How to Use Shiplap in Every Room of Your Home!

Are you crazy for all things country chic, rustic farmhouse, or Joanna Gaines? Then I bet you have a crush on shiplap, too! It’s the perfect surprise to find hardwood under your carpet, but it’s a gold mine to discover shiplap behind your wallpaper!

If we’re honest, what’s not to love? Uniform lines matched with faded paint. Crisp white combined with knotty wood. Fat horizontal planks or skinny vertical ones. And Joanna Gaines uses it in practically every house she remodels. See what I mean…it’s amazing!

I know what you’re probably thinking, “But shiplap just won’t match my decor.” I’m here to bust that myth. Shiplap is more than crusty white boards in an old home. It can be modern, traditional, and any color you choose. Check out what I mean through the mock home tour below!

Let’s start at the front door. This country vintage foyer has a mix of old furniture, modern wall art, a fancy chandelier, and shiplap ceiling!

Okay, maybe Victorian isn’t your cup of tea. But this craftsman foyer with an outdoorsy chandelier might me more your taste. And the simplicity of white, horizontal shiplap is charming and inviting.

Modern homes have a place for shiplap as well! The white and black contrast is stunning, and the pale walls allow for powerful, statement pieces like a large black cabinet or popping front door.

The next stop on this homes tours is the heart of the home: the kitchen! I know that most people have very particular styles of design in this room. However, keep your personal elements because shiplap is a stunning addition. Eyes naturally focus on the cabinets and countertops, but the hint dark lines within the shiplap is perfect!

Another way to incorporate shiplap into your kitchen is the apply it on the ceiling. It doesn’t distract from your focus on cabinets and counters, but it draws the attention upward.

You can even use the natural direction of shiplap to elongate your room. Play with the angles, horizontal is classic but a pattern may really spice up your room.

Now we walk to the laundry room. Crisp paint, crisp lines, and crisp style is essential for a fresh laundry room.

Aside from the kitchen, the living room is where people naturally congregate. Focus is drawn to the fireplace, where friends gather around the warmth of the fire and design is emphasized with the upper fireplace. Shiplap is a wonderful centerpiece! This picture utilizes horizontal boards, but a family room with a vaulted ceiling would look outstanding with vertical boards instead!

Now that we’ve finished the first floor, it’s time to head upstairs. Maybe you need to spruce up your stairs. What to do? Shiplap of course! I love how the wood angles inward toward the oval window. If you don’t have a window, consider angling the boards toward a favored family painting or large piece of artwork.

Sometimes stairwells feel cramped and tight. The gaps between shiplap boards add dimension to the smallest spaces, guaranteeing that your steps will double their size (or at least feel like it)!

Perhaps your second floor has a library, office, playroom, or hallway of shelving? Boring shelves are a thing of the past. Install vertical shiplap to make your shelves seem taller. Plus, it will enhance your decorating skills, because you won’t want to stuff your shelves if you have a beautiful background!

Next we’ll visit a bedroom. Shiplap behind a headboard becomes a statement wall of the room!

The adjoining bathroom mirrors the horizontal boards, except they aren’t white. Remember how I mentioned that shiplap doesn’t have to be old or white? This is the prime example! Just one wall is covered, allowing it to be the center of attention with dramatic style.

Bedroom number 2 is for the fanatical shiplap lovers…the walls and ceiling are all covered in boards! The walls run horizontal, giving it a beachy feel. The ceiling angles in toward the light fixture, creating the feeling that you’re outside. The shiny paint makes it stylish, but neutral enough that the curtains, furniture, and bedding can pop.

Bathroom number 2 beautifully clashes rustic with classic. Barnwood surrounds the window above a country tub. But classic vanities and shiplap blend well with the traditional shape mirrors. Who knew shiplap coordinated with everything!

Make Joanna proud by popping some shiplap onto the walls (or ceilings) of your home. Feel free to branch out of the country feel now that you know shiplap matches every design style. Where have you installed shiplap in your home? Where do you plan to put it next? We’d love to hear the creative places that you’ve used shiplap in your own home!