It’s week three of the One Room Challenge and shiplap wall has paint! If you’re not already familiar with this challenge, twice a year, you can participate as a guest, alongside 20 featured designers, to join a 6-week challenge to recreate one room. The event was created and is hosted by Linda Weinstein of Calling it Home and Better Homes and Gardens. With hundreds of guest participants, you can be sure to find an endless amount of inspiration and original ideas by following along here. We are enjoying the connections we have made so far with fellow guest participants!

This week we tackled paint 😍 and goodness did it make a difference. Finding the perfect paint color though was a bit of a process. In our room our walls are a warm white and our trim and doors are painted grey. I wanted the accent wall to have some contrast against both the walls and the trim, but not be super bold. Our trim color is Woodsmoke by Sherwin Williams (a color I’ve only found at Lowe’s) and initially, I planned to have that color tinted at 50% so it would be the same color as the trim, but 50% lighter. Paint is tricky though. When I put that sample on the wall, not only did it not look lighter at all, but it also looked like a completely different color. Luckily, I remembered we had tons of leftover wall and trim paint, so I decided to experiment and mix up my own concoction to see if it could work. Thankfully it did! I ended up with a 60/40 ratio of the two colors and found a color I love.

Step One: Decide how to paint. In my research, I found that shiplap is best painted using one of two methods.

• Option 1: Paint all the boards before installing and touch up nail holes later.

• Option 2: Use a paint sprayer after the shiplap is installed.

Everything I read said the space between the shiplap is impossible to paint any other way (even with a brush.) I am all about learning from other peoples mistakes, so I chose Option 2.

Step Two: Prep! Depending on which option you choose, you will need to prep accordingly. We chose to use a paint sprayer, so I will mainly be focusing on that process. Spraying does require more prep work, but I find it much easier than painting the boards prior to installation. You will need:

• Painter’s Tape

• Builder’s Paper

• Plastic Drop Cloth(s) for covering furniture

• Ladder

• Paint Sprayer

You will first need to tape off the area you’re planning to paint and then come back with paper. I would suggest using at least 3 feet of paper around the area to make sure the over spray doesn’t get on existing walls. Use the plastic drop cloths to cover any furniture completely. I made the mistake of leaving one dresser uncovered and it was covered with a layer of paint dust. It was easy to clean, but save yourself the hassle!

Step Three: You’re ready to paint. Once everything is prepped, it’s on to the good stuff. We purchased this HomeRight Paint Sprayer and it is perfect for smaller projects. We used the sprayer for our pantry makeover and now for this wall and it got the job done. There are a few different tips to use depending on the project, but even if you’re painting furniture, it’s a great choice and much easier than using a brush. Fill the container with paint and make sure you have an extension cord handy so you can get the job done without having to stop.

Remove tape, paper and drop cloths and enjoy your lovely new color! We are opening half of the next week at Disney World, so it will be a light week for us, but I plan to makeover some $5 lamps and share the whole process for week 4!