2:48 pm - 31 degrees outside - snowing, foggy...
A while back I decided that I
wanted to finish out all the closets in our home with a wood planking look –
aka shiplap. So far I have finished out both of the kids closets {click here}
and I think they turned out great!
When I make a decision I usually
jump with both feet, while Tony thinks things through a bit more. So Sunday
night I decided that I wanted to finish out our linen closet in the master
bathroom and tore everything out of the closet so I would have a clean space
and be ready to get started the next morning... after I ran to Lowe’s to get
supplies that is.
Real shiplap is more than I
wanted to spend, but that’s the overall look I’m wanting in all the closets – it’s
a nice neutral texture that can be added to any space and can be styled in a
lot of different ways.
A popular technique to get the
shiplap look at a lower cost is to cut a piece of plywood into strips that you
nail to the wall just slightly spaced apart.
This will save you a few bucks, but on the down side you have to rip
plywood into perfectly straight strips and balance coins or spacers between
boards to get the perfect spacing which would make the project a lot more labor
intensive than I wanted to attempt.
So the best solution, at a
reasonable price, that I found was to use tongue and grove planks. This is what
I used in the kids closets, and it is so incredibly easy to install, yet it
still gives me the look I’m wanting.
Altogether - planks, wood
filler, sandpaper, paint, and boards for shelving totaled $126 and the project
took about 4 hours spread out over three days to finish. Three days was to give
enough time for the paint and stain to dry properly – otherwise it would have
been all done in one day.
Here is what I used...
Miter Saw
Tape measure
Level
Brad nailer with nails
Wood Filler
Putty knife
Sandpaper
Paint
Wood Stain
The linen closet is 44” wide by
2’7” deep with a back wall + slanted ceiling measuring 6’10” –-- soooo... there
was a lot of measuring and cutting involved.
I started the first board in
the bottom left corner, used the level and a scrap piece of sheetrock to keep
the board half an inch off the subfloor (the spacing will allow for the future
installation of flooring) and nailed in the board using the brad nailer. It took me somewhere between
one and a half to two hours to get all the planking up.
After the boards were up, I went back and
filled all the nail holes and smoothed out any seams or knot holes with wood
filler. After the wood filler had time
to dry, I went back and sanded all those spots smooth. Then paint!
I used less than half a can of Valspar “Snowcap White” (one heavy coat +
touch ups).
Next, I figured out where I
wanted my shelves to be at, measured and screwed in sidewall supports for the
shelving to sit on. I cut each board, made sure that they fit properly, then
stained them with Varathane Wood Stain “Kona”. After the boards were dry, I put
them into the closet, and voila, all done!
I absolutely love how it turned
it. Now 3 out of 4 of the upstairs closets are done! I love progress!
