Forever Barnwood has set out a room-by-room approach to planning a barnwood accent wall, covering where a single feature wall belongs in each room, how the direction of the boards changes the way a room reads, and how to choose a finish. The Plum City, Wisconsin manufacturer published the resource on its website on October 1, 2026, built around the premise that one wall can change the look and feel of a room without a full remodel.
In living rooms, the resource points to the wall behind the sofa, the wall around a fireplace and mantel, the wall behind a television, or a full feature wall where a large surface is uninterrupted by windows and doors. In bedrooms, the wall behind the headboard is the usual placement because it becomes the visual center of the room without competing with the rest of the furnishings. Kitchens and dining rooms, dominated by hard surfaces such as cabinetry, tile, and appliances, can take barnwood behind open shelving, on the side of an island or peninsula, or behind a coffee or beverage station.
Smaller spaces are covered as well, including a powder room feature wall, boards behind the hooks and bench of an entryway or mudroom, and a wall behind a home office desk that doubles as a backdrop for video calls. Barnwood can also go on ceilings, the company notes, although ceiling installation requires particular attention to the fastening surface and the installation method.
The resource then turns to layout, noting that the same finish can look entirely different depending on how the boards are arranged. Horizontal planks read as classic modern farmhouse and suit most ceiling heights, while vertical planks pull the eye upward in rooms with nine-foot or taller ceilings. Herringbone and chevron patterns add movement and suit a single feature wall because they draw attention on their own, and mixed board widths give a wall a more informal, assembled look.
"The questions we hear most are where the wall should go, which way the boards should run, and which color will work with what is already in the room. We put those answers in one place so a homeowner can plan the whole wall first," said Jason Bast, Co-Owner of Forever Barnwood.
The resource also addresses how the material behaves. Wood responds to changes in moisture, so the location of the wall and its exposure to moisture should be weighed before installation. Kiln drying brings the boards to a controlled moisture content before they ship, which the company says limits the warping that air-dried or salvaged lumber can show, but the resource is explicit that wood remains a natural material. For kitchens, bathrooms, and other damp locations, it advises confirming that the specific product and installation method suit the conditions rather than treating barnwood as a waterproof wall covering.
The boards at the center of the resource are the company's Rustic Barnwood Plank, a tongue-and-groove wall board made from fresh-cut Wisconsin white pine, kiln-dried to between five and eight percent moisture content and treated with the company's patent-pending process to replicate the color and texture of aged barnwood. Each board is reversible, with a weathered texture on one face and the circle-saw marks of a traditional mill on the other. The plank is produced in nine finishes, from the deep browns of 100-Year-Old Traditional and the reds of Red Barn to the silver tones of Century Gray and Patina Gray and the lighter Farmhouse White and White Wash, and it installs with glue and a few finish nails. A four-foot box covers 25 square feet, according to the company, which the resource says makes a single wall straightforward to estimate.
“The existing floors, furniture and paint colors can help guide the choice of finish,” added Chad Bleeker, co-owner of Forever Barnwood. “Lighter tones can help a smaller room feel more open, while darker finishes can add depth and contrast in rooms with more space and natural light.”
Forever Barnwood is based in Plum City, Wisconsin, and manufactures barnwood-style building products from fresh-cut, kiln-dried Wisconsin white pine, white oak and red oak, using a patent-pending treatment that replicates the appearance of reclaimed barnwood without salvaging lumber from old buildings. Its line of more than 200 SKUs runs from floor to ceiling and includes wall coverings and shiplap, flooring, barn doors, millwork, box beams, beams and posts, mantels and corbels, bar and countertop, and stair parts. The company reports more than 10,000 completed projects nationwide, provides in-house design consultation, and ships throughout the United States. Chad Bleeker and Jason Bast own the company.
###
For more information about Forever Barnwood, contact the company here:
Forever Barnwood
Chad Bleeker or Jason Bast
715-293-9739
info@foreverbarnwood.com
W1099 280th Ave, Plum City, WI 54761
