Let’s talk shiplap! What is all the craze about it, anyway? Before we found and remodeled our home, I had one major requirement- SHIPLAP! Yep, you heard me right. My husband said he was hearing the word “shiplap” so much he began to dream about it. I do admit, I may have said it way too many times in a day. Why was I so obsessed with it?

Shiplap was originally used on ships. Its overlapping joints give it a tight seal to keep the weather and water out. This overlap also creates a gap between the wood that so many of us love to see today. We all swoon at the character it brings to our home today, but in times past it was meant to be hidden and not seen at all. Before drywall or even plywood, builders would use shiplap as a wall base. Then they would fill in the gap by covering the wall with muslin or cheesecloth before adding wallpaper. Can you imagine that? Shiplap not wanting to be seen?!

Fast forward to the days of Fixer Upper and the exposing of shiplap once again. Its what most every old home remodeler hopes to find hiding behind years of renovations. And if its not there? We add it! Thankfully, there are very cheap ways of getting the same look. In our historic home remodel, we used sheets of plywood cut into 6 inch strips to get the look of shiplap. We used a large yard ruler in between each strip to give it the gap that is so attractive to the eye. This literally saved us thousands of dollars!

So, why do I love it so much? I love the character it instantly brings to any space! It can cause the walls to speak instead of just exist. It brings texture and coziness without having to work so hard at it. If installed horizontally, it causes the room to appear much larger and carries your eye around the whole room. If installed vertically, it emphasizes the height of the room, also making it feel larger. I also love that it can go with more than just the farmhouse style. Because of its clean lines, it can go great with the modern look and contemporary style as well. Shiplap, faux or real, will instantly transform any space you add it in. Whether its one accent wall or the entire room, it will immediately bring added interest to your space.