If you don’t already know about shiplap, let’s get you acquainted. Shiplap is a type of wooden board traditionally used as siding on barns, sheds, and other buildings. Since it’s often used on the outside of buildings, shiplap has grooves for pieces to fit tightly together. Recently, shiplap has become an extremely popular building material, thanks to HGTV’s Fixer Upper and the hosts’ love of it.

There are many benefits to using shiplap both inside and outside your house – it’s inexpensive and easy to install. But there are aesthetic reasons as well: it doesn’t require much (if any) finishing, it adds a design element on its own, and it’s easy to fix or paint. Here are three unexpected ways you can incorporate shiplap into your new home.

For the Kick Wall of the Kitchen Island

As you move into a new space, adding personalized touches really brings rooms together and helps you feel at home. The kitchen is no different; you want to find the perfect backsplash, cabinet hardware, and dish towels. Updating your kitchen island’s kick wall is another way to add character to your kitchen. Consider using shiplap to add style here with minimal effort. As a bonus, shiplap is easy and affordable to replace, just in case someone gets crazy and kicks it a little too hard.

As an Accent Wall in Your Living Room

Adding an accent wall in your home is a fun way to add a splash of color to a room. But have you ever considered replacing the color with a new texture? Shiplap’s horizontal lines and effortless look adds a subtle style to your living room. You may even find it easier to match (and change up) your décor with an accent shiplap wall than you would with a vibrant color.

Surround Your Fireplace

Nothing makes a living room feel warm and cozy like a fireplace. But it can be hard to match a traditional brick or dark wood fireplace with the rest of the room. Why let the fireplace dictate the room’s aesthetic? Shiplap offers an affordable alternative that can easily be painted or decorated to fit your room. With the addition of shiplap, you can add incredible farmhouse style to your entire home.

It’s incredible how quickly shiplap can transform a room. Whether you’re adding a new texture or style, or using it as an affordable building material alternative, the versatility of shiplap is undeniable. You may be a longtime fan of Fixer Upper (and already a shiplap convert) or may be entirely new to the material. There are so many ways to use shiplap in your new home, it’s clear why those hosts love it so much. Look into it – maybe you’ll find an entirely new way of incorporating shiplap into your new home.