Wood wall finishes for a house in Sherman Oaks (ZIP 91403), photographed in October 2022: a white oak slat wall that runs the full height of a two-story stairwell, and chevron-pattern oak veneer panels on a wall in an upstairs room. The slat wall is the centerpiece. Vertical white oak slats over a black backing climb from the lower landing to the ceiling, continue around the window and the louvered panel below it, and stop at the built-in desk niche at the top of the stairs. The wall sconces sit within the slat field. In the second room, oak veneer panels are laid in a chevron pattern from the baseboard up to an oak top trim, with a matching oak casing around the window.
A slat wall only looks right if every gap is the same width and every slat is plumb over its full height. In a stairwell that height is two stories, so a small lean at the bottom becomes an obvious one at the ceiling. Cutouts for lights, switches and vents have to land so the rhythm of the slats carries on around them instead of breaking.
See the oak panel feature wall in Venice, our wood slat accent wall and the ceiling and wall panel installation. Also in Sherman Oaks: a full ceiling restoration after a leak and a kitchen remodel with open shelving. For smaller repairs, see handyman in Sherman Oaks.