Shiplap is Back: Here’s How to Update This Modern Farmhouse Staple

Shiplap is back in style as people lean into home trends full of charm, nostalgia, and coziness, but this year’s shiplap is decidedly different from the stark trend of the modern farmhouse era.

Shiplap had a good run for quite a few years, starting in the mid-2010s, as the modern farmhouse look was dominating home decor trends across the board. And then, suddenly, somewhere around 2021, it was declared over. The stark, high-contrast modern farmhouse aesthetic was considered overdone, and we were ready for more softness in our interiors. While that desire for softness and romance has continued, design experts have started to look at shiplap again, but in a whole new way. Shiplap brings subtle pattern, interest, and movement to a space, and if you look at historical homes, you’ll see that shiplap is really a timeless millwork detail for walls and ceilings. While previously there may have been one “right way” to do shiplap, it’s now being updated and reinvented in imaginative new ways that bring so much personality to a space where plain drywall just won’t do. If you still have shiplap in your home, or if you’d like to add some to take advantage of this affordable decorating solution, here are some ways to update the look.

What is Shiplap?

Shiplap is a paneled wall covering reminiscent of what you would find cladding the walls in old houses and historical buildings. It’s typically installed horizontally as a veneer over drywall in modern applications, often using tongue-and-groove pine lumber, but can also be made up of simple plywood plank pieces attached to the wall with a basic brad nailer. It’s also common to find primed MDF boards for shiplap in local hardware and lumber stores. Adding shiplap to your remodel project requires very basic carpentry skills and has been a popular DIY home-improvement project over the last decade.

Romanticize Your Shiplap

Pictured Above: Rug | Cubby Baskets | Top Baskets | French Market Basket | Boat and Tote Bags | Sunhat | Aged Brass Doorknob

While what we think of as farmhouse decor might be a bit harsh and cold, the new country-style aesthetics gaining popularity are romantic, soft, and full of whimsy. From French cottage style with toiles, market baskets, and antiques in various wood tones, to the fisherman aesthetic that made waves this spring, rustic shiplap is popping up and providing the perfect backdrop. Paint your shiplap a warm white and style it with dried florals, vintage wicker, and transferware plates to bring charm and romance to your existing shiplapped rooms.

See more from this shiplapped space: Little Updates in Our Back Hall Mudroom

Install Shiplap Vertically for an Instant Update

Shiplap of the past was typically installed in a horizontal pattern, but now designers are using it in a vertical application for a fresh, new look. This helps to draw the eye up and give a space the appearance of more height and has the feel of a more traditional take on the ever-popular MCM slat walls of the past few years. If you happen to live in a house with old wall paneling, the kind that was installed in basements in the 1970s, you’re in luck. Simply paint your wall paneling for the look of vertical shiplap instantly.

The easiest decorative upgrade for your home: Using Printable Art for an Instant Update

Try Dark, Moody Colors

White isn’t the only right color for shiplap these days, and while it will always be a classic, trying a new paint color makes this old favorite feel fresh and new. A dark, moody green, dusky blue-grey, or saturated maroon color are all great on-trend options if you’re ready to paint out your shiplap in a deeper hue. Another unexpected option is to install shiplap in a wood tone, reminiscent of what you would find if you opened up the walls of a rustic old farmhouse. Stain the wood a dark tone for a cozy, stately look, or leave it pale and unfinished for a bright, Scandinavian-inspired style. You may even want to look into using more weathered finishes like stained, reclaimed barn wood for your shiplap walls.

More decorative wall treatments for your home makeover: Inexpensive DIY Board and Batten Walls

Skinnylap Is Shiplap’s Understated Cousin

Pictured Above: Rug | Coffee Table | Bookshelf Lights | White Velvet Curtains | Windowpane Plaid Pillow | Black Floral Pillow

For a smaller-scale striped pattern, consider installing skinnylap instead of the usual shiplap. Skinnylap is made using thinner strips of wood and has the effect of a subtle texture and pattern that becomes less pronounced the farther away from it that you stand, similar to the effect of a small-scale wallpaper design. We used skinnylap for a simple fireplace surround that wasn’t too loud, allowing the built-in bookshelves in our living room to steal the show without being overly plain or boring.

More inspiration to help you decorate your home: Six Ways to Steal My Traditional Farmhouse Style

Pair it With More Decorative Millwork

Shiplap of past years was often used with very simple trim around it, including baseboards, door casings, chair rails, and other moulding details. To update the look and make it more elegant, pair shiplap with more ornate, curved moldings in a traditional style, and don’t be afraid to add extra details like corbels, posts, and plinth block molding as well. Rather than just doing floor to ceiling shiplap, consider adding horizontal shiplap to the bottom or top half of a wall, and finish the other half with vertical board and batten-style millwork or wainscoting.

Do you still love shiplap in all its various forms? Would you add it to your home now, or leave this trend in the past?