As someone who has painted the walls of nearly every apartment I’ve lived in as an adult, let me say that painting is bad. I’ve learned tricks over the years to get the job done faster (I even have a set of paint tools!), but it’s a long, tedious process that can absorb more time than you expect.

Last year I had the privilege of becoming a homeowner, and naturally the Great Algorithm took notice and started pushing all kinds of home improvement projects, products, and services to my Instagram. (Did you know you can get a replacement roof for free? Yes, it sounds too good to be true.) One caught my eye, though—Wood Veneer Hub. I see ad after ad clattering into my feed featuring home setups with a beautiful wood slat accent wall. This is exactly my kind of aesthetic.

The company promises easy installation—a room makeover that doesn’t take a hard day of painting, and it more than delivers. As WIRED’s resident home office product tester, I decided to put these panels to the test my office. I’ve done it standing desks, office chairs, webcamsdesk lamps, and even filing cabinets, but I’ve never tried something that would change the look of my space.

Easy Installation

Wood Veneer Hub’s Slatpanels, as they are called, consist of medium-density fiberboard strips attached to recycled felt material with sound-dampening properties. Each box has two Slatpanels with about nine slats per panel—you’ll need to measure your walls (or ceiling!) to find the size you need. You can choose between a No Finish or an Oiled Finish option, and I recommend the latter—it costs a little more but saves you the trouble of applying a finish and protecting the wood.

I decided to try it on a wall in my home office, as an accent wall. It took about 13 Slatpanels (I was sent seven boxes, which meant I was left with a spare Slatpanel), and I screwed them into the studs. You can install it on top of your baseboard, but I decided it looked better without my baseboard, so I took it off. There is a small gap between the panels and my floor but it is not very noticeable. It also meant I didn’t have to cut out the panels (except for the outlets and light switches).

That’s the hard part—cutting the holes. I had to cut some holes for the outlets, light switch, and my light. If you have an electric saw, you’re in a better place than I am. I have a simple handsaw and no workbench, so it’s hard to get straight lines while cutting the pieces. I use my Milwaukee Fastback knife to cut first from the felt side, and it does a surprisingly good job. Be smarter than me and use a long level or ruler and tape it to the panels to straighten the lines. Fortunately, you have to look closely to know how hard my holes are, or at least that’s what I keep telling myself.