Faux Shiplap: Our Foyer Reveal

It’s been a long time coming! We started this DIY home project at the beginning of the year and I’m happy to share that it’s completed. I wanted to do something different in this space to add definition and interest as you open our front door. 

This post contains affiliate links.
Click here to read my full disclosure policy

design plan

We decided on shiplap because we love the look, character and texture; it adds to a home. We also wanted to keep the space modern and went for a horizontal orientation of the shiplap planks. The difference in our our foyer was worth it. It reflects our style, “California Modern.” …and, I’m so excited that our foyer is completed just in time to be decorated for the holidays!

project timeline

On my Instagram, I shared in my stories the process of adding faux shiplap boards in this space. This project was time consuming and as a busy working mom, it took longer than I expected. We ended up running into more problems than I expected as well.

We didn’t have the equipment to complete the project higher than eight feet up the wall, so we hired out that section of work. Other delays included running into issues with uneven boards trimmed at the home improvement store. We had to purchase a table saw to cut down the boards ourselves, which was a costly investment. It took a lot of time to get the boards trimmed as we were also not experts at using this tool. We ended up hiring out the painting and finishing job. I’ll be sharing details on the pros and cons of installing these shiplap planks in another blog post. 

floor plan

Our foyer is about 24’ long, 5’ 4″ wide. The ceilings are 16’ high in the front section of the entryway and 20’ high closer to the stairs. With the ceiling height of both foyer spaces, it was too much of a project to add the boards all the way to the ceiling. We stopped at two-thirds of the wall spaces. This was perfect as the shiplap stopped at the base trim of the second floor. 

faux shiplap boards

We installed 6” flat boards trimmed from MDF sheets (4’x8’) with 1/8” spacing in between the boards. The spacing between boards creates the shiplap look. Prior to installing the boards, we painted the walls with one coat of white paint that matches the color, we planned on using on the faux shiplap boards. This is to avoid the previous wall paint color from showing through the spaces between the boards. 

Our foyer consists of arches that separate the front entryway and stair foyer; they also lead to the mudroom and a bedroom. We added flat trim to the arches, similar to board and batten millwork. This defines the sections and adds a high-end custom appeal to the foyer. We love how it turned out!   

finishing touches

We painted the faux shiplap boards and trims with my favorite go-to white, BM Chantilly Lace in a satin finish. This brightened up the space and was perfect for the modern and streamlined look we envisioned. When our family and friends open the front door, they are amazed at the beauty of the shiplap and millwork in the foyer. 

And with all the hard work completed in this lengthy DIY home project, I was excited to add the final touches to our foyer – just a few simple and functional details. We’ve had this wood console table for a while and knew it was perfect for this area. The wood element adds a warm tone to the space against the crisp white paint color on the shiplap planks and trim. 

With little kiddos and a lovely hubby, I’m a fan of storage that hides our family’s mess especially in our mudroom and at the entrance of the house. The two baskets allow us to store shoes and other items. I love that the wood console table has drawers to store keys or little items we don’t want to go missing.  

Thank you for checking out our foyer reveal. What’s your favorite part of our foyer?

shop this post

 You can check out the rest of our home here! ..and don’t forget to pin it for later and share with others.

xo, Gbeke