As someone who has painted walls in almost every apartment I’ve lived in as an adult, I have to say that painting sucks. I’ve learned tricks over the years to get the job done quicker (I even own a set of painting tools!), but it’s still a long, annoying process that can take more time than you’d expect.
Last year I had the privilege of becoming a homeowner and of course the Great Algorithm noticed and started posting all kinds of renovation projects, products and services on my Instagram. (Did you know you can get a roof replacement for free? Yes, that sounds too good to be true.) One thing I noticed though –Wood veneer hub. I’ve seen ad after ad come through my feed showing home interiors with a beautiful wooden slat accent wall. It was exactly my kind of aesthetic.
The company promises easy installation – a room beautification that doesn’t take a day of painting – and it largely delivers. As WIRED’s home office product tester, I decided to give these panels a try my office. I did it Standing desks, Office chairs, WebcamsDesk lamps and even filing cabinets, but I’ve never tested anything that would drastically change the look of my room.
Pretty easy installation
Wood Veneer Hub’s so-called slat panels consist of medium-density fiberboard strips attached to recycled felt material with sound-absorbing properties. Each box contains two slat panels with approximately nine slats per panel – you’ll need to measure your walls (or ceiling!) to determine the size you need. You can choose between the No Finish and Oiled Finish options, and I recommend the latter – it costs a little more but saves you the hassle of applying a finish and protects the wood.
I decided to try them out on one wall of my home office, as an accent wall. It took about 13 louvered panels (I was sent seven boxes, which meant I was only left with one louvered panel to replace) and I screwed them into the studs. You can install them on your baseboard, but I decided it looked better without my baseboard so I removed it. There is a tiny gap between the panels and my floor, but it’s barely noticeable. This also meant I didn’t have to cut the panels (except for outlets and light switches).
This is the tricky part – cutting out holes. I had to cut out a few holes for electrical outlets, a light switch and my light fixture. If you have an electric saw, you’re already much better off than me. I had a basic handsaw and no workbench, so it was difficult to achieve straight lines when sawing off parts. I used mine Milwaukee Fastback I cut the knife from the felt side first, and it did a surprisingly good job. Be smarter than me and use a long level or ruler and tape it to the panels to keep the lines straight. Luckily, you have to look closely to see how jagged my holes are, or at least that’s what I keep telling myself.