Using Fretwork to Add Interest and Scale

I love when things have texture, warmth, and character. So when I picked out the art for our living room wall (which I love), it still felt like…not enough. I wanted more. It needed to be bigger and more interesting – but not a gallery wall and definitely not an entire accent wall.

Enter my Facebook Marketplace scrolling problem. I’m always searching for treasures, and every now and then, these intricate, vintage, wooden room divider screen thingers pop up.

I think they are so pretty and would love to get my hands one…but I also have absolutely no place for a giant room divider in my house. I’m not one to let that kind of thing stop my though, so my idea was to buy one, take it apart, and hang the pieces down one of my long, naked hallways. Maybe with some family photos on them…or between them….or something. It wasn’t a full idea yet. It was percolating.

Then I chose this very narrow living room art, and my next thought was to take one of those screens apart and run it up the wall in a single vertical stripe, floor to ceiling. Make it a faux architectural detail. THEN, while trying to find a Google image example of what was floating around in my head, I stumbled upon small fretwork panels.

What Is Fretwork?

Fretwork is decorative wood paneling that comes in a variety of intricate designs and wood species. It was popular in the mid-1900s (which feels strange to say, as if that’s ancient history and not when I was born). When I stumbled across it, it felt like the perfect, refined version of my original wooden screen idea.

The design I chose is called Hastings, and I got it in the smallest size possible. Why? I don’t know, it just felt right. I also got it in walnut, because it’s quintessentially mid-century modern.

LINK TO THE EXACT FRETWORK I USED | LINK TO EKENA MILLWORK STORE ON AMAZON

Each piece was about $10 (currently on sale though!), which means my small accent was roughly $250. So my grand plan to run it floor to ceiling? Expensive. Instead of looking for a cheaper option that might not have the vintage, real wood look it wanted, I decided to scale it back, go partway up the wall, and see how it looked before splurging on the whole wall. I was thinking stopping it short would look unfinished, but spoiler alert: It’s perfect. Thank goodness.

To install the panels, small brad nails are all you need. I mean… you need the brad nailer too. You need both, obviously. We used 1 1/4-inch nails. A pin nailer would be ideal if you have one, but we don’t. I’m sure you could install them with adhesive as well (I like this stuff) if you are tool-less or in a rental.

I didn’t take a single picture of the process of putting them up, but here is what the brand nails look like (there are two nails per panel).

After it was installed, I decided to oil it to bring out the natural color. I used Howards Feed-N-Wax, which is a great product and I have used for many years.

Here is a picture where half is oiled and half isn’t, so you can see the difference.

I freaking love the final result. It’s such a simple thing, but it adds so much character. It feels finished now.

So there you have it, an easy idea and simple DIY that will make your artwork appear larger and more interesting. There are so many other ways you could use fretwork too…the sky is the limit!

I’m still shopping for a few vintage pieces to finish out the living room, and the full reveal is coming soon!