A shiplap accent wall is one of those projects that looks like it cost $2,000 and took a contractor a week. In reality, it costs $150–$350 in materials and a Saturday afternoon. We're not exaggerating — no finish carpentry experience required, just a miter saw, a nail gun, and a level.
If you've been staring at a blank wall in your Midwest home all winter, this is the weekend project to tackle. It adds warmth, texture, and a focal point that changes the feel of the whole room.
Difficulty: Beginner | Time: 4–6 hours | Cost: $150–$350
What You Need Before You Start
Material options — pick one:
Real shiplap is rabbeted pine that overlaps slightly at each joint. Beautiful, but costs more and can warp in humid conditions. For most DIYers, a better approach is 1×6 or 1×8 pine boards with a penny spacer between rows — visually identical to shiplap and much more forgiving.
Primed MDF shiplap panels (available at Home Depot and Lowe's) are the easiest option. They come pre-primed, paint beautifully, and are very flat. They're heavier and not great for moisture-prone rooms.
Our pick for a first project: 1×6 primed pine boards with penny spacers. Affordable, easy to work with, and the result is genuinely indistinguishable from real shiplap.
Materials for a 10×8 ft wall:
- 1×6 primed pine boards, 8' lengths — approximately 16 boards | View at Home Depot →
- Construction adhesive (Liquid Nails) — View on Amazon →
- Finish nails, 2" — View on Amazon →
- Wood filler, sandpaper (120 grit), primer + paint
- Pennies or nickels for spacing
Tools:
- Miter saw — View on Amazon →
- Brad or finish nailer — View on Amazon →
- Level, stud finder — View on Amazon →
- Tape measure, pencil, caulk gun
Step-by-Step Installation
Step 1: Prep the wall and find studs. Mark all stud locations with a pencil across the full wall height. Your nails need to hit studs for a secure hold. Check for outlet boxes and light switches — plan your layout from the bottom up to avoid having a cut board centered directly on an outlet.
Step 2: Establish your first row. Start at the bottom. Snap a level chalk line at the height of your first board — even if your floor isn't level, your first row will be. Apply construction adhesive to the back of the board, press to the wall, and nail through the face into each stud with 2 nails per stud. Keep nails 1" from top and bottom edges.
Step 3: Work your way up. Place pennies on top of your first board as spacers. Rest the second board on the pennies, apply adhesive, and nail it in. The pennies give you a consistent 1/16"–1/8" gap — that's the shadow line that makes shiplap look like shiplap. Continue row by row, checking level every 3–4 rows. Small deviations compound over a wall height.
Step 4: Stagger your seams. If a board doesn't reach the full wall width, start the next row with a different length piece so vertical seams don't line up. Random patterns look more natural than aligned seams.
Step 5: Cut around outlets. Measure the outlet's exact position, mark the cutout on your board, and cut with a jigsaw. Cut slightly oversize — outlet covers will hide the edges.
Step 6: Handle the last row. The top row almost never lands on a full board width. Measure the gap, rip your board to width, and install. Fill the gap between the top board and ceiling with paintable caulk — it looks intentional and eliminates the visible crack.
Finishing: Paint, Color, and Details
Fill nail holes with wood filler. Sand smooth with 120 grit, then wipe with a tack cloth. For painted shiplap: roll on primer, then 2 coats of wall paint. The gaps between boards get painted too — use a small brush or edge roller for the recessed channels.
Classic shiplap colors:
- Bright white (Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace or White Dove) — the standard, looks great year-round
- Soft greige — warms up a north-facing the Midwest room that doesn't get much natural light
- Navy or dark green — dramatic and increasingly popular for accent walls
For natural wood: skip paint and apply a clear matte polyurethane instead.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Not checking level every few rows. Small deviations accumulate fast. Check and correct early — it's easy to fix at row 4 and a pain at row 12.
Skipping construction adhesive. Nails alone work initially, but the adhesive prevents boards from bowing over time, especially near heating vents in the Midwest homes that run hard all winter.
Not caulking at the ceiling and floor. These gaps are visible from across the room and make the project look unfinished.
Using unprimed boards. Raw wood soaks up paint unevenly and requires many more coats. Start with primed boards or prime everything before painting — we learned this the hard way on our first shiplap wall.
The Bottom Line
A DIY shiplap accent wall is one of the best value-to-impact projects in any room. The materials are cheap, the skill bar is low, and the result looks custom. A weekend afternoon and $150–$350 in materials can genuinely transform how a room feels — especially in a Midwest home where you're staring at those walls for six months of winter.
Pick your wall, grab primed pine boards, and go.