There’s one bathroom at Storybook Cottage that I haven’t shared with you. But the time has now come as I am beginning to look at ways to update it and Shiplap In The Bathroom may be the answer.
Shiplap In The Bathroom
You may be wondering why I am considering shiplap.
In both the master and guest bathrooms the original builder of Storybook Cottage applied wallpaper directly to sheetrock.
For the love of design, if you are building a home, please do not select this option.
Opt to finish the walls in a smooth coat (aka skim coat) finish/surface and then apply wallpaper.
Because eventually you, or another individual who owns the home in the future, will want to remove the wallpaper.
This may be because you decide that beige, burgundy and green grapevine wallpaper doesn’t equate with the words “soothing master bath retreat”.
It is virtually impossible to remove wallpaper when it is applied directly to sheetrock. You will damage the sheetrock.
Ask me how I know.
There are some of you thinking “Aren’t there any other options for this predicament?”
Yes, you can apply another layer of wallpaper over the old. It doesn’t solve the issue, it merely camouflages it and delays the inevitable. Because of the high humidity in bathrooms, the new paper may start to bubble and separate in a few years time. Given that wallpaper and the professional installation of it can be quite expensive this is not the best option.
Can you paint over it?
Yes, I actually did this in the guest bathroom and it’s a good temporary solution.
However, in our master bath, because there are two separate layers of paper once painted, the seam where the second wallpaper trim was applied would be quite visible.
So, I am looking at other options.
Shiplap can be used for both informal….
… and more formal bathroom settings.
It can be painted…
…any color your heart desires.
It also provides a great base for other faux finishes.
Our Dated Bathroom
There are numerous tutorials on how to install it and it seems to be a budget-friendly option.
I think I may try it out on one straight wall in the guest bath first because it needs help ASAP.
So I would like to remove the cabinet and the oversized mirror.
Then apply shiplap and install two separate mirrors.
Like this:
…or this.
There is one person living in Storybook Cottage that I need to talk into helping me do the work. He had no idea what shiplap was when I broached the subject. But he is a faithful reader of this blog.
So feel free to leave a comment and help talk Mr. Decor into ridding our bathrooms of past their prime elements.
Or tell me, “How do you get your partner on board with your design schemes?”
Laura
Laura, dear,
I have my ways of doing this– and they're highly successful– yet they need not be spelled out on someone's blog. My good husband agrees that I am highly successful, indeed. A great quote I read recently said it like so: “Success occurs when opportunity meets preparation.” *wink*
*hugs* to the Gunns! Gunnabe gorgeous!
~Kelley
Who do you think of when the word “shiplap' is mentioned? Chip and Jo of course. Getting my DH to watch them has been a great help to me in getting him to consent to my 'high design' schemes. He thinks Chip is funny – so that helps. Perhaps you could start with their 'clip' shows which could also be categorized at Chip's greatest moments?
If he's still resistant, perhaps Mr G would find beadboard or board and batten more acceptable?
After tearing off three layers of wallpaper in my bathroom along with chunks of drywall, my son installed 1/4″ drywall sheets over the existing drywall. I didn't even know it came in sheets size except 5/8″. But this worked great for me. Now I can paint to my hearts content!
I love the idea of shiplap on a feature wall, but sheetrock on the rest. The 1/4 inch is so easy to install and would allow you to do anything you want. I am sure you will talk Eric into doing anything you want, he knows what a fabulous designer you are.
Laura, you have given me a brilliant idea! Shiplap in the bathroom at the lake. I never thought of it before but it is such a tiny room. I do mean TINY! I was going to repaint this summer but I like the beachy look of that. I'll have to check out the tutorials, see if I can pull it off myself. Might be tricky around windows and such but worth a consideration. I think it will look fabulous when all is finished!
Love, love, love the use of shiplap in your bathroom! I have no doubt Mr Decor is going to love it too.
LOVE it! It will look great in there!
Ugh, every scrap of wallpaper at the city house was applied directly to the wallboard. What a mess. Yes! Do shiplap or something of the sort to cover over yours. It would be so much easier and less stressful than trying to get the wallpaper off. I'm fortunate my husband is pretty willing to go along with my ideas but sometimes I have to show him lots of pictures and give it time. Good luck!
A great collection of inspiring designs. My husband is reluctant to use wood in the bathroom too, but I love the look and hope to replace the botched plasterwork in France (which was NOT done by a Frenchman) with wooden boards. I'm not sure who will win the war of the walls in our household, but I'm hoping that some of these images will sway the outcome in my direction. Amicalement.
Laura,
I think the shiplap is trendy and will scream 2017 in ten years. I would go with new drywall over the existing wall or use beadboard which is a tried and true classic all though it is not really master suite. I know that what ever you do it will be first class and lovely. I remember when my father put up knotty pine in our summer cottage in the 1960s. Antiquing kits first came out on the market then. Instead of using amber shellac on the knotty pine which is a classic in the Northwoods where the cabin is located, my mom used an antiquing kit which was like a pale, minty green wash over the pine. It wasn't long before that finish was “out” but she kept the walls like that for 40 years as there was then no way out of it.
How do I get a man to do what I want? Start the project myself and tell them I need help finishing it, usually 😉
I think it'll look great!
Happy belated Birthday to the fashionista! And I'm so glad you survived the tornado. I know you must have been scared to death.
hugs to you, my dear friend,
rue
I love every single one of those examples!! I had never really thought about shiplap in a bathroom but I am now! For me, I don't have a partner to convince, but when I was married, I would just start the project myself and then my hubby would step in and tell me I was doing it all wrong…I would step back, and eventually walk away and he would finish it! 🙂
Call it paneling. Horizontal paneling. Don't all men love paneling?
But then you'll have to talk him into painting it….
I love all the examples and think it is the perfect solution. And it's painted wood. Painted wood is timeless!
Well, the reviews are mixed. lol I am with the remove the old sheetrock and start fresh. It is a pain, it's dusty and time consuming not to mention a lot of work. But when you are done you will have a fresh wall to paint as you want. Its easier to clean and maintain in a washroom setting than anything with ridges and cracks and will help maintain the resale value of the home. As an added but often overlooked bonus, when you have the old sheetrock removed you can easily inspect the plumbing and electrical of the home in those areas. Now maybe in Storybook Cottage things have all been done properly and up to code but chances are, if there have been renovations and changes made over the years they are usually done in the baths and kitchen. If they have been done by an amateur DIYer there can be things that have been hidden which would be exposed if the old sheetrock is ripped out. (I know of two homes in the last while that have come across both electrical and plumbing bad surpises while doing renos). And if someone was inexperienced enough with DIY to apply wallpaper directly to bare gypsum board, who knows what other shortcuts they employed. When all is said and done, the house will also smell fresher and be easier to clean.
Good luck in what ever method you use. I know its going to look amazing! 🙂