After two and a half years in my shed-shop (I cannot believe it’s been that long already), it is finally time for a shakeup in this little space. The past few years in here have been incredible, but it’s getting a little crowded in here. I also underestimated just how big my little business would grow in this space (thanks to all of you)! So, it’s time to make this shed work better as a workshop and a space to document my content with all of you… starting with my tool wall! I’ve been wanted to create a DIY concrete accent wall in my life for a while now, so why not do it in the workshop! This is a project that works well for any space (not just a workshop), and I can’t wait to show you how I made it happen!
How To Make A Concrete Accent Wall
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I seriously cannot wait to own a house. There are so many projects I want to be able to tackle at some point. Luckily, a concrete accent wall has been on that list for a while and now I get to tackle it in my shop space!
Now, I installed this accent wall over exposed studs, but this is a tutorial that can easily be used over drywall as well!
Ready to get started? Let’s do this!
What I Used:
Tools
Drill
Cement Board Knife
Dremel Rotary Tool
Metal Cutting Wheel (Optional)
Cement Trowel
Sander & Sandpaper (Optional)
Utility Knife
Bucket
Cement Paddle
Materials
½” Cement Board *
Feathering Cement in Gray *
1 ¼” Cement Board Screws
Cement Board Seam Tape
* quantity of these materials will depend on your particular project
The Steps:
1. First, I hung the cement board with the cement board screws and made sure it was attached to the studs. I had a few studs with screw heads hanging out, so I cut them using my Dremel Rotary Tool and metal cutting wheel. With any project in which you hang boards on studs, you want the studs to be clean and flush!
I also added blocking to any portion of the wall that needed some extra support.
2. Next, I cut any pieces I needed to trim with a cement board knife. You can see this in action in my YouTube video!
3. Next, I taped the seams and mudded them using a thin layer of feathering cement.
4. After allowing the seams to dry, it was time to start adding my cement. I followed the instructions on the bag of the product that I used and mixed the cement to a frosting-like consistency.
I then troweled the cement onto the cement board. I didn’t pay too much attention to the pattern. Instead, I randomly added swooshes (technical term) until it looked organic. This is up to personal taste though!
5. After letting the wall dry overnight, I came back the next day and used my sander with 80 grit sandpaper to lightly sand the wall and blend all of the coloring and texture together.
6. I then just wiped down the wall with a wet mop (you can use a cloth, I’m just short) and allowed the wall to dry. You can seal your cement wall after this step, if you’d like, but I wanted mine to stay as matte as possible, so I skipped this step.
That’s it!
I am so stoked with the way this wall turned out and cannot wait to start getting the rest of this space in order!
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I love the look! Do you think this could this be used as flooring? I would love to have cement floors and wondered if this would hold up with a good top finish?
Do you think this would work covering over a brick wall and fireplace?
Looks nice! Could you use hardibacker board instead of cement board? It’s a lot lighter and seems like it would be easier to work with.
Concrete adds such a modern touch. It’s interesting how DIY projects can transform spaces and even spark creativity in other areas
Your concrete accent wall is amazing—it transforms the workshop into a stylish, functional space. Love the organic swoosh texture and how you adapted it to a shed. Can’t wait to see the full makeover!
I really appreciate how honest you were in this post. It’s hard to find authentic content like this nowadays.