Create a Modern Powder Room Using Black Shiplap

My powder room has long been in the market for some much needed love and affection.

It’s one of the few spaces in my home that I’d made functional, but hadn’t had the time to really make the “wow” space I wanted it to be.

So, my heart skipped a beat when The Home Depot asked me to participate in their appearance board campaign, aka shiplap.

I thought hmmmm, my powder room walls would be perfect for this and alas, this would force me to transform the space into what I’d always envisioned.

I’ve been channeling a lot of black this year – my master bedroom is also black. I really wanted to go bold and paint the shiplap all black. Brave, because this is a windowless space, but I always think a powder room is a space that can handle major drama so figured why not?

The first step when installing floor to ceiling shiplap, especially in a tight space, is to remove as much as possible. We removed the wall molding I’d installed years ago, baseboards, toilet and the pedestal sink – a temporary fix I’d installed because of major drama with the original vanity I’d ordered. More on that to come later.

Tip: it’s best to install shiplap from the top down since you’ll likely have an uneven piece of shiplap, and it’ll be harder for the eye to see any imperfections at the base.

For the corners, we mitered the edges to meet each corner, a tedious task which meant the installation took two days.

Once installed, we filled in gaps with caulk, then sanded and painted. I chose Behr’s “Limousine Leather” (eggshell finish) – paint and primer in one for the shiplap, a great way to avoid the extra step of priming first. I considered painting the door and trim in black as well, but decided to leave them white. Since the room is windowless, I didn’t want it to feel like a cave. The white molding was also a great foil for the vanity countertop.

Tip: Black is a very unforgiving paint color, so painting with precision is key. It’s imperative to cut in between each groove as you paint to avoid seeing the white from the original wood. This may mean allowing the paint to dry then checking each crevice a day or two later to touch up missed areas.

Once the paint was dry, it was time to reinstall the finishing touches. We discovered a problem: my old toilet couldn’t fit. The thickness of the shiplap added almost ½-inch thickness to the wall, not enough room for a toilet that had a rough in of 12 in. We needed to install a toilet with a 10-in. rough, which worked out well since I purchased a less bulky one that what we had previously.

Tip: Check the rough-in on your existing toilet so you can be prepared to replace if needed.

I was also finally able to install the vanity I’d purchased years ago, but had sitting in my garage. When I ordered it online, I assumed it came with the countertop and sink since it was on the pricier side, but alas it was base only.

Back to that pesky vanity. We fabricated a quartz countertop and I decided on a simple vessel sink. By decided I mean, I decided after hours of scouring the internet for vessel sinks! After considering many shapes and styles, I decided to keep it simple since the walls would be so dramatic.

A vintage inspired faucet was the perfect bit of charm for the modern elements of the space. I chose a round wooden mirror to contrast the straight edges of the walls and vanity. This also added some warmth and texture against all the black, white and chrome.

The beauty of the black shiplap: we needed minimal artwork to style since the walls are kind of the art/focal point. I simply styled with some greenery from my own back yard, practical items like extra hand towels and soap in a wooden dispenser.

And there you have it! Finally, a powder room I can be proud to give my stamp of approval.