Living Room Ideas

26 Shiplap Living Room Accent Wall Ideas with a Charming Vibe

by Alex

Shiplap accent walls continue to be a practical and attractive way to add texture, contrast, and personality to a living room. Whether finished in natural wood, painted in bold colors, or arranged in wide or narrow planks, shiplap works with modern, farmhouse, coastal, rustic, and minimalist interiors. It can serve as a focal point behind a sofa, elevate a media wall, or visually anchor a tall two-story space.

This collection highlights 26 shiplap living room accent wall ideas, showing how different colors, plank sizes, and installation directions—horizontal, vertical, or mixed—can achieve a wide range of looks. From soft coastal pastels to dramatic dark tones and reclaimed textures, these examples demonstrate how shiplap can enhance both small rooms and open layouts. Each idea focuses on practical design elements: color impact, visual balance, architectural style, and suitable decor pairings.

1. Soft Coastal Retreat with Mint Horizontal Shiplap

Living room with a mint green horizontal shiplap accent wall, light beige seating, a square wooden coffee table, and large potted plants. The ceiling features white shiplap planks and white beams.

This design features a horizontally installed shiplap accent wall painted in a light, soft green or mint color. The light coloring complements the bright white trim and ceiling, establishing a calming, coastal ambiance.

2. Vibrant Deep Teal Shiplap for a Bold Statement

A white slipcovered sofa sits against a wall of vibrant teal horizontal shiplap. Artwork hangs above the sofa, flanked by large table lamps and dark wood flooring.

A striking living room wall utilizes horizontal shiplap painted in a deep, vibrant turquoise or teal color, making it a dramatic focal point behind a light-colored sofa.

3. Modern Vertical Wood Slat Look in Warm Beige

A living space featuring a tall wall covered in vertical wood paneling (or shiplap) painted in a warm beige or tan color, behind a large tan velvet sectional sofa.

This idea presents a wall constructed using vertical planks, possibly wide shiplap or wood slats, finished in a modern, warm beige or tan tone.

4. High-Contrast Striped Accent Wall

A rustic accent wall made of horizontal planks that alternate between white/light wood and dark stained wood (teal/dark blue tint). A central square piece of geometric white wood art hangs above a sofa.

The shiplap is installed horizontally and alternates between dark, possibly stained, and light, possibly white-washed, planks, creating bold, rustic stripes across the wall.

5. Rich Natural Wood Shiplap for Earthy Warmth

An interior corner featuring a richly textured medium brown wood horizontal shiplap accent wall, a dark gray tufted sofa, and a large organic-shaped wooden coffee table.

A classic choice, this accent wall uses horizontal wood planking in a rich, medium brown tone that emphasizes the natural grain and texture of the wood.

6. White Shiplap with Floating Horizontal Dark Wood Accents

A very tall white horizontal shiplap wall decorated with several short, horizontal sections of gray-stained wood planks arranged in symmetrical columns.

This tall accent wall features bright white horizontal shiplap, dramatically interrupted by several short, floating sections of stained dark gray wood arranged symmetrically.

7. Expansive Taupe Shiplap in a Two-Story Space

A two-story living room featuring an expansive, floor-to-ceiling accent wall of warm taupe horizontal shiplap, illuminated by sconces above a neutral sofa grouping.

Ideal for high ceilings, this design showcases a massive wall of horizontal shiplap painted in a sophisticated, warm taupe color that anchors the entire room.

8. Framed Rustic Dark Wood Feature Wall

A framed section of horizontal, dark brown, rustic wood shiplap creates a feature wall behind a cognac leather sectional sofa. A large circular wooden chandelier hangs from the ceiling.

The design uses horizontal shiplap planks finished in a rich, dark brown, appearing contained within the bounds of a central wall section, perfect for framing a seating area.

9. Deep Espresso Shiplap with Farmhouse Decor

A dark, rich espresso brown horizontal shiplap wall serves as the backdrop for a farmhouse-style living room, featuring a large circular clock and antique-style lanterns.

A dark, deep brown color coats the horizontal shiplap, creating a dramatic, cozy backdrop that pairs well with rustic farmhouse elements like an oversized clock and antique sconces.

10. Seamless White Shiplap with Exposed Ceiling Beams

A living room fully clad in white horizontal shiplap walls, contrasted sharply by the thick, exposed dark brown wooden ceiling beams.

The shiplap is painted a crisp white and covers large wall expanses, lending a bright, airy feel that is balanced by the heavy, exposed dark wood ceiling beams.

11. Weathered Gray-Brown Shiplap in a Wide-Plank Style

A wide-plank horizontal shiplap wall finished in a weathered gray-brown tone, behind a large gray sectional sofa.

This accent wall features broad horizontal planks with a distressed or weathered finish in a neutral gray-brown shade, offering a substantial and calming presence.

12. Playful Multi-Colored Horizontal Shiplap

A wall featuring horizontal shiplap planks painted in multiple muted colors, including coral, blue, pink, and yellow stripes, serving as a bright backdrop to a brown leather sofa.

