Hello! If you remember, a few weeks ago I told you about the travel themed nursery I am helping my sister decorate for her baby boy who arrives this month! This week they installed a budget ship lap wall and I thought I would share all of the details. To refresh your memory, here’s the mood board:
please note, affiliate links are used in this post. I make a tiny percentage when you buy a product I suggest. Thank you for your support!
First of all they painted the walls a “Dancing Mist” from Lowes. My sister wanted a fresh and airy look and I think this helped calm the room down a bit.
Next, it was ship lap time! If you don’t know what ship lap is, it’s a type of wood board paneling that’s used for constructing the walls of rustic buildings like barns and seasonal homes. It technically has a groove between each row so that the wood fits together snugly and creates a seal. Ship lap can be expensive and take a lot of time to install, so we went for a ship lap inspired wall. Joanna Gaines popularized this look on her show Fixer Upper:
I used Jenna Sue’s video for instructions:
First off, measure your wall. Here’s the wall we are working with. Luckily there is only the window to go around:
Measure the length and the width.
We are going to use a 4’x8′ panel of plywood. I like the look of wide boards, so my measurements are for 8″ wide boards
The next step is to figure out how many boards your room or wall will need. I am a visual person, so I drew it out:
I drew out my wall and figured out how many boards would fit the height. Then I calculated the square feet of the wall with this free calculator. My wall is 77.3 square feet (I didn’t subtract the window to allow for mistakes when cutting the boards). Each 4’x8′ sheet of plywood is 32 square feet so I decided to get three boards which would be more than enough.
Next, go to the store. I headed to my local Lowes. I got 3/8″x4’x8′ Fir Sheathing for $14.93 each. I bought 3 sheets so the total was around $45! I personally think a focal wall can be around $100, so spending less than $50 is a great deal for the big look you’ll get.
I had the nice guy at Lowes cut the boards down to 8″. The last board on the sheet was shorter than 8″ (since you lose some of the wood when cutting). Because I knew I would need the 1/2 board for the top and I would have plenty, that was totally fine for me. You might want the boards cut just under 8″ so each board will be the same width.
Next you will want to gather the following tools:
- Nail Gun and Compressor for the Nail Gun
- Nails for Gun
- Sander
- Sanding paper
- Level
- Stud Finder
- A Miter saw to cut your wood pieces to size
- Spackle and putty knife
- Caulk and caulk gun
- Paint and paint brush
- If you have an outlet to go around, you may need a jigsaw
- If you need to rip down the last board, you may need a jigsaw or skill saw
First off, sand each board so there are no rough edges (no one wants splinters!)
Second, mark your studs so you can nail in at those spots. My sister has plaster walls so we skipped this step
Third, start nailing up your boards. Use a level to make sure they are straight. We started at the bottom of the wall
Forth, cut your boards to size and keep moving up the wall. The last board on top may need to be cut down with a jig or skill saw to fit in the gap at the top.
Fifth, spackle and putty the nail holes (unless you like a more rustic look). Use caulking on the edges.
Sixth, paint your beautiful new wall!
My brother-in-law did all of the labor (thanks Jordan) and sent me pictures of the wood all up- isn’t it looking nice?!
Isn’t it looking great?!
Check back next week for an update. We need to figure out drapes, a new rocker, a rug, and lots of pretty details.
p.s. want a free course on how to style your accessories to look amazing? Click below to get your free ecourse!