An Easy DIY Beadboard Hook Wall In The Kids' Bathroom

Do you have a bathroom that just needs a little help? Something to make it more modern and give it some texture and interest? I've got just the DIY project for you: a fun beadboard wall treatment, complete with functional towel hooks! I love this beadboard bathroom. It is so stylish and looks so clean and finished. I can't wait to show you how easy and affordable a beadboard bathroom can be to achieve!

If you've ever worked on finishing or renovating a bathroom, you will know that it seems to take FOREVER. Seriously. There are so many little details (and big details) that go into building a pretty and functional bathroom - and they're all packed into a small space. It's hard work! It took us years to finish all the bathrooms in our house. Today, I wanted to share with you how I installed this pretty and practical hook wall in our kids' bathroom and how you can do it too! It's such a great addition to the space, and it really wasn't hard at all - I did it all myself with a few simple tools.

Beadboard Options for Bathrooms

First, let's talk about all your options for beadboard in the bathroom, since there are several ways you can do this. One option is MDF beadboard panels. This material is moisture resistant and can be painted, which makes it a good choice for a bathroom project where water from your bathtub or shower or even just steam could be an issue! It's also very affordable, and comes in panels that you can cut and size for your individual needs. 

You can also get wood plank beadboard that would look more like a type of wainscoting, but it is a lot more work. If you are looking for a smooth and modern look you will need to fill the knots and other imperfections with wood filler and use a good quality primer before it is ready to paint. And wood is risky in a bathroom because it is not moisture resistant and will expand and contract with changes in temperature, possibly leaving gaps between the pieces of wood. 

Another option is vinyl beadboard. This product is pricier than MDF, and it cannot be painted (so it's harder to customize). However, it's completely waterproof and great for ceilings or other areas that see a lot of moisture. 

One thing that all of these materials have going for them (I personally would stick to the MDF or vinyl options for a bathroom if I was going to go this direction) is that they are an easy way to cover imperfections on a damaged wall, so you don't have to worry about fixing drywall. For example, if you have removed wallpaper, towel bars, or tile backsplash and don't want to do the big job of properly re-finishing the wall and getting it ready for paint, these types of beadboard are a perfect solution!

However, for myself I chose something even easier. I started with a finished wall that didn't need any serious covering up, and I wanted something quick and easy. I purchased paintable beadboard wallpaper! It was easy to install and because it is paintable, I was able to make it whatever colour I wanted. I chose white beadboard because I think it looks so clean and fresh and I liked the coastal vibes it gave too. I've done yellow beadboard before and it also looked amazing! 

It's nice to have options and this paintable product lets you do what you want. This wallpaper looks great and got the job done for way less time and money than the other options. You can purchase either pre-pasted products or something that requires you to paste it on yourself, which is what I chose to do. So, if you just want something that LOOKS like beadboard without all the serious work, this wallpaper is a neat trick!

This hook wall is opposite the vanity and toilet in the bathroom. It was once a boring ol' bare wall with a lone towel bar, and now I think it looks great! The hooks are at a height that the girls can use themselves. I think the beadboard and the trim pieces add some interest to the space. Are you a hook wall addict like me? I feel like there's no wall safe from my addiction. There just might be hooks everywhere by the time we're done here (remember our entry board & batten hook wall?).

Materials:

• paintable beadboard wallpaper
• wallpaper paste (unless you're using a pre-pasted paper like the one linked to above)
• baseboard trim
• hooks (these are my favourite and the same ones that I used for our entry hook wall)
• nail gun
• screwdriver
• caulk
• paint

Directions:

1. Remove the baseboard from the wall you will be working on.
2. Decide how high you want your beadboard to go up the bathroom wall, and cut it to that length. I decided that mine would be 40" high so that my kids could easily reach the hooks themselves.
3. Glue the wallpaper to the wall following the manufacturer's directions. For the wallpaper I used, I had to apply a wallpaper paste first and then smooth the paper onto the wall with a smoothing tool.
4. Cut a length of baseboard the width of the wall and install it along with the original baseboard at the top and bottom of the beadboard. I used a nail gun and nailed the baseboards into the studs of the wall that I had marked.
5. Caulk all of the seams of the baseboard trim and any spots where the the trim and paper meet a corner.
6. Paint the beadboard wallpaper and trim.
7. Mark their placement, and then screw the hooks onto the upper baseboard trim according to the manufacturer's directions. I used 5 hooks.

All done! Add some artwork above the beadboard and enjoy your newly decorated space.

I made this artwork myself and you can download it for free right here!

I found these fabulous hanging laundry bags here on Amazon, and they would be great hung in a laundry room too!

And just as a little update, I wanted to let you know that this beadboard bathroom wallpaper has stood the test of time quite well! Check out my post about how I organized this same bathroom so my kids would have more functional storage. IKEA is a real game-changer guys! You can see the artwork and beadboard wall still look amazing!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

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