You’ve Heard of Shiplap, but What Is It?

Here at Mid-Cape Home Centers, our design and millwork teams have recently been receiving many requests for this rising interior design trend: shiplap. Shiplap’s aesthetic and feel seem to go hand-in-hand with what many homeowners on Cape Cod intend for the layout of their homes. Cape Cod’s rich history and beautiful nature call for home designs that reflect these qualities, and shiplap’s rustic, old-fashioned look appears to do just that. “Okay,” you say, “but what is it?”

Shiplap has recently become a prominent trend in the mainstream home improvement and remodeling industry, seen on television shows such as Fixer Upper. It is simply a particular variety of wood made into boards. These boards are intentionally cut and manufactured so each one easily fits into the next, similar to puzzle pieces. There are several varieties of wood used to make these boards, also available in many dimensions. Shiplap can be purposed in many ways. Lately, homeowners have been stacking them on top of one another to use as accent walls, for instance. This is portrayed in the picture below.

Although white is the most popular use of color for this product, it can be painted any color. Much of this product’s popularity stems from the latest home design trend of creating a “rustic” feel in a home or room. The use of shiplap has been transformed from solely being placed on the exterior of sheds and barns, to now decorating interior living spaces.

Do you want to pursue this unique trend, but you don’t know where to begin or how to incorporate it? Scroll through the photos below for inspiration.

Shiplap can also be installed either vertically or horizontally, depending on the intentions of the designer or homeowner. Installing shiplap vertically will generally give a room, or wall, a tall appearance, whereas a horizontal installation creates the illusion of a more wide, open, and spacious room.

If you are interested in adding shiplap to your home, it’s up to you how you would like to put it to use. You are the homeowner and designer, and we would like to be here for you every step of the way to ensure that you receive quality product and achieve the design you’ve envisioned. Mid-Cape has knowledgeable teams of designers and millwork professionals who are here for you. Click here to visit our Custom Millwork page where you will be able to access many resources, see what materials we supply for any project, as well as contact us with any requests or questions you may have.