The big, blank living room wall

The large wall in our living room has been blank pretty much since we moved into our house. It’s a big space and a focal point that needed something, but I wasn’t sure what. I initially thought I was going to use it as a gallery wall, but decided to put those photos in the hallway from the front door to the kitchen and living room.

When you can’t find something you like

Due to the size of the wall, it was tricky finding something that would fit the space. It’s no secret that we do a lot of projects, which means we have a lot of scrap material around the house. I decided to make a piece of art without purchasing anything above and beyond what we already had. This way, we could customize the size and I wouldn’t feel obligated to keep it long-term.

The final product

We used 1/4 inch plywood planks, cut down wood for furring strips and added a cleat to the back for hanging. I repurposed Minwax Ebony stain and General Finishes Lamp Black paint from the home office desk. I hand-painted the lettering and sealed it all with Minwax Special Dark wax.

The final, final product

When we hung the sign, I immediately regretted waxing it. It looked a lot more rustic when the finish was flat. Not even 24 hours later and I repainted the sign to bring it back to a matte finish. I feel like it looks much better.