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Our Beautiful Shiplap Fireplace Makeover …near fail!

This beautiful shiplap fireplace makeover brought Modern Farmhouse Style and huge impact to this Living Room!

Living Room Shiplap Fireplace Makeover

Yea!! The shiplap fireplace makeover is finally finished and I couldn’t be happier. Or more ready to start putting this room back together.

I’m not sure if pictures can really explain how much this update has completely changed the look and feel of this room.

Our Living Room walls are huge. 20′ high, huge. With beautiful chunky molding and 10 extra large windows that let all of the light and the view of our backyard shine through.

But, the millwork above our mantle seemed small compared to the walls and windows. It has bothered me for 6 years. I knew a full wall feature would be amazing in that room.

And, I think I was right! What do you think??

This Shiplap Fireplace Makeover turned our boring fireplace into a beautiful feature in our Living Room. Here's the DIY and story behind ours. #Shiplap #Fireplace #BeforeAndAfter #HomeImprovement #RoomMakeover
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When I walk in that Living Room now, that beautiful shiplap fireplace makeover feels like a true centerpiece. It just draws your eyes up and makes the room feel grand.

This room finally has the impact I knew it could. *happy dancing all over the living room*

First, The Before Photos

That molding always seemed too short for those 20′ high walls. You can see the pre-paint before photo in my Living Room Makeover Plan. Be sure to check it out to see where this room really started.

A beautiful Shiplap Fireplace Wall in a Living Room with vaulted ceilings. Here's how it was made and why it was a near fail, guys. It's all about material choices. But, I ended up loving it after a couple simple fixes. #Shiplap #Fireplace #LivingRoom #FixerUpper #AbbottsAtHome
Midway through painting… just before the molding above the mantle was removed.
A beautiful Shiplap Fireplace Wall in a Living Room with vaulted ceilings. Here's how it was made and why it was a near fail, guys. It's all about material choices. But, I ended up loving it after a couple simple fixes. #Shiplap #Fireplace #LivingRoom #FixerUpper #AbbottsAtHome
The molding was removed and wall prepped and painted for the shiplap. We also had an electrical box added for the TV. Yep, we decided to join the club. 😉

Why this Shiplap Fireplace Wall was a Near Fail

At first, this sight made me happy. Mainly because I was so relieved to be close to the finish line. But then I got a close look. Those boards didn’t have the nickle-width spacing I dreamed of.

A beautiful Shiplap Fireplace Wall in a Living Room with vaulted ceilings. Here's how it was made and why it was a near fail, guys. It's all about material choices. But, I ended up loving it after a couple simple fixes. #Shiplap #Fireplace #LivingRoom #FixerUpper #AbbottsAtHome

It didn’t have perfectly crisp and smooth straight lines. If I am nothing else, I am a straight line kind of girl. 😉

And, even worse, the knots were deep and everywhere and the boards were uneven. I was a little bit panicking now. It seemed the contractor pictured a rustic shiplap wall.

But I definitely wanted a sophisticated, smooth shiplap wall with crisp, clean lines. Yikes!

A beautiful Shiplap Fireplace Wall in a Living Room with vaulted ceilings. Here's how it was made and why it was a near fail, guys. It's all about material choices. But, I ended up loving it after a couple simple fixes. #Shiplap #Fireplace #LivingRoom #FixerUpper #AbbottsAtHome
See what I mean, not smooth, not crisp, and no perfect gaps. 🙁

But, thankfully, my husband and I figured out what to do. We asked the contractor to fill the knots and add chair rail molding to frame over the edges of the shiplap.

A beautiful Shiplap Fireplace Wall in a Living Room with vaulted ceilings. Here's how it was made and why it was a near fail, guys. It's all about material choices. But, I ended up loving it after a couple simple fixes. #Shiplap #Fireplace #LivingRoom #FixerUpper #AbbottsAtHome

I had to let go of my crisp lines and perfectly spaced gaps. But, sometimes you have to work with what you have and embrace a new plan.

A beautiful Shiplap Fireplace Wall in a Living Room with vaulted ceilings. Here's how it was made and why it was a near fail, guys. It's all about material choices. But, I ended up loving it after a couple simple fixes. #Shiplap #Fireplace #LivingRoom #FixerUpper #AbbottsAtHome
You can see a close up of the chair rail here. It’s probably about 1 1/4″ wide. I had them leave 3/4″ of the 1″x2″ frame showing. Just adds a bit more detail, another layer to the new shiplap millwork.

Finished Shiplap Fireplace Makeover Photos

Shiplap above a traditional fireplace with a TV mounted above fireplace.
The whole room feels lighter, brighter, and bigger with light walls and all that white woodwork.

What do you think about this Shiplap Fireplace Makeover???? I love it, even if it isn’t what I wanted. It adds so much drama.

Tour our cozy Modern Farmhouse, Traditional Living Room with this look at our fun & colorful Living Room Christmas Decorations, this year. Full of pops of Red, Blue, and Green! #AbbottsAtHome #ChristmasIdeas #ChristmasDecorations #ChristmasDecor #ChristmasLivingRoom
That new fireplace all decorated for Christmas. If you love woodworking, you can find my build steps for that Teal DIY Console Table here.
Here's all the details behind our beautiful Shiplap Fireplace Makeover. How it was made and why it was a near fail, guys. It's all about material choices.

Now, here’s a little look at how this room is coming together. We mounted our flat screen TV above the fireplace using a heavy duty wall mount TV bracket with swivel and tilt. I’m so in love with this room, guys!

Shiplap Fireplace with a TV above the mantle in a Living Room with vaulted ceilings. She's got the details for how to recreate this look. #Shiplap #Fireplace #FarmhouseStyle #AbbottsAtHome

Here’s a reminder of what I’m tackling for this Living Room Makeover. See the makeover plans and living room before photos here.

You can find the finished Before & After DIY Home Living Room Makeover photos and the 14 Best Ways to Renovate A Living Room on a Budget! in other posts.

ORC Living Room Makeover Plans – 5 Week Plan


Feeling inspired? Now you know how this Shiplap Fireplace Makeover changed our home. Let me know if you have questions. Don’t forget to sign up for the Abbotts At Home email newsletter to get DIY, Remodeling, and Crafty ideas in your inbox.

sageandivydesigns

Tuesday 30th of October 2018

Your fireplace turned out perfect. Enjoy some cozy fall nights in front of it. Happy Fall, Kippi

Stephanie

Thursday 1st of November 2018

Thanks so much, Kippi!

Chas Greener

Wednesday 24th of October 2018

Wow what a change, looks great. Thanks for sharing on To Grandma's House We Go!

Stephanie

Wednesday 24th of October 2018

Thanks so much, Chas!

Shelley

Tuesday 23rd of October 2018

It looks amazing and really makes an impact on the room! Shelley

Stephanie

Wednesday 24th of October 2018

It really does make an impact. I'm still ooing an awing every time I see it. Thanks, Shelley!

Christine @ Rustic-Refined.com

Sunday 21st of October 2018

It looks great, I cannot believe how dramatic it is. Beautiful job!

Stephanie

Sunday 21st of October 2018

Thanks so much, Christine!

Jalene

Saturday 20th of October 2018

We are also working on our fireplace for the ORC. What color of white did you use? Check ours out at ourcorneroftheworldblog.com!!

Stephanie

Sunday 21st of October 2018

I'll check it out, Jalene! It's Polished Pearl by Behr.

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