Looking at materials differently can ultimately yield some fantastic room decor on the cheap. For example, a few bundles of inexpensive wood lath, some stain, a few nails, and you've got yourself a stylish wall for less!

Step 1: Before

This poor guest bathroom has seen so many changes and yet none of them ever seemed quite right. That is, until I spotted some $15 bundles of wood lath at the home improvement store.

After some quick math which was hard as math is no longer a strong suit, I grabbed two full bundles and a couple extra loose pieces for this particular project.

Step 2: Staining

I tested out various stains and didn't hit upon the look I wanted until I thinned out the stain with some paint thinner. Now it's a custom color! But really, the color at full strength was too strong.

I stained each wood lath individually by hand. Yes it did take a while but in the end it was totally worth it.

Step 3: Time to Install

This bathroom is not used very often so I didn't seal the wood but it can most certainly be sealed for ease of cleaning and moisture repellence.

Right off the bat, I ran into my first installation dilemma, the toilet water connection. No big deal, I cut around it accordingly.

Step 4: Spacing

I used a paint stir stick to create a gap between the wood lath strips for several reasons, mainly for a cool look but also to give the wood room to do its wood thing.

I merely nailed the lath strips onto the wall with a brad nailer.