42 Shiplap Fireplace Ideas That Will Work In Any Space, From Farmhouse to Modern

Shiplap fireplaces have become a fixture in today’s ubiquitous modern farmhouse-style homes, a traditional feature used to add character to new build interiors. Adding a shiplap accent wall is also an easy and affordable way to update an existing fireplace.

Today shiplap has become a catchword used to describe many variations of wood paneling, from traditional shiplap to beadboard, tongue-and-groove, and simple square-edge panels. You can find fireplace mantels of every design set against a traditional horizontal shiplap wall, or modern interpretations featuring vertical panels.

Shiplap panels are now made in a range of natural woods as well as materials such as MDF or aluminum. You can buy unfinished panels or pre-finished boards for an easy install or primed white finishes that can be painted white, black, navy, dark green, or another color for a modern look.

Check out these shiplap fireplaces that range from modern farmhouse to rustic, traditional, or more modern for inspiration on how to incorporate this popular design feature in your home.

Neutral Farmhouse Fireplace

Use white shiplap above the fireplace mantel to create subtle variation with a smooth plaster fireplace. Kate Marker Interiors added a pale wood mantel that complements the decorative ceiling beams that flank the outer edges of the fireplace wall.

Navy Shiplap Gas Fireplace

Shiplap doesn't have to be black or white. This navy shiplap fireplace accent wall from Brexton Cole Interiors creates a focal point in a modern open-plan space that helps make the flat screen disappear.

Modern Black Shiplap

Use shiplap on an all-black fireplace for a textural modern feel. This fireplace from Amber Pierce Designs mixes black shiplap with a modern frame around the firebox, trading a mantel for a simple unframed canvas of black-and-white abstract art to create a focal point.

Stained Wood Shiplap

Mix warm and cool tones for a balanced feel. Marie Flanigan Interiors mixed natural wood paneling in a rich honey tone with a slate fireplace surround that offers a play of warm and cool finishes that complements the modern living room.

Vertical Shiplap

Vertical wood panels wrap the tall walls of this modern space from Chango & Co. while adding subtle contrast with the pale natural wood ceiling boards that run in the opposite direction.

Olive Green Shiplap

For a moody modern feel, paint your shiplap fireplace wall in an earth tone that matches the walls, trim, and ceiling. Kate Marker Interiors mixed dark olive green vertical shiplap with a painted fireplace surround finished in brick that adds contrast with the rustic exposed natural wood ceiling and beams.

Where Does Shiplap Come From?

Shiplap boards are typically long and narrow, with rabbeted grooves on the top and bottom that overlap to create a more textural alternative to drywall. The technique was first used on ships, then popularized in 20th century American homes, and fell out of fashion until it was revived by HGTV hosts Joanna and Chip Gaines in the 2010s with the craze for all things modern farmhouse that continues to this day.

Guest Room Fireplace

Mix shiplap with marble or quartz for a clean, modern look. Mindy Gayer Design Co. paired a white shiplap fireplace wall with a streamlined white marble firebox frame in this cozy guest room.

Beadboard Walls

Walls clad in horizontal painted white beadboard make a textural background for a black wood-burning stove in this cozy living room from Leanne Ford Interiors. The ceiling is finished with beadboard and wood trim that complements the walls while adding contrast with the rustic dark hardwood flooring.

Natural Wood Shiplap

Incorporate pale natural wood shiplap in an all-white space to add warmth and definition, like this space from Mindy Gayer Design Co.

Shiplap and Patterned Tile

Mix wide vertical shiplap with a delicate neutral patterned tile fireplace surround for a light and breezy coastal feel. Tyler Karu Design + Interiors ran the shiplap to the built-ins and around the windows that flank the fireplace, finishing off the room with trim for a polished feel.

Modern Shiplap Fireplace

Pair a sleek glass-front fireplace and a pale wood mantel with white shiplap for a breezy modern feel, like this living room from Arbor & Co. Style the mantel with art, plants, and decor objects to personalize the space.

