Christina Haack Gives Outdated Shiplap A Modern Upgrade

Real estate and design expert Christina Haack has earned her HGTV stardom showcasing her home remodeling prowess on shows like "Flip or Flop", "Christina in the Country", and "The Flip Off". Her design choices are always informed by her knowledge of what sells, ensuring her renovations suit homeowners' current lifestyles while adding long-term value to their homes. It says a lot that the HGTV star has often utilized shiplap in her designs, as the trend has proven itself to stand the test of time by adding interest and warmth to just about any space without stealing focus. Still, design trends come and go, and Haack knows when it's time to ditch her go-to design ideas, or at the very least give them a modern upgrade. When it comes to shiplap, she breathes new life into the trend with subtle updates, proving that small style changes are all you need to modernize outdated shiplap walls.

While creating a dream kitchen for a couple's Tennessee home on an episode of "Christina in the Country," Haack didn't even notice the plain, white shiplapped wall at first. She pointed out that while shiplap often adds subtle farmhouse charm, the panels surrounding large windows in the dining nook became lost in the overall design. Haack wanted to capitalize on the shiplap element and turn it into an accent wall that demanded attention while still drawing the eye to the windows and through to the outdoors. To achieve this, Haack needed only one thing: a can of paint.

To transform the window wall into the focal point it deserved to be, Christina Haack had to think outside the conventional shiplap color palette of white, ivory, and cream. She said she wanted the shiplap to stand out against the large windows, which led her to choose a deep, rich blue. Unsure of whether the couple would be up for the bold design choice, Haack offered the homeowners a lighter, more subtle blueish gray as an alternative shiplap color. But they couldn't help but be drawn into the darker blue and the impact it had on the space. The deeper hue would have overwhelmed the room if used everywhere, making the window shiplap the ideal place for a bold color without disrupting the overall design. "It makes a statement," the homeowner said, "I like it."

The deep blue accent wall not only draws the eye out the window, but it also highlights the shiplap panels, making their texture and depth more pronounced in the space. Haack painted the rest of the walls a lighter color than the minimalist gray they had been, which made the shiplap accent wall pop all the more. To ensure the dark blue shiplap fit with the rest of the design palette, Haack painted the island cabinets a slightly lighter, more neutral blue and incorporated the hues in other details throughout. This simple, budget-friendly, and impactful kitchen update achieved the modern farmhouse vibes Haack intended for the space. By the end of the renovation, Haack declared the dining nook with the shiplap wall her favorite part of the project.