwise I’m a fan of all vertical. So how’s that for wishy-washy?! 🙂
I love the vertical, I love your inspirational pics, make me want to tear into my own home….hopefully 2014 will be the year of projects for this DIY’r!
Whichever you decide, it will be lovely, it always is 🙂
-Heather
I enclosed a porch to make a sunroom and wanted planked walls. I went with horizontal because my contractor said that it would be easier and more cost effective. Vertically, you have to add something behind to nail the boards onto. Horizontally, you have the studs. I found his logic to be sound advice.
My vote is for the vertical planks — both are so pretty, but I agree with those who have noted that the vertical boards will really give your beautiful room the feeling of more height and a more airy quality.
The room already looks horizontal, I don’t think you need to accentuate that. I’d go with vertical.
Definitely horizontal! Gives it a charming and somewhat rustic cabin/cottage feel. I think the vertical looks like painted paneling…
Wow! I always like your design. I like both.
Maybe vertical on the wall and horizontal above fireplace.
Whatever you guys do, I know it will look great. Can’t wait to see it.
Love the planking… PERIOD!! either way……… (although you did spoil us over at the other house!! That is where I fell in love with planking!!) 🙂
Your walls look so much taller with the verticals. I much prefer that. I think on the fireplace wall that it would also help to pull your eye up if they were vertical.
Ok that was a REALLY hard decision!! They all look so pretty! I voted horizontal, but I know the room will be beautiful either way:) Can’t wait to see what y’all decide!
xo, amy
Vertical as they look more ‘cottagy’!
The built ins next to the fire place are exactly what I want in my family room. I have a 70s ranch with a family room that has a centered fireplace like that so I thought that Craftsman-inspired built in would look wonderful. I don’t have any windows on that wall though so I was thinking some old stained glass windows. If I lit them right, it would look pretty cool.
Love the plank wall plan! That makes rooms so cozy.
I’ve always been drawn to beadboard, so I tend to lean toward vertical. I guess it depends on the feel you want to evoke. Vertical gives me more of a cottage/bungalow feel, while horizontal feels more rustic/farmhouse. Actually, I’ve been loving the horizontal planks you put over Keith’s fireplace. How about horizontal on the fireplace & vertical everywhere else?
Definitely Vertical. It makes the room feel taller. Horizontal planks always remind me of cheap siding…unless they are super chunky planks 🙂
Vertical…just do it!
I love the boards horizontally placed the best. For me, seeing the vertical boards reminds me of painted paneling and having lived with that…no thank you! 😉
I love horizontal planking, but I like the vertical better for this space to give your room more height (it seems to be fairly wide in the photos).
Horizontal for me. Vertical reminds me of paneling back in the 60’s and 70’s.
I love them both, but I think I’m partial to the vertical boards. Lovely inspiration pics, Layla — I really think you can’t go wrong! Excited to see what you’re up to now!!
xo Heidi
Love the vertical! the look is updated and sophisticated, imho.
also when do you think you will have the presto change class ready???
Next week, Becky! 😀 #KevinsEditingUpstairsAsIType
I see the horizontal more often in blogs and how-to’s when it comes to planks but I really like the vertical for your space and many of the other pics you featured. Wow–love that brick and board! And Sara R.–she is amazing!!! Will you be using the normal tongue and groove you use or a wider version. would love to know exactly what, when you do:)
I’m kinda of opposite of most. I like the vertical for the walls with horizontal planking over the fireplace like you did your fireman’s fireplace. I also like more of a wide plank vertical or maybe even fir trimmed wall like board and batten. Everything you do looks perfect dso I can’t wait to see what you decide.
Horizontal and Vertical for the fireplace. love them all.
I love both and plan on doing horizontal in a home we are closing on in a few shorts days but I’m really stumped when it comes to your area. I have to ask, are you going white everywhere? I love horizontal boards when you are going with a color (we are using a light tan color, white woodwork, and lots of linen – love linen) but when going white I tend toward the vertical because it visually heightens the room. I think that a mixture of the two may be lovely… like you said, maybe the horizontal on the fireplace – visual interest. I have so many idea photos photos saved of both it makes me dizzy. Love it, good luck, and good for you with watching your money to do something as great as giving ‘the least of these’ a home!
Thanks, Brandy! I’m still not sure if we’ll paint our planks white or Gray Owl. We’ll see once we decide which planks we’re using, I guess! 😀
Gray please. Love the gray! Even tho, I’ve gotta tell you, you do a lovely job with your accents in bringing in color and texture so whether you go with white or gray I think you’ll be fine.
I have a quick question… what sort of planks do you use? Just found an idea that slapped my plank wall in the financial face using 4X8 utility plywood and cutting it down into planks using a table saw. Super easy. I think I will go that direction and was curious what you went with?
I haven’t looked around for planks yet. I’m hoping to get a chance to do that soon though! 🙂
This is really tough! As I was reading your post and looking at the pictures, I was definitely thinking vertical all the way. But then seeing some of the horizontal pictures really threw me off because they’re gorgeous too! Maybe a combo then!!