White Oak Shiplap Wall

Natural shiplap in golden oak adds warmth to a neutral interior with white walls and black accents. Martha O’Hara Interiors used oversized horizontal white oak panels in a clear natural finish to clad a fireplace wall divider in this open living room, and added a modern black fireplace in the bottom left corner to create an asymmetrical look.

White Farmhouse Fireplace

In an all-white space, mix materials and textures to add dimension. Kate Marker Interiors added white shiplap on the wall above the white-washed mantel of this painted white stone fireplace to create a bright modern farmhouse feel.

Tip

Mix shiplap with other materials such as stone, brick, or tile to create a custom look that works with your home style.

Contemporary Shiplap

Use natural shiplap as a background for a dramatic stone fireplace to create a textured mix of cool and warm finishes, like this contemporary fireplace from Brian Brown Studio.

Shiplap and Tile Fireplace

Mix shiplap with other materials to create a personalized look that works in your space. Michelle Berwick Design paired horizontal white shiplap boards on a narrow fireplace with a black herringbone tile surround and a chunky wood mantel for a modern look.

Coastal Shiplap Fireplace

A shiplap fireplace adds texture to the walls of a coastal farmhouse living room. Interior designer Rhianna Jones of Tidal Interiors chose a shiplap accent wall that complements the wood-clad ceiling and beams.

Shiplap and Reclaimed Wood

A white shiplap fireplace wall adds contrast with reclaimed wood finishes in this dining room from Crisp Architects.

Farmhouse Bedroom Fireplace

Cover the walls in shiplap to add a slightly rustic feel to a modern farmhouse bedroom. Chango & Co. added a black stone and dark wood fireplace that looks striking against the white shiplap walls of this spacious primary bedroom.

Vertical Shiplap Fireplace

Use shiplap to highlight the architecture of your room. This farmhouse living room from Light and Dwell includes vertical shiplap on the bump-out fireplace wall as well as the walls on either side to create definition against all-white ceilings and walls.

Shiplap Wall Sconces

Accent white shiplap walls with black accents for a high-contrast look. Light and Dwell hung a pair of black sconces on either side of this white shiplap fireplace wall that echo the black tile firebox.

Shiplap Wall and Ceiling

Mirror wood-clad ceilings with a shiplap fireplace wall to create a cohesive feel. Becca Interiors painted shiplap walls, ceilings, and beams in the same shade of creamy white, then added earth tone upholstery and natural wood and woven decor pieces to create a soothing feel in this East Coast living room.

Farmhouse Fireplace

Try a satin or high-gloss finish on shiplap that will reflect light and add contrast with matte walls for a modern look, like this all-white farmhouse living room from Leanne Ford Interiors.

Mixed Wood Shiplap

Mix shiplap finishes such as painted and natural boards in a range of stains in the same room to create definition and highlight architectural features, like this space from Marie Flanigan Interiors.

Sunroom Fireplace

Wrap-around horizontal shiplap panels on the upper half and vertical beadboard on the sides of this bump-out sunroom fireplace from Crisp Architects adds warmth and dimension. Traditional wall sconces and a wrap-around ledge styled with antique candlesticks and china completes the homey feel.

Vintage Farmhouse Mantel

Layer a vintage fireplace mantel with an aged patina atop newly painted shiplap walls and hardwood flooring for a timeless feel. Liz Marie Blog decorated the top of the mantel with an empty mirror frame and a pair of plants to create a homey living room vignette.

Shiplap Fireplace Wall

Another way to use shiplap to enhance the look of your fireplace is to clad the entire wall behind the fireplace. Modern Glam paired bright white painted shiplap walls with a simple wood mantel and tile surround to create a fresh modern farmhouse feel.

Coastal Bedroom Fireplace

Mix a shiplap fireplace wall with textured grasscloth wallpaper to create a cozy mix of textures for a bedroom fireplace. In this coastal farmhouse bedroom from White Sands, a black-and-white shiplap fireplace wall is mixed with pale gray glasscloth wallpaper to complement the room decorated in muted tones of blue and gray and natural elements like a driftwood hat rack and shell pendant light.

