Everything You Need to Know About Shiplap Panelling
Read how a common exterior siding became so popular for interior panelling in traditional and contemporary homes
Matt Clawson
14 December 2019
Shiplap is sort of rustic, sort of raw and sort of looks like it should be installed outside rather than in. So it makes perfect sense, at a time when sliding barn doors are all the rage, that shiplap is a hot choice for cladding interior walls and ceilings. But what exactly is shiplap, how can you spot it and where can you use it at home?
What is shiplap?
A shiplap board is milled with a halved groove called a rabbet, so the edges connect snugly together, one on top of the other, leaving a distinctive reveal line between boards.
It installs in a slightly different manner than tongue and groove panelling, where the tongue of one board sets inside the channel of the adjacent board. Tongue and groove panelling can provide a tighter seal, and a less-visible reveal, between boards.
A shiplap board is milled with a halved groove called a rabbet, so the edges connect snugly together, one on top of the other, leaving a distinctive reveal line between boards.
It installs in a slightly different manner than tongue and groove panelling, where the tongue of one board sets inside the channel of the adjacent board. Tongue and groove panelling can provide a tighter seal, and a less-visible reveal, between boards.
Is it modern, industrial or traditional?
Answer: all of the above. Shiplap timber siding can be painted or stained and set horizontally (most common) or vertically. It adds a distinctive, textured element that can complement a variety of design styles.
It is less labor intensive than more refined interior flat panels and can offer a handsome combination of warmth and durability to your living environment and other rooms in the home.
Answer: all of the above. Shiplap timber siding can be painted or stained and set horizontally (most common) or vertically. It adds a distinctive, textured element that can complement a variety of design styles.
It is less labor intensive than more refined interior flat panels and can offer a handsome combination of warmth and durability to your living environment and other rooms in the home.
Shiplap outside and in
There was a time when it was cheaper to finish interior walls in shiplap timber boards than plaster. There are plenty of examples where carpenters have discovered old shiplap material during renovations and demolitions, with plasterboard or even wallpaper covering original shiplap in old structures.
Shiplap was also used as an exterior-siding material, and over time this became its predominant application.
Craving a touch of texture? Find an interior designer near you on Houzz to introduce panelling into your interior
There was a time when it was cheaper to finish interior walls in shiplap timber boards than plaster. There are plenty of examples where carpenters have discovered old shiplap material during renovations and demolitions, with plasterboard or even wallpaper covering original shiplap in old structures.
Shiplap was also used as an exterior-siding material, and over time this became its predominant application.
Craving a touch of texture? Find an interior designer near you on Houzz to introduce panelling into your interior
Interior wall panelling
Though timber shiplap is rarely used in lieu of plasterboard anymore (it is installed over plasterboard in most cases), the relative ease of installation and the warm, textured look have made shiplap a popular choice among discerning designers.
Best of the Week: 25 Shiplap Walls to Inspire
Though timber shiplap is rarely used in lieu of plasterboard anymore (it is installed over plasterboard in most cases), the relative ease of installation and the warm, textured look have made shiplap a popular choice among discerning designers.
Best of the Week: 25 Shiplap Walls to Inspire
Painted shiplap
Timber shiplap can be rough-hewn but it is usually smooth and accommodates various paint colours and sheens. Many of the examples you will find show the material painted white, fitting contemporary and coastal sensibilities, while also accommodating the popular cottage-white look. However, shiplap can also be used in modern and contemporary homes to great effect.
Expert Eye: How to Integrate Timber Panelling Into Your Kitchen
Timber shiplap can be rough-hewn but it is usually smooth and accommodates various paint colours and sheens. Many of the examples you will find show the material painted white, fitting contemporary and coastal sensibilities, while also accommodating the popular cottage-white look. However, shiplap can also be used in modern and contemporary homes to great effect.
Expert Eye: How to Integrate Timber Panelling Into Your Kitchen
Just add colour
The painted example seen here is a departure from the common white, bringing a fresh, new colour to the mix for a comforting, country effect.
The painted example seen here is a departure from the common white, bringing a fresh, new colour to the mix for a comforting, country effect.
Stained-timber shiplap
Shiplap is commonly pine or cedar, but it can be found in many other types of timber as well – something to consider if you are staining your material instead of painting it.
Stained shiplap offers a more earthy, natural feel, and it can be stained in dark, rich tones or a lighter shade, like the example here.
You also can find reclaimed shiplap material and distressed options, giving your project an instantly authentic, aged or industrial appearance.
Shiplap is commonly pine or cedar, but it can be found in many other types of timber as well – something to consider if you are staining your material instead of painting it.
Stained shiplap offers a more earthy, natural feel, and it can be stained in dark, rich tones or a lighter shade, like the example here.
You also can find reclaimed shiplap material and distressed options, giving your project an instantly authentic, aged or industrial appearance.
Ceilings
Like beadboard panelling, shiplap material can add some style to bare ceilings, complementing other textures and features in your home.
Like beadboard panelling, shiplap material can add some style to bare ceilings, complementing other textures and features in your home.
How to fake shiplap
We won’t tell. There are various ways to fake the shiplap look. One method is to install non-shiplapped timber boards with 2-millimetre tile spacers, giving the illusion of shiplap reveals between the boards.
There are MDF panels, concrete boards and tile products that can be installed in a manner that replicates the look of timber shiplap. And, if you fancy combining this look with wallpaper, there are even designs stamped in shiplap motifs.
