When you think of shiplap you probably envision white planked walls and the hostess of Fixer Upper. The wood planks add texture and interest to your walls plus that farmhouse style so many people are after.
In our guest bath I decided to use leftover faux shiplap boards to plank a plain wall. Why do I call it faux shiplap? Let me explain.
Shiplap boards can be purchased at Lowe’s or Home Depot and they have a tongue and groove side. Shiplap boards lock in and overlap with an intentional gap. They run about $8.99 per 8′ board for the pre-stained or painted versions.
I wouldn’t be able to do many projects at that price so I go about it a bit differently.
Choose a 4′ x 8′ sheet of 1/4 plywood and take it to the cutting area. Have them cut the board horizontally into 6″ or 8″ planks-whatever your preference is. Some Lowe’s have have started changing a small fee for the cuts- well worth it if you ask me because it fits in your vehicle now!
Sand the sides of the wood to remove splinters. Decide on your finish and it’s easier to paint or stain them now. At this point you have 8 planks for $20 vs $72 but you had to put some effort into it.
Use finishing nails (tiny nail head tip) or a nail gun (I want one for my birthday) to attach boards from the bottom up. Use a consistent spacer- a nickel, 2 pennies taped together, tile spacers- to create the gap between boards. You can trim boards the length of the space assuming it’s less than 8′ or use staggered pieces. I love it both ways!
For this room I decided to try a new-to-me product which is a Weathered Wood Accelerator. It’s soooooo amazing.
I used a foam brush to apply and love how it aged and pulled out the grain. However, I did not heed my own advice and I stained it once on the wall. This is a drippy situation and gravity is not your friend here. If you go this route start at the top because it’s going to run down. The color is amazing and I loved this accent wall in the Florida house.
No shiplap in Virginia yet but I’m sure it’s coming!
Product used is pictured below if you need a visual.
Happy shiplapping 🙂
Commissioned link Happy Shiplapping- Kristen