A New Coat Of Paint Might Be The Secret To Fix Your Outdated Shiplap

Do you have a shiplap wall at home that's starting to feel a bit dated? This once Joanna Gaines-favored accent wall trend seems to be quickly fizzling out of fashion, leaving homeowners with limited options to tackle their now outdated design feature. Although you could remove the wall entirely, there is one solution that might save your shiplap and reintegrate it into a new and improved interior. With a simple coat of paint, you can breathe new life into your shiplap accent walls, providing a necessary refresh and giving way to more modern interior design trends.

The problem with shiplap isn't the material itself, but rather the design baggage that's associated with it, specifically when it's painted white. Shiplap tends to fall into two interior design trends, either modern farmhouse or cozy coastal. Although these design choices offer an excellent way to unify your decorative style, they tend to be fairly limiting. The rustic elements that are brought on by shiplap make it difficult to diverge from either of these trends, limiting your ability to customize or modernize your space. But if you think about shiplap as merely horizontal wall panelling, it becomes much easier to integrate into a more modern interior aesthetic. That's where the right paint color comes in, transforming your rustic shiplap walls into a modern design element.

Most homeowners think of shiplap as either white or cream colored, cementing it as a staple of the modern farmhouse and coastal aesthetics. If you're trying to branch off from these dated design trends, the best place to start is with darker, earthier paint colors, which infuse the space with a modern feel. Think deep greens, charcoals, and inky blues to give your shiplap a moody, sophisticated quality. If your space airs on the softer side, warmer neutral colors can help blend shiplap into your surrounding decor without drawing too much attention to the walls. With the right paint finish, these colors can transform your shiplap wall into an intentional element rather than a relic from the past.

When choosing the right color to paint your shiplap, be sure to also pick a shade that will accent existing design features. Shiplap walls pair exceptionally well with other natural elements within a space, specifically brick, marble, and stone. Depending on the location of the wall, you can use it to further highlight these features using paint, whether it's a dusty olive green, or a muted navy blue. If your goal is to curate a cozy living room or kitchen, you may want to opt for darker colors that help offset the expansiveness of the space.

There are many ways to paint shiplap, but you'll get the perfect finish using a paint spray gun, especially if you're tackling an entire room or a larger feature wall. Shiplap's signature grooves make even coverage a bit tricky, particularly in the gaps between the boards and on the edges of your accent wall. A spray gun, on the other hand, offers quick, even coverage on your boards without much hassle. Before you start spraying, you'll want to prepare the surface by cleaning it thoroughly, filling any holes or dents and giving it a light sand. You'll also want to cover the entire room with drop cloths or plastic to avoid any annoying overspray on your precious furniture or adjacent walls. Start by painting on a generous layer of primer, followed by two coats of your chosen paint color once it dries. Hold the nozzle between 10 to 12 inches away from your designated surface and use even, overlapping strokes to achieve a polished final result.

If you don't have access to a spray gun, you can still paint your shiplap walls — but it may take more time. Start by using a regular brush to paint between the grooves of the shiplap, followed by even strokes with a paint roller. It's best to take this step a few boards at a time to avoid uneven drying, which can leave unsightly brush strokes along the wall. Repeat this process along the full length of the wall, starting with primer and finishing with two coats of your chosen color. Allow it to dry completely before accessorizing the newly painted shiplap wall.