Creating a fun and bohemian look, this shiplap wall uses horizontal planks painted in a variety of soft, muted colors, arranged in wide, striking stripes.

13. Diagonal Paint Line on Tall Gray Shiplap

A high-ceilinged room where a gray-green horizontal shiplap wall meets the upper white wall area in a sharp diagonal line.

A unique geometric approach where the horizontal shiplap is painted a deep gray-green shade, with the paint stopping diagonally towards the top corner, contrasting with the light upper wall.

14. Warm Terracotta Horizontal Shiplap with Floating Shelf

A cozy living room with a prominent horizontal shiplap wall painted in a warm terracotta or burnt orange color, featuring a low white floating shelf.

This accent wall utilizes horizontal shiplap painted in a bold, warm terracotta or burnt orange color, providing vibrant warmth and featuring a simple white floating shelf.

15. Coastal Reclaimed Wood Shiplap in Mixed Blues and Grays

A rustic living room featuring a horizontal shiplap accent wall composed of reclaimed wood planks in mixed tones of weathered blue, gray, and brown.

The wall is covered in rustic, horizontal planks displaying varied tones of weathered wood, including shades of brown, gray, and subtle hints of blue, suggesting a reclaimed aesthetic.

16. Deep Nautical Navy Shiplap

A room where the walls are covered in deep navy blue horizontal shiplap, contrasting with white crown molding and white furniture.

The horizontal shiplap is painted a deep navy or indigo blue, covering a significant portion of the room’s walls and pairing beautifully with white trim and blue and white textiles.

17. Minimalist Weathered Gray Shiplap

A minimalist space featuring a center accent wall of horizontal, light gray-washed shiplap, flanked by white walls.

A horizontally installed shiplap wall is finished in a subtle, neutral gray wood tone, providing texture without overpowering the clean lines of the minimalist decor.

18. Regal Deep Purple Shiplap with White Shelving

A bold accent wall of horizontal shiplap painted in a deep, vibrant purple (aubergine), decorated with two white floating shelves.

This design makes a powerful statement using horizontal shiplap painted a dramatic, deep aubergine or purple color, accented with contrasting white decorative shelving.

19. Cheerful Mustard Yellow Shiplap Backdrop

A living room entrance featuring a wall of horizontal shiplap painted in a bright mustard yellow, overlaid by a large, colorful framed landscape artwork.

The horizontal shiplap wall is painted in a bright, vibrant mustard yellow shade, serving as an energetic background for a large piece of colorful modern artwork.

20. Floor-to-Ceiling Reddish-Brown Shiplap in a High-Exposure Space

A living room with a two-story window opposite a tall wall of horizontal shiplap painted a rich reddish-brown or rust color.

A tall, expansive accent wall of horizontal shiplap is painted in a rich, reddish-brown hue (like terracotta or burnt red), maximizing vertical height next to tall windows.

21. Earthy Olive Green Horizontal Shiplap

A living room defined by a horizontal shiplap accent wall painted in a muted olive green shade, contrasting with white and tan furniture.

This living area features horizontal shiplap painted in an earthy, muted olive or military green, creating a grounding and sophisticated feel.

22. Soft Pastel Pink Shiplap for a Feminine Vibe

A modern, feminine living room featuring a horizontal shiplap wall painted a soft pastel pink, paired with white and pink velvet seating.

A charming and light aesthetic is achieved with horizontal shiplap painted in a soft pastel pink, complementing light furniture and plush fabrics.

23. Cathedral Wall Dark Gray-Brown Shiplap

A living room with a vaulted ceiling and a dramatic, slanted accent wall covered in horizontal shiplap stained a weathered gray-brown.

In a room with a vaulted or cathedral ceiling, the shiplap accent wall rises dramatically, installed horizontally and stained in a deep, weathered gray-brown finish.

24. Dramatic All-Encompassing Black Shiplap

A moody interior space where the horizontal shiplap covers the walls and surrounding trim in a deep black or very dark color, contrasted by a white sofa.

This design utilizes a striking, monochromatic scheme where the horizontal shiplap covers the walls in a deep black or very dark navy color, creating a moody and intimate space.

25. Neutral Greige Shiplap with Minimalist Wood Shelf

A contemporary living room featuring a horizontal shiplap accent wall painted a neutral greige or light taupe, adorned with a simple wooden floating shelf.

The horizontal shiplap is painted a contemporary light greige or warm taupe color, offering a neutral yet textured backdrop, accented solely by a streamlined floating wood shelf.

26. Media Wall Featuring Multi-Toned Rustic Shiplap

A contemporary living room featuring a horizontal shiplap accent wall painted a neutral greige or light taupe, adorned with a simple wooden floating shelf.

This application centers the horizontal shiplap on the media wall, where the planks feature varying rustic tones (browns, grays, blues) surrounding a mounted television and subtle sconces.