My son’s new bedroom is a square box with a window and a closet; an otherwise blank and sterile space that desperately needed to be filled with all the joys that delight and inspire a 4 year old boy.
When I stood in the space with my son during the many phases of our homes construction, we would talk about what kind of bedroom he wanted and the theme was always consistent: the beach.
This made sense, as the coast is my son’s (and my) favorite place in the world.
In our previous home I had built the infamous cabin bunk – which was a huge hit with my then 2 year old. It doesn’t scream coastal, but I wasn’t ready to let go of it quite yet and I am so glad I didn’t because it would play a critical role as the ‘Surf Shack’ in our overall room design.
As I began to coordinate the mood board for his new room, it became abundantly clear that I was going to need to add something extra special to make the surf shack really pop.
Enter an amazing partner: UFP-Edge
As my @seventeenth.avenue Instagram account was taking off, I found myself intentionally seeking out partnerships with exceptional brands to work with both in our new home and with my SnoValley Studio clients. I first learned about UFP-Edge through a friends post where she had used their timeless nickel gap shiplap on a bathroom project in her home.
I researched UFP-Edge and learned that in addition to their timeless nickel gap shiplap they also produce five other styles of shiplap, including the rustic collection that I used for this project. I know what you’re thinking; my home is entirely neutral-modern, so why on earth would I pick a rustic product for this space?
Well the answer is the solution to that something ‘extra special’ I mentioned above (just trust me).
I reached out to the marketing team at UFP-Edge and presented my proposal for the room and within a few days I had a box of samples in my hands. While I was tempted to play it safe with a washed white or a soft gray, the boldness of the charcoal was evident as the right choice immediately.
A few things to note about UFP-Edge shiplap vs. off the shelf MDF stock at your local hardware store.
UFP-Edge shiplap is solid wood. It’s heavy, it’s gorgeous and my goodness is smells so good!
Their products are pre-finished, so there is zero work you need to do to other than fill holes and seams if your style needs it. You can read more about their pre-finishing process including their commitment to the climate if you want to learn more too. Lastly, UFP-Edge also makes coordinating trim, fascia and siding too in a variety of thickness, finishes and applications. So if you enjoy working with their shiplap products, you will find a range of other solutions in their product line that you will enjoy too.
The Installation
There are a million shiplap tutorials on the web including thousands of videos, so I will spare you a full step by step action plan- but here are some tips and resources that will help you with your installation using UFP-Edge products.
Tip 1: First and foremost, I ordered up enough product to cover the entire accent space, plus 10% extra.
Always order extra building materials to account for things like damaged pieces, mis-measured cuts, variations, etc.
This will save you the headache of running short on boards when you’re in the homestretch of your installation – only to find out what you need is out of stock.
Tip 2: Below is a list of tools you’ll need (with helpful links to what I own):
- Circular mitre saw or circular hand saw – for cutting boards to length
- Jig saw – for manipulating boards to fit around outlets, switches, etc.
- Kreg Rip-cut – I use this in the absence of a table saw to rip board strips
- Measuring tape – to see how tall you are… and what length boards you need
- Stud finder – it’s critical to hit studs with this product. It’s heavy!
- Painters tape – the method I use to mark my studs
- 18 Gauge brad nailer – to attach your boards to the wall
- 2″ 18 gauge brad nails – to feed to your brad nailer
- Level – for a perfect installation
- Hammer – in case you need to knock a board into place or pull a misfired brad
- Trim puller – in case you need to remove an installed board or existing trim
- Power drill – to remove/add any screws
- Electrical box extenders – to prevent your house from burning down
- Extender screws – to keep those extenders in place
- Step ladder – unless you’re 8′ tall, you’ll need this for the top rows
- Safety glasses – protect your eyes, always!
- Dust mask or respirator – not only for pandemics friends. Protect those lungs!
- Ear protection – what? Exactly. Protect your ears
- Work gloves – helpful for preventing splinters and cuts
- Sand paper or a sanding block – another case for ‘splitters are the worst’
- Magic erasers – for tidy clean up of the walls post installation
Tip 3: Mark all your studs with painters tape. This will help you easily see where you need to fire the brad nailer when installing the boards.
Tip 4: Open several packs of your shiplap and lay out your boards to ensure they are straight and your variations are mixed up to create a more natural installation.
Tip 5: Cut your boards with the finished side up. You’ll get a cleaner edge than the reverse (see below).
Tip 6: The shiplap will install with a traditional nickel gap, but if you desire a thicker gap, you can use a couple pieces of scrap boards as spacers
Tip 7: Use your level every couple of rows to ensure you are maintaining a level installation all the way up the wall.
Tip 8: No table saw? No problem. You’ll almost 100% need to rip down the last row to fit and having a perfectly straight line is critical. I used my Kreg Rip-cut attached to my circular hand saw to achieve this perfect cut. It is SUPER easy to use once you get it adjusted and you’ll feel like a bad@$$ when your cut is perfect!
Tip 9: Kill the power and use electrical box extenders to help your outlets sit flush SAFELY to your shiplap. Please do not skip this step as it is critical to ensure you don’t create an unintentional electrical arch that could burn your beautiful home down. There are lots of videos on Youtube to show you how to do this properly.
Final Reveal
This space was so personal and so much fun to work on with my son. While labeled a ‘rustic’ product, I can assure you that this line of shiplap added the ‘something extra special’ to this space. I mean, just look at how incredible the ‘surf shack’ looks with the charcoal color and texture in the background!
If you have questions or would like sources to any additional items featured in the photos below, feel free to drop me an email at mmching@snovalleystudio.com or check out this page for more links.
