There are so many amazing DIY decor techniques that you can do with a little bit of paint. Today I’m showing you how to paint faux shiplap and the results are amazing! I use a some paint, tape, and a level to recreate the look of authentic shiplap and it’s easy to do! 

Shiplap is so popular and I’ve always wanted it in my home. Putting up the actual boards is a lot of work though and hard to reverse if you get tired of it. With this method I am just using paint so it’s easy to do and easy to get rid of! If you have been following me for awhile you know that I love to try new methods to redecorate my home. I also love to teach others how to replicate them. Today I’m showing you how to paint faux shiplap onto any surface. I use this technique to update my kitchen island but you could also do this on your walls or ceilings. The method is the same, the measurements would just be a little different. I can’t wait for you to see how this project turned out!

How to Paint Faux Shiplap

As I said, I painted our kitchen island with this shiplap method but you could do any area you like. There are a few things that you’ll need to do before getting started though. First, remove any outlet covers that are in the area you want to paint. Next, tape off the area to be painted. My island is drywall and there were a couple of spots that needed some light repair. If you are doing a wall you may run into this too. This is the perfect time to fix up any bad spots. When the repaired areas are dry just sand and prime them before continuing on.

Supply List

• Painter’s tape
• Level
• Chip brush
• Pencil
• Sherwin-Williams Promar 200 Low gloss Paint in Pure White
• Dark charcoal color paint

Faux Shiplap Instructions

• Once I had my drywall looking perfect again I started by painting the walls of the whole island Pure White. I used Sherwin-Williams Promar 200 Low gloss Paint which is a little less shiny than eggshell finish. Pure white is a Sherwin-Williams color that has the least amount of tint in it. It’s perfect for shiplap!

• I began by using my level and a pencil to mark off 6 inch spaces vertically from the top to the bottom. On a wall I would start at the top and work my way down. In this instance I started at the bottom and worked my way up because I thought a partial board would be more hidden by the countertop. When measuring the height for my boards I went 6 inches but you could use any height you want. You could measure your wall and divide so that your boards come out evenly. Each board may be  6 3/4 inches high and there’s nothing wrong with that! I’ve seen 6 inch and 8 inch boards that both look great. The most important thing is to have your board height even. So just adjust the height measurement to achieve the look you are after.
• Next I used my level and pencil to mark a line every 6 inches all the way around the walls. Then I connected my marks, using my level to keep my lines straight.

• Next I used painters masking tape and taped a little above the pencil line and a little below the pencil line. You want to see the pencil line and you don’t want your tape line to be perfectly straight. Remember you are mimicking wood boards that would not be cut evenly so, honestly, a little thicker and thinner with the taping lines turns out looking the best. Be sure to rub the tape on really well at the gap to help prevent your paint from bleeding under the tape.

• Now it’s time to paint the dark charcoal color between your tape, along your pencil line. I used an old disposable chip brush but you can use any brush you like. They gray that I used was a Country Chic chalk based paint color called Cobblestone. I chose this one because I had it on hand but any dark gray would be fine. I would just avoid black because it is too harsh. You want the blend to look more natural. I only needed one coat for my island but, depending on the paint you use, you may need a second coat.

 

• I waited until the paint was almost dry and then I began pulling all of the tape off. Once it is completely dry you can touch up any bleeds from the gray going under the tape. I didn’t have any bleeds so hopefully pushing the tape down really well will give you the same results.

 

• Finally, replace your electrical outlet covers and you are finished! There is no need to seal this project. The finished product looks and feels like shiplap!  You can actually feel the bump where the tape layer line is.

The “boards” in my project were shorter than the length of a natural board so I did not do any vertical lines. If you’re doing this on a wall you may want to do some vertical lines because a real board would not run 12 or 14 feet long without interruption. I have also used this method on a few walls in my house. If you want to see how I did that project you can watch the video below for even more tips on how to paint faux shiplap. This was a pretty simple project and I had so much fun doing it, I hope you enjoy it too!

 

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