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Ok. That was a crazy(unplanned!) break. But big things are brewing and changes are coming to both this blog and our space. More on that soon! Promise!
But now that I’m back to the blog life lets chat about RV walls. Specifically how we remedied the dark and dirty walls in our fifth wheel with some awesome faux shiplap! In case you forgot the way it looked before…. lets take a trip down memory lane:
[Right after we brought the fifthwheel home]
[Halfway through demo]
Most of the walls were covered in the beige wall paper but the slide out that houses our living room and dining room had a bit of extra flair. The bottom half had a decorative border of plastic faux stone tiles and dark stone wall paper. How a designer thought dark and stoney was a good look in such a tiny space…I will never know!
So these items had to go. ASAP! But after doing the demo we needed a way to cover the ugly bits. We thought about painting it but its such a small amount of wall we wanted to so something a bit extra. Enter faux shiplap!
We’ve all heard and seen the wood planks a certain tv star has made so popular recently. And I do love the look. But I dont need it covering all my surfaces. Plus, real shiplap is pretty dang heavy. So adding just a touch of the treatment was the trick!
We’ve used faux shiplap in some of our spaces before and the method is super simple. We cut down sheets of 1/4″ plywood on our table saw to 6″ widths and glued them straight to the wall. The look comes out best if you vary the grains as you are attaching them. In other words, dont glue them on exactly as they were in full sheets.
One Pinterest trick that seems to really help with spacing is using pennies! Yup, the same ones that are collecting in the bottom of your purse or center console of the car. Grab a handful and stick them between the planks to keep them perfectly spaced while the adhesive dries. Once everything has set for 24 hours pull them from the gaps and enjoy getting use out of that change cup!
You can leave the planks naked if you want a more natural look. I’d hit them with a quick coat of wax just to help protect the wood if you go this route. For us, we needed more contrast since the wood was nearly the same as the existing beige wall paper.
We wanted to keep some of the natural woodgrain so we went with a white wash. I used my trusty chalk paint and mixed it up 1 part paint to 3 parts water. You can adjust to show more or less of your wood grain. Just use a scrap to test on as this dries a little different from how it goes on.
Also, Im kinda obsessed with my new mixing cup! Yes thats a hairdressers dye cup. You can get them at the beauty supply store for the whopping price of 99 cents! They’re cheap, have liquid measurement markers, and come with a convenient handle. I know you can get things similar at the hardware store but if I have a choice between 10 bucks or just 1… well, thats a no brainer!
I slap this wash on pretty quick(and without much precision LOL!) so it doesn’t have time to form lines from drying between sections. Once the planks have dried completely I add a coat of wax and dry overnight. I didn’t want a shiny finish so I went super light on coverage and barely buffed it with a rag.
The section that is covered in the faux shiplap is relatively small but I feel like it still makes a big difference. This project is crazy affordable, easy to DIY, and looks good on just about any wall. Couldn’t be happier we added this to our tiny space!
So are you #teamshiplap? Have any gracing the walls of your home? You know Id love to hear all about it in the comments!
86 Comments
I love this update! Great job 🙂 It definitely brightens the space up.
Hi I love the way y’all did the slide out floor at the end may I ask what y’all used to put over the end where the slide-out begins
Hi Deanna! We actually wrote a whole post about the flooring that includes details for the supplies we used and you can check it out here: https://www.kreatinghomes.com/replacing-that-old-carpet/
Oh my gosh!! This is gorgeous!! Wish my hubby would let me do something like this to our home-on-wheels, but he says no renos until we know for sure we are committing to longer than a year.
oh wow! that is an amazing transformation
What a difference! Love that change, can’t wait to see what you do next.
danielle
clarkandaldine.com
This is SO awesome! Such a fun DIY and you pulled it off beautifully! I totally could have seen myself really messing up a project like this, but you executed flawlessly!
Holy cow! I wouldn’t have known this was an RV had you not said something! It turned out great!
Your redo looks fantastic! What a wonderful job, from behind the times to totally modern you completely transformed the place! Congrats!
I just found out what shiplap was recently. It looks like you made what shiplap is trying to imitate!
This is so cool! My husband and I were just talking about wanting to do this someday.
This is such a gorgeous but simple style, I love it. Never heard of shiplap before!
I can’t believe how much brighter and lighter it looks now! Great job!
Such a gorgoues update! I never imagined the interior of an RV could be so chic!
