When I decided to take this complete home remodel on, I was adamant about supporting my farmhouse theme with shiplap with a thick base throughout the house. Commonly base is referred to baseboard or sanitary tile (in a bathroom), along with awesome wood flooring, but these were my “must have’s” to reinvigorate this vacation home.
SHIPLAP
Shiplap was the first of the three to go in and there were a number of options out there to select from: treated, untreated, knotty pine vs. smooth, white primed or not, 12 foot or 16 foot boards. Due to cost, I was considering a technique done for low cost I had found on Pinterest, but considering the Florida location with a humid climate, I felt that I needed to go with the real thing.
Cost for shiplap varies…. You can purchase notched boards that line up with the next one and create the small separation that gives the wall definition and character. Conversely, you can buy less expensive boards that have a straight edge, and you can use a popsicle stick or nickel to create the separation as you nail individual boards into the drywall.
Surprisingly, after sourcing from several providers and evaluating cost and board quality, I ended up going with 16’ shiplap, primed boards. Our main wall is over 20 feet long, so having long boards allowed us the ability to cover the area quickly, and visually, with fewer boards married together.
The biggest challenge was addressing the back of the house run of windows and door wall, that required intricate cuts and reframing the windows after the shiplap was installed.
It was a process, but as it went up – even partially, well it was stunning and I was thrilled with the look. It was just as I had envisioned it. The long boards extended visually extended the view from the front of the house to the back by the view of the patio and golf course. In the end, I had 400+ feet of shiplap installed – not the entire house, but a good portion focused on the areas around the Kitchen, Dining and Lounge.
FLOORING
Moving onto flooring…. this was also a pretty easy decision. I wanted to ensure quality, a plank look and most importantly, durability for the long term. Prior to Closing, I started researching flooring and found a great product called Lifeproof Rigidcore Luxury Vinyl Flooring. What is really awesome about this product is that it is laid directly on top of existing ceramic tile – no jackhammering required! It has a waterproof core with an underlayment built in, so it all went together seamlessly.
People are surprised when they see the finished product and assume that it is real wood plank flooring…. But it is maintenance-free and cleaned with soap and water. In addition, it has a lifetime guarantee for residential and 5 years for commercial applications.
With the exception of the Master Bathroom, we had the entire house laid with Choice Oak.
BASE
And finally base…. And this was by far the most challenging. I wanted a tall, rounded off base that complimented the shiplap and would also fit in well throughout the house overall. Today’s new builds are using a taller base…. Moving from a standard 2-1/4 inch from previous standards up to 5+ inches depending on the ceiling height of the home.
Sourcing was another story. I was disappointed to learn that the majority of what is available through national suppliers, and some locals, was mostly MDF and not real wood. What is the point of having waterproof flooring and having base that will split, bubble the paint and disintegrate over time if any water hits it. One does mop their floors, right?
Anyway, I digress…. But after a number of phone calls, I located actual wood, primed base at a local lumber yard… Gatlin Lumber & Supply Company. The yard is large and goes on and on, from one building to the next as I followed one of the guys through the maze of buildings filled with various types of wood.
And in the back, we came across beautiful primed 16’ boards of 5-1/4” base – all solid wood. SOLD. And they would deliver it without an additional charge.
In the end, it transformed the space and my biggest decision was to have it cut offset or at a 45-degree angle. I chose the 45-degree angle. It was definitely one of the last big things on the project, but the house wouldn’t be what it is today without this dramaticM feature.
And I love it – from the shiplap to the floors to the base…. It’s truly these new bones that make this “Coastal Magnolia” home elevated with farmhouse sophistication!
-lsb
Here’s the link to the house:
https://www.myvacationhaven.com/vacation-rentals/properties/sandpiper-village-716-g/
SOURCES:
Wood Panelling: Home Depot – Primed 16 foot Shiplap Boards
Flooring: Home Depot – Lifeproof Rigidcore Luxury Vinyl Flooring
Base: 5-1/4” Farmhouse Base –Gatlin Lumber & Supply Company, Ft. Walton Beach
Paint: Sherwin Williams – Bright White
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