Today’s post isn’t about murder or mystery, but it is full of a satisfying step-by-step project: ten test pots of paint, lots of thin wood lattice, and a colorful striped wall treatment we added to our son’s room. Here’s how we created this raised, textured gradient wall.
When you last saw this room in July, we had installed an easy upholstered headboard and built-in bookshelf. It made the space far more functional and cozy, but we still wanted to add color and personality over time—especially on the wall at the foot of the bed, which stretches over nine feet high because the ceiling is vaulted.
After adding a large colorful mural to our daughter’s tallest wall, our son wanted something bold in his own room. We loved that mural project, so we were excited to design a cheerful, textured treatment for his wall. Rather than painting directly on drywall, we decided to apply thin wood strips so the finished surface would have subtle depth and texture.
We considered wallpaper, decals, wainscoting, and beadboard, but settled on narrow horizontal planks in varying tones. We didn’t want wide shiplap-style boards—the ceiling already has thicker planks—so we used thin lattice strips for a lighter, less expected look that won’t compete with the ceiling scale.
We wanted the wall to complement the existing ceiling, not mirror it. Using narrow lattice would create many thin stripes (60 in total) and a subtle gradient rather than bold wide bands.
With the planking approach decided, the next step was choosing colors and how many hues to use.
Choosing The Colors
We decided to loosely reference a beach sunset palette because our son loves the beach and tends to favor blues, greens, yellows, and oranges. After exploring paint decks together, our son helped pick favorites—some choices were sentimental (like Jersey Cream) and some purely tasty (Sweet Orange and Sumptuous Peach).
We narrowed the selection to ten Sherwin-Williams colors and made a digital mock-up to visualize how a randomized, imperfect gradient of thin horizontal stripes might look. That mock-up helped us work out placement and quantities before buying materials.
The final palette—an “ocean-at-dusk meets modern rainbow” gradient—used these Sherwin-Williams shades:
- Sumptuous Peach (SW-6345)
- Sweet Orange (SW-6351)
- Jersey Cream (SW-6379)
- Rice Paddy (SW-6414)
- Celery (SW-6421)
- Liveable Green (SW-6176)
- Waterscape (SW-6470)
- Comfort Gray (SW-6205)
- Vintage Vessel (SW-9050)
- Raindrop (SW-6495)
Doing the digital planning might have felt a bit Type A, but it reduced material waste and made cutting and painting much smoother during execution.
Painting & Prep
We used primed lattice molding for the strips because it’s thin (about 1/4″) and retains some wood grain texture even when painted. Using 1.5″ wide strips allowed many narrow bands and a subtler gradient than fewer wider boards.
First we cut the lattice to approximate lengths—three different sizes to fit around the built-in bookcase and closet door—and left each piece slightly long to accommodate walls that aren’t perfectly square. You can trim more precisely during installation.
With so many colors and limited space, we painted strips on the deck using foam rollers over dropcloths. Our six-year-old helped, which made him proud to be part of the project.
We painted in two batches because we didn’t have room to lay everything out at once. Here’s roughly two-thirds of the painted pieces from the first batch:
Installing The Painted Wood Strips
Before nailing, we located studs with a stud finder and drew light vertical pencil lines as guides. Nailing into studs ensures the strips are securely fastened rather than relying on drywall alone.
We started with a full strip across the top of the bookshelf using 1 1/4″ finish nails with a nail gun. Because of the bookcase, it made sense to install a full piece there first and then work both up and down the wall from that starting point, checking level frequently to avoid a slanted installation.
We used scrap lattice pieces as spacers between each board to maintain a consistent, modest gap—creating a bold-but-subtle horizontal beadboard effect.
From a distance the texture reads as delicate; the strips are only 1/4″ thick, so the overall effect is refined rather than chunky. Once the top section was in, we continued up and down the wall following the mock-up pattern (we did accidentally start with the wrong color once, but it was easy to correct).
After installing the medium-length strips, we fitted the shorter pieces toward the bottom and then painted the remaining upper pieces for the warmer “sunset” portion of the gradient.
We worked around an HVAC vent by removing the cover, cutting the pieces to clear the opening, and reinstalling the cover afterward so the finish looked seamless.
We didn’t need to add thin slivers at the top or bottom; the slightly larger white gaps against existing trim blend in, so filling them would have drawn more attention than leaving them.
Finishing Touches
The cutting, painting, and installation took about two hours spread across two days (mainly because we waited for paint to dry). On the third day we tackled the finishing details: filling nail holes, sanding, and touching up paint.
We spackled all the nail holes, sanded them smooth, and then touched up the spots with the same saved foam rollers. The hour spent on patching and touch-ups made a major difference in achieving a polished finish.
And that’s the result: a cozy, cheerful linear abstract “sunset” wall treatment that’s the first thing our son sees in the morning and the last thing he sees before lights out.
We might add artwork or a shelf later, but for now it brightens the whole room. The slightly raised painted strips add depth you don’t get with flat painted stripes; photos don’t always capture that dimension well, but moving footage or seeing it in person shows how the light and shadow play across the bands.
We also swapped the artwork above his bed for an abstract blue painting our friend created—our son calls it “his jellyfish”—which fits perfectly with the new palette.
Using lattice and test pots turned a simple idea into a layered, textured, colorful feature wall—what we jokingly call a “son-set.” If you prefer a simpler approach, taped painted stripes can achieve a similar look, but the raised texture from the wood strips gives a tactile quality we’re glad we chose.
This project reminded us why small details—color, scale, and texture—make a big difference in a room’s feel. It’s a relatively quick DIY that yields a big visual payoff and personal meaning for the person who uses the space every day.
For those who like working with lattice, we’ve used it before in board-and-batten and other affordable plank projects—it’s versatile, lightweight, and easy to paint. If you want a colorful wall treatment, pick colors you love, decide on spacing and scale, and try narrow strips for a subtle, modern result.
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