That is awesome! Love the remodel
Such a fun DIY, I wish I was better at them 🙂
Remodeling an older camper is like my dream! The faux ship lap is the perfect touch. Can’t wait to see more!
this looks fantastic! Can’t believe what a difference it makes.
These walls are absolutely gorgeous! My cousin and I have been wanting to fix up an old RV and go on a long road trip since we were kids, and this would be a great fix for it!
Wow the results are incredible, so much brighter and it looks bigger too
Shiplap will forever remind me of Chip and Joanna Gaines! This is seriously such a cool project, you’re so lucky to be able to renovate an RV. I’m excited to see where this journey takes you!
Well this is brilliant! We have an entire basement to do over and planned to do shiplap!
This is a great transformation. I had no idea you could do so much with the interior of an RV.
This is such a fun project!! I love the shiplap.
I can’t believe this is an RV! So cozy!
I love how you would never even know it was an RV just from the picture! If I ever bought an RV it would have to look just like this!!
This looks so great, it’s like a completely new space! I’m going to have to try this DIY next time I redecorate.
Oh what a beautiful transformation. I absolutely love how this project came out. You clearly have an eye for DIY and home decor.
That looks amazing!!!!!!!!!! You did a fabulous job! I also love that table and black chairs!
I love that it looks so much brighter!
Oh my gosh! You made an RV trendy! good job:) . Love this
I love seeing everything you’re doing with this project and I keep sending all the links to my brother so he can decide whether or not he wants to try them on his schoolie. The faux shiplap looks fantastic! Great job 🙂
Like what you did. Brightened up the space. What did you do with your original table and chairs? We want to take out booth and add table and chairs.
Thank you! We got rid of the old furniture and built our own table(post on that coming soon!).
Love!! What adhesive did you use? I have done many shiplap walls in my house but and worried about the ever changing temperatures in MT, over the winter
months. Looks beautiful!
Amazing job! You’ve created a home and it’s inspiring to remodel ours. How did you replace your furniture? Getting the stock sofa out that tiny door seems like it’d be a nightmare. And were you able to move regular sized couches in? Any tips are greatly appreciated!
Thanks Alie! We had to take apart the original sofa which wasn’t too bad. Because it was a sleeper it basically came apart in 2 big chunks which fit out the front door. As far as replacing everything we bought a few pieces and made a few pieces(posts on that coming soon!).
The couch specifically came from World Market and it’s a smaller couch. It’s perfect for a trailer but in a traditional home you’d probably notice it’s compact size. Also, it came in big pieces and we put it together inside the trailer. I’d recommend assembling as much as you can inside the actual space. Those narrow doors and hallways can really limit what fits!
Love your black wall sconces. Did you redo your electrical or are these 12 volt? Source if you don’t mind sharing. Great job.
it looks great what kind of glue did you use for shiplap?
Thanks Mary! We used construction adhesive(linked in post) that you can get online or at the hardware store.
It looks amazing. I just bought an older park model trailer to live in and I’m going to update it as much as possible. How did you cut it to fit around windows, or did you?
Congrats! That’s so exciting! We did cut the strips so they fit against the window. I made a simple template by tracing the shape onto paper and transferring it directly onto the wood. Q then used a jigsaw to cut the curve😊
Very nice, we also got rid of our carpet in the living room and dining area slide out. We installed natural bamboo flooring and used faux stone, notty pine and cedar planks to offset. This RV of ours is a continuous project which I hope I can complete by the year 2020. Congratulations on your new family member and all of your new endeavors.
Thanks Gregg! I know the feeling of a “continuous project” all too well🤦♀️ Sometimes I wonder if it will ever really feel done!
What did you do around the windows? Did you make a template for the curves or remove the inside metal frame, put the shoplap down and reinstall the window frame?
Hi Jean! We actually just traced a simple curve shape on a sheet of scrap paper and used it as a template. It didn’t have to be super precise because we ended up tucking it behind the frame.
Love this look so much… does it shift during travel? Or in the hot/cold temps ?
Hi Laurie! We’ve never had any of the planks fall or move. That said, we’ve stayed in both hot and cold temps but nothing extreme (freezing/snow).
My slide out is similar in width. I am planning to do this as well. How many sheets of plywood did you end up using for the entire project?
Hi Taelor,
We got 3 for this specific project because we wanted to make sure we could have variation in the wood grain. Also, it seems like we always use this stuff for other projects so we knew any extra would get used for other projects😁
Nice! What did you do where the shiplap meets the trim of the bump out ?
