Thursday 25 January 2018

Shiplap Ahoy

Before we had even officially bought our lot, I was saving house inspiration pictures on Pinterest. One thing I knew I wanted in our house was horizontal planking on the walls. Well, I called it horizontal planking, the more common term is shiplap. Authentic shiplap is planks of wood with rabbets on each side that interlock and create a small gap between the planks. It was originally used to clad building exteriors, but it’s made a big move inside over the last few years.


Shiplap-breakfast-nook

Source


We cheated a bit and used MDF shiplap. Not quite authentic, but a real time-saver because it comes primed and ready to paint. And there’s no danger of knots showing through the paint years down the road.


nickel gap trim
Source


I kept debating what walls to shiplap. I love the look, but didn’t want shiplap overload. So I decided to put it on the three walls in the main living area.


DSC_2128


And I didn’t want it all to be white. So I decided to paint the shiplap on the wall looking out to the water white (Pittsburgh Paint Delicate White, otherwise knows as Derelict White) and the staircase wall and opposite partial wall navy blue (Benjamin Moore Van Deusen Blue).


delicate white blob        office


We ordered a bunch of 7-1/4” shiplap planks – I think 91 (everything they had in stock) – from the hardware store, and then I got to work painting one coat on the planks before we installed them on the walls. This way I’d be sure to get the grooves properly painted, and it was easier to paint the planks on solid ground that up on a ladder or scaffolding.



painted shiplap 2



And then the shiplap went up. It was fairly easy and straightforward to install (she says when it was Brian who did all the installation!) The rabbets keep the planks evenly spaced, so no need to use coins or spacers. Once the shiplap was all installed, it was my fun job to fill all the nail holes. I used Polyfil and a putty knife and did two fillings and two sandings, then wiped the walls down with a microfibre cloth.



white shiplap


shiplap measles 1


shiplap measles 2


Remember, you have to get through the ugly before you can get to the pretty! And voila, finished shiplap.


DSC_2201


shiplap stairs 2


I love how the white and navy blue look together. I do have a thing for white and blue :-)



blue and white shiplap



three shiplap walls


Another job down and 58,000 more jobs to go!


KB sig

Wednesday 17 January 2018

Keep it in your drawers

Since we moved into rental house #2, I’ve made an important discovery – drawers in the kitchen rock!



drawers 5


I don’t know how I’ve lived with cabinet doors for so long – drawers make it so much easier to find what you’re looking for. Just pull the drawer open, and voila, everything is right there in front of you. No digging around and pulling things out to find that big bowl that you need way at the back.


drawers 1


drawers 4


drawers 3


So I guess it’s a good thing that we’ve been so slow with building our house – if we’d already had our kitchen cabinets made, we wouldn’t be able to re-make them with lots of drawers. I’m totally set on having as many drawers as possible! Drawers in the island…


island with drawers - greige design

Source



island with drawers - houzz torriero house

Source


Drawers beside the stove and under the windows….



lots of drawers

Source


Drawers everywhere!


drawers - house and home


drawers 2 - house and home

Source


Even drawers in the pantry…



cabinet pullout shelves

Source


Do you have a lot of drawers in your kitchen? And if you do, do you love them?


KB sig