How to Get Fixer Upper Style With Shiplap

Updated on 10/12/2016 at 10:15 AM

Syd and Shea McGee of Studio McGee are here with an inspired guide to help you achieve the ideal shiplap look for your home.

Shiplap! I just love it and I bet you do too. It is a clean and timeless look that works in a wide variety of styles. Historically, shiplap was formed by boards (made from inexpensive materials like pine) with a grooved, interlocking "rabbet" edge used on informal buildings like barns, cabins and cottages.

Over the years it has taken a more decorative meaning and we are seeing it pop up all over the place! It adds great visual interest to a room without having the same formal appearance as other wall treatment options. We most often paint ours white, but have several projects in the works where we have painted it very dark or stained it in a mountain home.

Here are a few examples of it used in some of our recent projects. You can see that it can be applied just about anywhere — fireplaces, mudrooms, dining nooks, bathrooms, etc.

Although there are lots of variations (and DIY tutorials out there) on how to do shiplap, we've compiled a guide for you here to answer your most commonly asked questions! We always have a finish carpenter install and a painter spray it, but this guide outlines sizing, materials, spacing and order of application.