Diamond Accent Wall

Yesterday I gave you guys a sneak peek at the progress we’ve made in our office, and I showed you the diamond accent wall we created in the space. Well today I want to dive into how we created the geometric pattern without any stenciling or painting (& for under $5!)

But first, here’s a quick reminder of the oh-so-ugly before pictures.

The boring office wall before adding our fun DIY diamond accent wall...
The boring wall from another angle. Just wait and see how much better it's going to look with the DIY diamond accent wall!
Yikes…right?! The ceilings in this space are surprisingly tall, but because I had absolutely nothing on the walls your eyes were just drawn down to the desk (and the mess on top of the desk.) I decided that I definitely needed to get some stuff up on the wall (shelves, art, etc.), but I also wanted to take it one step further and add even more to the desk wall.
 
That’s when I thought about doing a fun accent wall in there. If we owned the space, I would probably paint a wall, stencil it, or even wallpaper it. But since we’re renters…those simple were not options.
 
I’ve always loved Myquillyn’s no paint diamond wall in her old master bedroom. So I decided to give her tutorial a try. (Go check out her amazing master bedroom on her blog The Nesting Place…talk about inspiring right?!) Her master bedroom inspired me to tackle my own diamond accent wall right in our office. So take note that this is not an original idea, but instead I was incredibly inspired by a talented woman from the blogosphere.
 
The DIY Diamond Accent Wall only requires one physical supply and that is this cheap, white duct tape!
I purchased 2 rolls of Scotch Duct Tape (we only used up 1 for the entire wall) and also whipped out a couple more supplies. A level, step stool, chalk, utility knife, tape measure, and 1 very patient, very tall, and very mathematically inclined fiance. That last supply is a must for this project 😉
 
If you’re looking for a step by step for this project, then I encourage you to go over to The Nesting Place to see her tutorial. She even has an instructional video to walk you through the entire process. There was no way I could have explained it better, so I figured I could just direct you guys over there. However, I will touch base on a few things I learned through the process…

For an accurate DIY Diamond Accent Wall make sure to Mark the Wall grid using chalk that the tape will cover. | DIY Playbook
Rookie Tip #1: Use chalk to mark your wall. Essentially you’ll be turning your wall into one large grid using the tape measure. Instead of using a pencil, and having to go back to erase the marks, simply use a piece of chalk. Then you can just wipe it off the wall when you’re all finished.

DIY Diamond Accent Wall: Taping the Wall - this part will go even better if you have a tall helper! | DIY Playbook
Rookie Tip #2: Enlist the help of a friend.  This is without a doubt, a two person job, especially when it comes down to the actual taping part. I’m lucky that my partner is also very tall, so he was able to start the tape at the top, and I took over as we taped it down the wall. I’m also pretty terrible at math, so Finn was able to help me figure out all of the measurements we would need to get our diamonds even and looking right.
See - it looks better already doesn't it? I love the look of the DIY diamond accent wall.
Rookie Tip #3: Use a trowel (or credit card) to smooth down the tape.  You’ll want to slowly go over the tape and smooth out any air bubbles, because they will be noticeable and they can screw up the angle of your lines. Also, use a utility knife or blade to cut the tape on the top, bottom, and sides of the wall. I simply butted my trowel up against the edge, and trimmed along the edge to make a clean line.
 
The new DIY Diamond Accent Wall in our office looks great! I love how much more interesting the room is now.
I’m not going to lie, this project took us way more time than we initially anticipated. I’d say about 3 hours total to finish one wall. Yikes. The hardest (and most monotonous) part is the measuring. Once you get to the taping, it gets a lot more fun!
Every office needs a DIY diamond accent wall done with wide duct tape. I love how the white taping matches our white shelving and furniture too!
But, I’m so happy we did it! I think it looks pretty amazing and it adds plenty of visual interest to office. The white tape doesn’t compete with the other colors in the room, but it still adds a little personality to the space.
 
The white tape on the diamond access wall compliments what was already in the room.
The best part is we can easily remove the tape when it comes time to move out.
We love to use fun cooks and other decorative elements to add some fun to our home office decor. The diamond accent wall brings it all together!
Our white shelves look great with the new white diamond accent wall.
 
Okay maybe that’s not even the best part. I think the #1 thing about this project is the fact that it only cost me $5 for the roll of tape. DIY projects just don’t get better than that!
 

Casey

The Year of Casey

Hey there!

I’m Casey Finn, the voice behind The DIY Playbook. I’m married to Finn & mom to Rory and Ellis. Together we’re creating our dream home in Chicago, one DIY project at a time.