HOW TO: DIY A Wood Slat Ceiling That Will Leave You and Your Guests in Awe

After completing our DIY IKEA Pax built-in closet for our primary bedroom, I was finally ready to tackle my dream project since buying the house! The living room ceiling. If there is one underutilized ceiling design, it’s a wood slat ceiling. Slat wall panels are all the rage, but often in home decor and design, ceilings are often neglected. Ceilings should act as the fifth wall in a room. It’s time to let go of those boring plain white ceilings we’ve become accustomed to. Follow along and transform your space, stun those guests, and dive into how to make a wood-slat ceiling of your own. (I’ll even teach you how to keep the spiders out of there 😝)!

I knew when we first bought this house and I was getting inspiration from magazines and Pinterest that when I came across this photo I needed to incorporate this ceiling somewhere in the home as we began renovations!

Our petite living room, with its elegantly framed arched window, was the ideal canvas in my imagination. That peaked ceiling was just screaming for something!

Here’s what it looked like before we started:

Still has a beautiful crisp clean look, but see what that wood slat ceiling detail did to the room:

RELATED:

Stop Neglecting Your Ceilings! Alternatives To The Wood Slat Ceiling

I swear it brought the outside in, right?!

This is my little brother and I’s third project together. We have also done a:

and a DIY floating red mahogany vanity (blog post coming soon).

We went with 2″x 2″s for the size of our boards. Let me warn you, however, that this project was tedious and one you will probably need an extra hand with, but in the end, it is so worth it. Don’t be discouraged to put in some blood, sweat, and tears to bring your visions to life. I promise when all is said and done, you will give yourself the biggest pat on the back for all the work you put in. 

Here’s what you will need to replicate this wood slat ceiling in your space:

Materials:

• 2″ x 2″s (we used 68 for this project) measure your area & keep note that most boards sold are not the exact size that they claim.
• braid nails and liquid nails or screws (however you would like to adhere them. We used these screws.
• spackle or wood filler
• stain of choose (we used this one).
• wood sealant (we used this).
• sand paper/ electric sander (we used 80g to start the boards and 220g after each coat of sealant).

Here’s A Quick Shopping List Visual:

Tools You’ll Need

• miter saw
• measuring tape
• drill
• level
• jigsaw or drywall saw (optional)

Planning Out Your Room

Each room is going to be different. But measuring out your space before you begin is one of the most important steps. When measuring your boards, consider the following factors:

• How far apart do you want your boards spaced? – We used the exact width of the 2x2s & had a spare board that we placed between them as we went along for reference.
• Which direction do you want the lines to run? – We knew we wanted ours to peak & come together at the center to draw your eye up. But we could have placed them in the opposite direction for a different look.
• Board Length – You’ll want to make sure you decide which board lengths you need for your area. Most come in 6, 8, or 12-foot lengths. We went with 8 leaving us with very little to cut off and less waist.

We began by measuring the area that we wanted to be done. Keep in mind that most wood boards aren’t necessarily always the size they advertise them. For instance, the 2″x2″s boards we chose were actually 1.5 x 1.5. So be sure to take that into account when pre-measuring.

One of the most common questions I was asked about our boards when I posted a little tidbit on TIK TOK was:

“How did we find so many straight 2″x2″s?”

And the answer is we just really checked the boards the best we could. They came zip-tide in packs of four, so you could see on the ends if any were warped. There were a few that were a little warped that we used anyway and there was a couple we just had to toss all together. Take your time and look over the boards carefully when purchasing. The last thing you want to be doing is running back to the store to get another board when you are hard at work putting them up.

Prepping the Wood Boards

This is where your sandblaster will come in quite handy. This is also the most tedious part of the entire process. We put in some hours here but it’s important to do.

Prep each board by sanding and staining them with your choice of stain. We used 80-grit sandpaper and chose the stain Varathane Special Walnut. We gave them only one coat after sanding but three coats of this sealer on the boards after the stain had dried. This is important to keep the boards from warping and provide a smoother finish to the boards. Make sure to sand lightly with 220 grit sandpaper between each coat of sealant. 

How To Attach The Wood Slats To The Ceiling

I wanted the look of the ceiling under the boards to be darker, so I began by painting our ceiling Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams in a Flat/Matte Finish.

Then we placed six 2″ x 2″ boards in the opposite direction we wanted our boards to go. We used these as faux wood ceiling beams to adhere to our main boards (3 on either side) and made sure we drilled these boards into the studs. This made it so much easier to drill our screws directly into as we placed them. 

You could definitely go about this using liquid nails and brad nails, but it went so much faster just using the screws and you can barely see them since it’s up high. If you are doing this against a wall, however, you will want to avoid screws unless you have the time to fill all the screw holes with wood filler.

When we began hanging the boards, we worked from the left side to the right instead of starting from the center. We did it this way because we allotted our measurements for it. But double-check your measurements of the boards and the amount of space you want between each board before deciding where to start. We used a spare board as a guide to make them exactly the space of a board apart (1.5 inches).

In the center of the arch where the boards conjoined, we used a 2″X3″ as a wood ceiling beam. This acted as the perfect seam to hide where the boards meet.

Lights & Vents

If you are hanging your boards where there are lights and or vents make sure to take that into consideration. Turn off the electricity and take down any lights, ceiling fans, or vents before placing the boards. Use a jigsaw to cut the boards and a drywall saw for the light area (obviously make sure to do this before you place the boards up or it will be a headache to take them down again.) We lucked out here in our room and have no lights on the ceiling in this area and didn’t feel the need to place one with our big arched window that brings in so much natural light.

So How Much Does It Cost To Install A Wood Slat Ceiling?

Of course, each project will vary in its pricing, but here is the budget breakdown of our wood slat ceiling that will give you a good idea of what to expect to pay for your own space:

Wood Slats (White Furring Strip) – 68 x $4.88 = $331.84

Deckmate Screws (5lb Pack) – $32.98

SW Iron Ore Matte Paint – We already had on hand from this project.

Varathane Special Walnut Stain – 2 quartz x $7.87 = $15.74

3M Sandpaper 80 grit – 4 packs x $4.97 = $19.88

3M Sandpaper 220 grit – 2 packs x $4.97 = $9.94

Total: $400.44

All tools listed we had on hand so be sure to research and factor that into your costs if needed.

Why You Shouldn’t Neglect Your Ceilings

When designing a room, we often overlook the ceiling as a design element altogether. But take a peek at Vogue Living or Architectural Digest and you’ll quickly notice interior designers take full advantage of not overlooking this important feature. It really should be treated like the fifth wall in a room. Like a work of art. I talk more about creative ceiling design ideas, and alternative ideas to this wood slat ceiling design here.

A ceiling can be more than just a standout feature piece. When done right, it can have functional components to it as well in achieving acoustics, showcasing your lighting, or achieving a certain feel. It’s a great way to make your ceiling more attractive not only for yourself but for guests when they walk into your space.

The next time you walk into a room, note if you look at a room from the floor up, or the ceiling down. Bet you will be surprised! Let your ceiling be another feature in your home design and showcase art, as your walls do.

I really wanted a spa-like feeling of bringing the outdoors in and I truly think we achieved that feeling in here with these wood slat panels.

So…”how the heck do I keep spiders out of there!?” and the answer is I really don’t obsess over the thought, lol. But I do once a month grab a step stool, take a cordless long stick vacuum, and a duster up there and give it a good spit shine. Easy peasy.