#Shiplap - DIY

We were looking for a way to add textural interest and farmhouse style to our new home. See? Very pretty, but a little blah.

Dining Room © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Dining Room © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Living Room © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

In magazines, model homes, and on TV we've noticed that shiplap siding is trending, and becoming more popular than its vertical cousin, beadboard.
Ron found many options for DIY shiplap on the internet and watched plenty of YouTube videos. While there are many possible ways to get the look, keep in mind that the material chosen affects the final appearance. For example, it's relatively easy and cheap to get sheets of plywood and have them ripped at the lumber yard or home improvement store, However, the wood grain isn't like old wood strips. Plywood would be a good choice if you want a contemporary look, and plan to seal (with BIN) and then paint.
We wanted knots and grain to remain visible through the paint, for that "old, rusticated" feel. And we also wanted a product that already came in narrow lengths. The best choice for us was 8' long v-groove planks that come six to a package from Lowe's. Before getting anything, and especially before cutting anything, you'll want to figure out the square footage you're going to need to cover. Yep, that middle school math really was good for something!
Once you've done your calculations, purchased your wood, construction adhesive, and nails, you'll need to mark a horizontal level line. Grab a measuring tape, large level, and pencil.

Ron measuring out from the kitchen cabinet © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

In the photos above Ron is measuring for placement of a vertical strip of molding which will serve to separate the planked section from our next big project (a brick wall backsplash in the kitchen).
Here's a photo of the molding in place.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

As it turned out, Ron had to allow for some "adjustments" since the ceiling wasn't completely level. Yep, this happens, even in a new house.
With this particular product you can work from the top down or the bottom up. Working from the bottom up made more sense due to the leveling issue in our situation. You can see our horizontal bottom level line below.
Before putting any boards up, Ron located the studs with a stud-finder and then drew level lines vertically along each one so he'd know where to nail.

Before installing each board, we painted the "tongue" just in case the planks separated a bit over time - we didn't want to see raw new wood. And we also applied a bead of construction adhesive on the back. We went through close to a dozen tubes of that stuff for this project.

Here's the first board below, note the painted tongue.

We wanted the boards to meet up in a staggered pattern so we kept an eye on where seams were falling and cut accordingly.
And there were obstacles to work around, of course...

Ideally we'd have removed all moldings and then replaced them once the planking was installed, but we decided the time involved and risk of damaging said moldings wasn't worth it. So, Ron did some fancy finagling with paper templates and various tools. In the words of Tim Gunn, he "made it work". He also had to use spacers to bring the outlet and switch electric boxes forward to be flush with the shiplapped walls. Here's what those little things look like.

Behold the completed dining room wall. The first of the two walls we planned to do.

And here's the other wall we did--the fireplace wall in the living room.

Then it was time to decide how to paint the walls...
Initially we did a thin coat of off-white, but instead of looking worn and old, it just looked unfinished. So, we painted test patches of a creamier white (looked too yellow against our other greige walls) and a blue-gray color. We went with Sherwin-Williams Lapland Ice, which we found at Lowe's. Since we didn't prime it, the knot holes will eventually bleed through and that's exactly how we want it!

Now for the After pics! Ta-daaaa....

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

That banner was for our daughter's high school graduation © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

All in all, we think the end result looks fantastic! (We're on the hunt for just the right piece of art to put over the buffet).
If you've done the shiplap thing, how did you do it?

Quince Cottage Design Mantra: Create a beautiful, comfortable home that reflects your unique style and personality. 
In our own place, patina is valued, rustic rubs shoulders with opulent (we call this "Agrarian Chic"), and you're sure to get a terrier-style welcome!