We won’t tell. There are various ways to fake the shiplap look. One method is to install non-shiplapped timber boards with 2-millimetre tile spacers, giving the illusion of shiplap reveals between the boards.
There are MDF panels, concrete boards and tile products that can be installed in a manner that replicates the look of timber shiplap. And, if you fancy combining this look with wallpaper, there are even designs stamped in shiplap motifs.
Can I install shiplap myself?
Installing shiplap requires some carpentry skills, so it’s always best to hire a professional to do the job for you to ensure an expert finish. Depending on the specifics of your job and chosen material type, installing shiplap siding is usually a quick and easy project for a professional carpenter.
Tip: Shiplap panelling can either be integrated into your design from the get-go or retrofitted.
Installing shiplap requires some carpentry skills, so it’s always best to hire a professional to do the job for you to ensure an expert finish. Depending on the specifics of your job and chosen material type, installing shiplap siding is usually a quick and easy project for a professional carpenter.
Tip: Shiplap panelling can either be integrated into your design from the get-go or retrofitted.
Country charm
Shiplap fits the casual, country charm many consumers are gravitating towards today. In the image here, the barn door itself is constructed in shiplap material, proving walls and ceilings aren’t the only applications.
Shiplap fits the casual, country charm many consumers are gravitating towards today. In the image here, the barn door itself is constructed in shiplap material, proving walls and ceilings aren’t the only applications.
Modern aesthetic
But shiplap goes just as well with more modern aesthetics too, and in the kitchen here, natural-stained shiplap material gives the island and range hood surround above the stovetop a bold and unifying swathe of texture.
But shiplap goes just as well with more modern aesthetics too, and in the kitchen here, natural-stained shiplap material gives the island and range hood surround above the stovetop a bold and unifying swathe of texture.
Vertical shiplap installation
This modern home has traditional shiplap siding installed vertically. It is a less-typical installation method, which fits the bold style of the home’s exterior.
This modern home has traditional shiplap siding installed vertically. It is a less-typical installation method, which fits the bold style of the home’s exterior.
Shiplap is nothing new and is not cutting edge, yet when it comes to interior panelling, shiplap today is one of the hottest things going on. Add it to one wall for a nice focal point, or change the entire look of your home and install it everywhere.
You can fake it or you can go old-school and use shiplap as exterior siding… because sometimes the hottest new thing has been around forever.
Your turn
Do you have shiplap panelling in your home? Tell us what you love about it in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for installation, and join the conversation.
More
Curious about other popular exterior styles? Read up on 8 Ever-Popular Exterior Looks… and How to Create Them
You can fake it or you can go old-school and use shiplap as exterior siding… because sometimes the hottest new thing has been around forever.
Your turn
Do you have shiplap panelling in your home? Tell us what you love about it in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for installation, and join the conversation.
More
Curious about other popular exterior styles? Read up on 8 Ever-Popular Exterior Looks… and How to Create Them
Related Stories
Renovation Guides
Room by Room: Experts on Ways to Avoid Common Renovation Blunders
From the kitchen to the garden, and all areas in between, experts identify common mistakes and share priceless insights
Full Story
Most Popular
How to Control the Cost of Your Renovation, Room by Room
Where to save, where to spend (and all the tricks in between) for keeping the cost of your renovation on track
Full Story
Before & After
Before & After: Once Hidden, a Victorian Home's Beauty Unmasked
Peeling back the layers of a series of modernisations and then adding a sympathetic new extension revitalised this home
Full Story
Project Of The Week
An Inspired Solution for a Dark & Disjointed Californian Bungalow
See how an architect opened up a light-starved, closed-in Melbourne home, and connected it with the neighbouring park
Full Story
Most Popular
Removing a Wall? What to Consider Before You Get Started
Thinking about getting rid of a wall at home to create more open space? Here's what you need to consider first
Full Story
Interior Design
What's Next in Homes? 4 Design Experts Reveal
Do you know which colours, shapes and styles we'll be coveting in the year ahead? Four design pros give the inside scoop
Full Story
Most Popular
Uh-Oh, You Bought a Cave: 7 Ways to Lighten Up a Dark Home
How one homeowner used windows, doors, mirrors and skylights to bring light into her dark, dark home
Full Story
Storage
Renovation Insight: How to Choose & Work With a Cabinet Maker
Custom joinery allows you to tailor a space to suit your needs – here's how to choose the right firm for the job
Full Story
Kitchens
Before & After: A Scandi-Style Kitchen in NZ That's Light & Airy
See this sweet, bright kitchen and dining space in Wellington, which had environmental concerns at the heart of its plan
Full Story
Projects Born on Houzz
Rural Houzz: A Reader's Forever Home, Inspired by Houzz
When designing a home on a challenging site for ageing-in-place, this reader turned to Houzz for inspiration and advice
Full Story
Can you put shiplap or similar products over popcorn ceilings without having to scrape them first? I’d like to cover over a vaulted popcorn ceiling in my 1980’s contemporary house.
Ellen, I put this up in my living room over popcorn in ‘77 or ‘78. No problems. I installed by myself, so used tongue-&-groove so the next plank could be partially supported by one already installed. I used rough finish to cut down on echo. It’s a vaulted ceiling in 14’6” x 16’6” room.
We installed pine boards internally some years ago and while they suited the home my biggest issue with them was the bleed through of the tannin? in the knots leaving marks on the paintwork. This was despite a high quality undercoat and topcoat (I am surface coatings trained so I understand paints). If you are planning to paint pine boards I advise you to get some advice on how to seal the knots first.