Hi Felicia! We actually just cut the strips of wood to be flush against the existing trim. Super simple😊
Quick question…. I can’t seem to make them picture larger to see exactly how you laid the wood. Did you stagger it like subway tile or did you stick the pieces right in top of each other in rows?
Thanks!
Hi Heather! We staggered it like tile 🛠
Quick question…. I can’t seem to make them picture larger to see exactly how you laid the wood. Did you stagger it like subway tile or did you stick the pieces right in top of each other in rows?
Thanks!
What kind of paint and wax did you use?
Hi Sharon,
We used the following chalk paint and wax: https://amzn.to/30ax6l6 & https://amzn.to/2YlelcK
What kind of glue did u use? Was that all u used to keep them up? How long did u have to hold in onto the wall before feeling it’s on there?
This is out of topic, but where did you get that light fixture?😍
Hey Fatima! We ordered it on amazon, you can find it here: https://amzn.to/2ZtBDNK
How do you keep table from moving during travel? Is your trailer a Heartland. We have 35 foot Bighorn looks almost identical layout
Yep! Ours is a Bighorn too!
What did you use to attach them on the wall?
We used the construction adhesive linked above in the post😁
What kind of glue did you use? An how did you get it to stick and STAY while it dried? I just purchased my first RV ❤️
We used the construction adhesive linked above in the post. Its super thick and we had no probs getting it to stay while it cured😁
Got some thinly whitewashed faux shiplap & painted inside wood white & doing a dark grey wood floor. Going to start on a shiplap wass this week. I will take before & afters & post when done. Your is so bright & light! I really love it!
Thanks so much RJ! If you post any pics on social feel free to tag us so we can check out your project!
This is amazing I just have one question how did you get around the trim of the windows
Hi Khrista, we made a template by tracing the shape onto cardboard and then transferring it onto the wood. Q used a jigsaw to cut transferred shapes out of the wood strips that surrounded the window.
What type of glue is use for walls that needs no clamps?? I have tried some in past that say they don’t need anything to hold it up but it did.
Thank you,
Darlene
Links for all the products used (including the construction glue) are in the post. We put a good amount on each board and had no problems getting them to stick.
Quick question..do u use your rv year round? I’ve been planning to do this project to an rv we purchased, but ourz is just seasonal in New England and stays at the campground….do u think the walls would mold?
Hi Christine, I don’t think they would mold any more than the walls you already have? If you are going to be in a really humid area and mold is a concern you will have to take preventative steps regardless. I don’t have much experience with humidity(CA is pretty dry) but I’ve seen many threads on RV forums with people talking about solutions for humidity. I think a lot of people use dehumidifiers but Id do a bit more research if you’re worried about anything mold related. I know that can be a really tricky issue. Best of luck!
I love the ship lap look but my hubby is worried about the movement during travel. He thinks the boards will pop right of no matter how we attach them. How are yours holding up?
Hi Bethany, we have had ZERO issue with boards getting loose or falling off. And trust me, we have really moved this trailer! One of the routes we frequent most ends in a dirt road up in the Sierra Mountains so this place has been shaken, jostled, swayed, etc… and they are still hanging tight😁
I found your site a few weeks ago, looking around for what we can do with our motor home to make it “not so…” well bleh! I couldn’t wait until we are done to reach out and say thank you. I ripped down the plywood last weekend, painted the planks this weekend and started hanging. I can’t wait to come back and share the photos, before and after, but I really wanted to say thank you!
Oh Im so happy to hear you found these posts helpful! We absolutely love hearing that from our readers💚 Feel free to tag us wherever you post your project pics so we can check them out!
This is beautiful! How did you do it around the windows? Did you take the window frame off first or just caulk around the gaps between the window and the board?
Hi, this looks great but I’m not sure what you did around the windows? I would love feed back
How did you make it fit around the window area ?
This would have been thinnner than the product we used.
Beautiful transformation! I have flipped 2 RVs and both times we have painted the walls. This time I would like to do something different so in my bedroom as well as the other bedroom, which is for my girls, we have used vinyl wallpaper from Amazon, which I’m super happy with. In the living/dining room we would love to do shiplap. Do you mind letting me know if you used any nails to secure the plywood to the wall? Also, what type of glue did you use?
Thanks so much – Paulina
For Super light weight you could also use 1/5” plywood. 🙂 looks beautiful.