Hi all!! Thanks for following our DIY adventures and reading our blog. We got a winter storm advisory here in Virginia so we decided to get snowed in together (4 adults and 4 kids 😝) So we did this project in the midst of all the little ones running around.

The entryway was always something we knew eventually we would want to do something to. We settled on shiplap, we are all about it these days. We thought it would be a nice way to spruce it up and we love the trend! We had a rustic hook shelf there for hooks so decided to build around it. Here is a before picture:

Supplies

• Ryobi Airstrike
• White Paintable Caulk
• Caulking Gun
• Wood Filler
• Sanding sponge
• 4 inch paint brush roller
• Paint Brush
• Paint Tray
• Frog Tape
• Putty Knife Scraper
• Large level

Step 1: Measurements & Cuts

Measure the height and width of your wall to determine how many pieces of shiplap will be required. We wanted the shiplap to go just above the existing hooks which came out to be 6ft. The width of the wall is 39 3/4 inches. Shiplap pieces come in all different lengths and widths so when you get to the store you have to take that into account. The width of the shiplap we bought was 6 inch shiplap but 2 inches of it is the tongue and groove so it’s technically 4 inches. Since 6ft equals 72inches, we divided it by 4 (width of the shiplap) to see we needed 16 pieces of shiplap cut to 39 3/4 to cover the 6ft section of the wall. We wanted the top to look more finished so we got two 1×4’s to create a shelf. We got it cut at the same width as the shiplap.

Step 2: Secure the Boards

Next, nail your shiplap pieces to the wall with a nail gun. You will start at the bottom and work your way up. You want the groove to be at the bottom, like seen here:

Use your level to lay on top of the board to make sure it’s straight. Once you do this, you are ready to nail it down. Initially, you only want to nail down along the bottom of the piece so that you can slide in the next piece (if it’s too snug at the top, it’s harder to slide it in in). Once the next piece was in, we nailed down at the top and bottom about every 5 inches. Later we will go in and fill the nail holes so don’t worry about how it looks, you want to do enough to secure the board. When you get the second piece, you will see how it slides right behind the first. You want to make sure you push it down so it lays flat into the groove. Repeat the nailing and sliding pieces into each other until you get to the top.

Step 3: Caulk & Fill Holes

Once all your Boards are secured, you want to fill the holes with spackle. We got the kind that starts out purple and turns white when dry so it’s easy to tell when it’s ready to be sanded. With a putty knife fill in the holes and smooth them over. For the caulking, it’s easiest to use a caulking gun to apply along the edge of the shiplap closest to the wall. You just want to fill in the crease and smooth it out. We use a wet paper towel to wipe any excess caulking once it’s smoothed out. This gives it a more finished look but isn’t necessary. Check out this picture to see how we did it:

Step 4: Sanding & Painting

Once the putty is dry it will turn white. You want to use the putty knife and lightly sand over all the spots where you filled in holes until it’s smooth.

Step 5: Shelf

We decided to add a shelf to finish off the wall. The shelf was really easy to do since it’s just two 1×4 boards. We took one of the 1×4’s and it laid it flush against the wall like the picture below. Then we took our nail gun and nailed it into the wall.

And that’s a wrap! Here’s the after picture!!

This post contains affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, we will make a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Thanks for the support!