There is something charming about our half bathroom. Every other room in our home is large and almost oversized. When we purchased the house, the half bathroom had black shiplap and was a cozy little space.
Although I loved the black shiplap, it needed to be replaced. The shiplap was made from a thin plywood that was ripped. When making shiplap out of plywood, it is important to glue and nail the boards to the wall, or they will warp. The shiplap in our half bath was only nailed and had begun to warp.
I knew the shiplap needed to be replaced, but I was lacking motivation. That was until I saw the Benjamin Moore Color Trends for 2019. I absolutely loved the Beau Green that was on the list! I decided to change our half bath just a little by replacing the shiplap and painting it Beau Green.
The best part about our shiplap only being nailed to the wall is that it was super easy to pull off. One down side to gluing shiplap is that you would probably have to replace the drywall if you ever wanted to remove it. In order to fully remove all of the shiplap, I took down the light fixture, mirror, and vanity.
Installing the Shiplap
I installed the shiplap a little differently than I usually do. I cut all of the corners on a 45 degree angle. This allowed them to perfectly butt together and eliminate any gaps. I worked from the ground up and caulked the corners as I went.
Another trick I used was nailing only along the flange, so the piece above it would cover the nail holes. I was not worried about the boards staying in place, because I also used construction adhesive.
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I used my DEWALT Oscillating Multi-Tool to cut out around the outlets and lights. I have discovered that this tool is the best for areas where I can’t use my miter or table saws.
Painting the Shiplap
Once all of the shiplap was in place and caulked, the painting began! I recently heard that flat paints cover imperfections the best. It is really difficult to fully hide nail holes and seams. I chose to use a satin finish simply because I have young children that like to touch the walls. I would love to be able to use flat paints, but it just won’t work at this point in our lives…maybe in 10 years..
I used a small craft brush to paint in the seams of the shiplap and quickly came back and used a roller to paint the face of the shiplap. I only worked on two or three boards at a time and painted the full length of the shiplap before moving on. When painting the shiplap in my room, I discovered that if I work in small sections, it was easy to see where the paint overlapped.
Electrical Installations
At one point or another, I have feared all parts of DIY. I feel as though fear is healthy (because it helps me work safely), but mostly stems from a lack of knowledge. I was afraid of electrical work for a long time, simply because I had never done it. My husband showed me how easy it is and I feel much more confident with it now.
Along with installing a new light fixture, I chose to switch out our old light switches, outlets, and covers with black ones. When doing any kind of electrical work, I first shut the power off at the breaker panel. I then use non-contact voltage tester to ensure that the power is off. I installed electrical spacers so that the outlets and switches sit flush with the shiplap.
Mirror Selection
The mirror that was originally in the bathroom did not quite go with the new shiplap. I wanted a large round, black mirror. Unfortunately, the vanity and light were installed too close to the wall for a large round mirror. I also considered a rectangular mirror, like the ones that I installed in our master bathroom.
I like to be totally transparent with my projects…so I’ll let you in on a little secret that you may not notice unless if I point it out. The light fixture is not centered over the vanity. I decided a rectangular mirror might accentuate the fact that it wasn’t centered. Instead, I found the perfect oval mirror at Kirkland’s (and it was on sale)!
New Hardware and Faucet
I finished off the half bathroom makeover with a new faucet, toilet paper holder, and drawer pulls for our vanity. I have actually used these drawer pulls on my master bathroom vanity and two of our Ikea nightstands. They are affordable, sturdy, and come in several different sizes.
I really love how our half bathroom turned out! Shiplap, fresh paint, and new hardware are definitely my favorite ways to quickly and affordably update a space.