Shiplap and Wainscoting

Mix wainscoting and shiplap to create a built-in feel, like this DIY farmhouse shiplap fireplace from Liz Marie Blog that includes wrap-around shiplap on the front and sides of the fireplace.

Modern Farmhouse Fireplace

Mix a white shiplap wall with large format tile and a chunky wood mantel for an easy modern farmhouse look. KG Designs used wide vertical shiplap panels on the fireplace wall that draw the eye up to the vaulted ceilings covered in thinner horizontal beadboard.

Vintage Fireplace Mantel

Mix shiplap with aged brick and a vintage natural wood mantel to create a breezy textural feel. In this summer house surf retreat located in the fishing village of Southampton, NY, Becca Interiors clad the walls in vertical beaded shiplap to enhance the ceiling height and add texture throughout the space. An aged brick fireplace surround and a charming vintage mantel infuse the space with a sense of history.

Mixed Shiplap Fireplace

Mix painted and stained shiplap paneling to add depth to a fireplace wall. Whittney Parkinson Design chose wide horizontal boards for the fireplace wall, and clad the back of a built-in niche in natural wood to add depth and contrast.

Double Fireplace

Use a shiplap accent above the mantel to complement other materials, like this double-sided fireplace from Kate Marker Interiors that mixes natural wood, stone, and painted brick.

White and Green Shiplap

A white shiplap accent wall is contrasted green painted walls behind the built-ins to create interest in this living room from Chango & Co.

Screened Porch Fireplace

Wide horizontal shiplap walls make this screened-in porch feel homey and create a cozy backdrop for a vintage wood-burning oven painted in a warm cream color.

Outdoor Shiplap Fireplace

Shiplap is commonly used on outdoor siding. On this covered patio from KG Designs, wide white vertical shipboard above the fireplace complements the wood finishes of the home's exterior and adds contrast with the natural wood ceiling, concrete flooring, and modern fireplace.

Greenish Black Shiplap

Paint your shiplap in a deep shade of green to make a white mantel pop. Modern Glam chose Studio Green by Farrow & Ball, a deeply pigmented color that reads nearly as black.

Modern Shiplap Accent Wall

A shiplap accent wall above the mantel adds texture to a modern space, like this sleek plaster and glass-front fireplace from Chango & Co.

Wood-Burning Fireplace

Contrast white shiplap walls with a vintage-style black wood-burning stove for a timeless look, like this inviting space from Leanne Ford Interiors.

Shiplap With Moldings

Surround a shiplap fireplace accent wall with traditional moldings and a painted wood mantel to create a traditional feel like this space from Finding Lovely.

Coastal Living Room

Shiplap walls and a palette of white and navy create a breezy coastal feel in this Southampton, NY, open-plan living room from NYC-based SUK Design Group.

Beadboard Fireplace Wall

Beadboard paneling and a painted barn door to hide the TV is paired with a rustic stone fireplace surround in this space from Crisp Architects.

Faux Shiplap

Thin wood trim detailing creates shiplap-inspired texture on the walls of this coastal TV room from Mindy Gayer Design Co.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I frame a fireplace for shiplap?

Creating a shiplap fireplace is an achievable project for a DIYer with intermediate skills, according to Angi. The easy weekend project involves marking wall studs, cutting shiplap to size, installing boards with a nail gun, filling in any nail holes with putty, allowing it to dry, sanding, priming, and painting.

Is shiplap fireproof?

Traditional shiplap is made from various types of natural wood and is therefore not fireproof. This makes it suitable for accent walls but not for fireplace surrounds, which require manufactured fire-rated and non-combustible shiplap panels made from materials such as MDF or aluminum.

How much does a shiplap fireplace wall cost?

According to Angi, installing a shiplap wall ranges between $500 and $1,750 for a 200-square-foot room, with an average cost of $1,000. The price of installing a shiplap fireplace wall will vary depending on the size of the wall, the type of wood used, and labor costs in your area.

Read the original article on The Spruce.