DIY Concrete Accent Wall

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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Want to see this project in action? Check it out on my YouTube channel and make sure to subscribe!

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.