Shiplap Accent Wall

Shiplap Accent Wall Colors, Tried on a Photo of Your Wall

Classic white boards, a bold black wall, or a soft sage or blue: upload a photo of your shiplap accent wall, name the color, and see it on the boards before you paint.

Free account required. New accounts get 1 free render (watermarked), then paid plans.

Try it on your own photo

Upload a photo of the room with the shiplap wall in view. Describe the color and say that only the shiplap boards change and the other walls, the furniture and the floor stay exactly the same.

Open the full paint tool in Custom mode

Shiplap Accent Walls, Before and After

AI-generated sample edits of three shiplap accent walls. The before photos are AI-drawn stand-in rooms, not photos of real homes; the camera angle and light should stay the same and only the painted surface should change. Each caption names what else changed. The samples were made with an image model and settings (4 processing steps) that may differ from the live paint tool, so your own render may look different. A render shows a color idea, not real paint on a real wall.

Living room with a white horizontal shiplap accent wall behind a light gray sofa, plain white side walls, a wooden coffee table, a floor lamp, a potted plant and a woven rug, before — White horizontal shiplap to matte black. The board lines stay visible. The black runs a little past where the boards ended in the before photo, onto the strip of plain wall at the right. The window, the sofa, the coffee table, the floor lamp, the plant and the rug look the same.

The same living room with the shiplap wall painted matte black, with the sofa, coffee table, lamp, plant and rug kept — White horizontal shiplap to matte black. The board lines stay visible. The black runs a little past where the boards ended in the before photo, onto the strip of plain wall at the right. The window, the sofa, the coffee table, the floor lamp, the plant and the rug look the same.

Bedroom with an accent wall of natural yellow pine horizontal shiplap behind a bed with gray bedding, two wooden nightstands with lamps and gray curtains, before — Natural pine shiplap to white. The horizontal board lines stay, but many of the dark pine knots still show through the white, so it looks like a single coat. The bed and bedding, the nightstands, the lamps, the curtains and the off-white side wall look the same.

The same bedroom with the pine shiplap painted white, with the bed, nightstands, lamps and curtains kept — Natural pine shiplap to white. The horizontal board lines stay, but many of the dark pine knots still show through the white, so it looks like a single coat. The bed and bedding, the nightstands, the lamps, the curtains and the off-white side wall look the same.

Dining nook with a white vertical shiplap accent wall, a round wooden table with four chairs, a black pendant light, a framed picture and a light wood floor, before — White vertical shiplap to soft sage. The vertical board lines stay visible and the plain walls stay white. The table, the chairs, the plant, the pendant light, the framed picture, the window and the floor look the same.

The same dining nook with the vertical shiplap painted soft sage green, with the table, chairs, pendant light and picture kept — White vertical shiplap to soft sage. The vertical board lines stay visible and the plain walls stay white. The table, the chairs, the plant, the pendant light, the framed picture, the window and the floor look the same.

How to Preview a Color on Your Shiplap Wall

Photograph the whole wall. Stand back far enough to get the full shiplap wall and a bit of the walls next to it, with the lights on, so you can judge the accent against the rest of the room.
Open the paint tool in Custom mode. Upload the photo and describe the change in one sentence: “Paint only the shiplap boards matte black and keep the board lines visible. Keep the other walls, the furniture and the floor exactly the same.”
Compare a light and a dark board color. Render a white or soft color and a dark one, and check that the board lines and the edges of the wall look right. Benjamin Moore suggests painting a sample on a foam board so you can move it around the room and check it at different times of day, in daylight and under lamps.

This page is about painting shiplap. For accent walls of any kind, use the accent wall visualizer; for the wall behind a TV, see accent wall behind TV; and for panels on the lower wall, see wainscoting paint colors.

Shiplap Colors to Try

White and off-white

Benjamin Moore suggests soft whites to keep traditional shiplap balanced, such as Cloud White 967, White Dove OC-17 or Swiss Coffee OC-45. Angela Marie Made, a DIY blog, also lists Simply White (Benjamin Moore) and Alabaster (Sherwin-Williams).

Soft blue or gray

For a softer color, Benjamin Moore points to Yarmouth Blue HC-150, Solitude AF-545 and Mineral Springs CC-848, and shows blue shiplap in a bathroom with a white ceiling and a wood vanity.

Black

Benjamin Moore shows a black shiplap wall with a black backsplash as a bold kitchen option. Angela Marie Made lists Tricorn Black (Sherwin-Williams) for shiplap.

Sage, teal and other colors

Roomdsign lists sage, teal, greige and coastal blue among colors for shiplap, alongside white and grays.

Horizontal or vertical

Benjamin Moore notes that planks can run horizontally or vertically. Our samples show both, and the board lines stay visible in the render, so you can judge the color on the pattern you have.

Room by room

Angi suggests a shiplap wall in a laundry room, especially with brightly painted cabinets, and a few boards behind a small bathroom vanity. Benjamin Moore also shows shiplap on ceilings.

Before You Paint Your Shiplap

Watch stark white in a dim room. Homestyler cautions that a stark white can look cold in a dim space; a softer white may suit a room with little light.
Say what stays. Tell the tool to keep the board lines and the other walls, then check the edges of the wall in the render; in our black sample the paint ran onto a strip of plain wall.
Think about the rest of the room. An accent wall sits next to plain walls, so render it with the other walls in the frame and check that the two colors work together.
Benjamin Moore suggests painting a sample on a foam board so you can move it around the room and check it at different times of day, in daylight and under lamps.

Shiplap Accent Wall FAQ

Is it free to try?+

You need a free account to generate. New accounts get 1 free render, and free renders carry a small watermark. After that, paid plans on the pricing page give you more renders without the watermark.

Do I need to sign up?+

Yes. Rendering requires an account so your credits and results can be saved. You can sign in with Google or a one-time code sent to your email.

What color should I paint a shiplap accent wall?+

White is the classic choice; Benjamin Moore suggests soft whites such as White Dove OC-17 for traditional shiplap. For more contrast, black or a dark gray makes the boards a focal point, and soft blues, grays and sage are in between.

Should shiplap be white?+

It does not have to be. White is the traditional look, but Benjamin Moore also shows blue and black shiplap, and Roomdsign lists sage, teal and greige.

Can I paint shiplap black?+

Yes. Benjamin Moore shows a black shiplap wall in a kitchen, and Angela Marie Made lists Tricorn Black. Try it on a photo first to see how dark it makes the room.

Is horizontal or vertical shiplap better?+

Both are common; Benjamin Moore notes the planks can run either way. The tool keeps the direction you already have and only changes the color.

Which rooms suit a shiplap accent wall?+

Living rooms and bedrooms are common, and Angi suggests laundry rooms and a few boards behind a bathroom vanity. Benjamin Moore also shows shiplap on ceilings.

Will the tool change my furniture or the other walls?+

It should not if you say so, but it is an AI edit, not a mask. Say that only the shiplap boards change, then check the edges of the wall in the render.

Will the render match the real paint?+

No. The render shows a color idea, not a paint chip. The color on wood boards can look different from flat drywall. Benjamin Moore suggests painting a sample on a foam board so you can move it around the room and check it at different times of day, in daylight and under lamps.

Related Color Visualizers

Accent wall visualizer – any accent wall
Accent wall behind TV – the TV wall
Wainscoting paint colors – panels on the lower wall
Two-tone wall paint ideas – split walls
Modern farmhouse interior paint colors – farmhouse rooms
Living room paint colors – the rest of the room

See a New Color on Your Own Shiplap

Upload one photo of your shiplap wall and compare a few board colors before you paint.

Try Your Shiplap on a Photo See Plans