How to Paint a Rainbow Shiplap Wall
Add color, texture, and style to a bedroom wall with this easy painted rainbow shiplap wall. This colorful accent wall is perfect for a kids’ bedroom or a playroom.
You’ll also like 100 Ways to Paint a Wall and 25+ more accent wall ideas.
Girls’ Bedroom with DIY Rainbow Shiplap Wall
We love seeing photos of what readers have built using our woodworking plans. When Kimberly from @Home_Kimprovements tagged #imaremodelaholic on this build of her daughter’s house bed frame from our plans, we were in LOVE!
But the star of this room isn’t the bed — as much as we love it!
That rainbow shiplap wall is perfection — what little girl wouldn’t love an ombre rainbow backdrop for all of her playtime adventures!
Kimberly was so kind to send us the information and paint colors so you can create a rainbow accent wall in your home, too. Be sure to check out all of her gorgeous home projects over on Instagram!
This post contains affiliate links. Learn more and read our full disclosure policy here.
How to Install and Paint a Rainbow Shiplap Wall
by Kimberly from @Home_Kimprovements
This tutorial shows how to install a full floor-to-ceiling shiplap wall using plywood. You can also install the shiplap planks on the lower part of the wall for a plank wall with hooks like this. -OR- fake a shiplap wall like this 😉
Tools and Materials
- 1/4″ sheets of plywood (8 slats per sheet at 5.5″ thick) — see Step 1 to calculate how many sheets you need
- Paint (colors below)
- Paint Roller
- Pencil
- Nail Gun
- Finishing Nails
- Table Saw or Circular Saw with Edge Guide (or many stores will rip the plywood for you)
- Level
- Tape Measure
- Stud Finder
- Drop Cloth
- 2-3 Nails (used as a spacer between rows)
- Miter Saw
Ombre Rainbow Wall Paint Colors
Rainbow paint colors (BEHR color names)
- Beloved Pink #S130-1
- Shy Smile #S130-2
- Ballet Rose #S130-3
- Coral Fountain #MQ4-3
- Frittata #M290-2
- Corn Stalk #M290-3
- Jackfruit #PPU6-07
- Healing Aloe #S400-3
- Azalea Leaf #S400-4
- Gallery Green #S400-5
- Misty Isle #MQ3-19
- Ocean Boulevard #PPU13-10
- Voyage #PPU13-07
- Spring Bouquet #S100
- Romantic Poetry #S100-2
- Ancestry Violet #S100-4
Plan, Paint, and Install the Rainbow Shiplap Wall
Step 1: Measure
Measure the square footage of your wall to determine how many sheets of plywood you will need.
One sheet of plywood is 8 ft x 4ft, which equals 32 sq ft. Our wall is 12 ft x 8 ft (96 sq ft) so we used 3 sheets of plywood.
Step 2: Find the Studs
Find the studs using your stud finder (typically 16″ apart) and draw a line vertically with a pencil and level. This is where you are going to nail the studs into place.
Step 3: Cut Shiplap Planks
Use your table saw to cut down your sheet of plywood. Cut the sheet horizontally 5.5″ thick. You will be able to get 8 pieces out of each sheet.
Don’t have a table saw? No worries, Home Depot or Lowe’s can cut it down for you at most stores. You can also use a circular saw with an edge guide like this.
Read more tips for working with plywood.
Step 4: Prep for Painting
Lay down a drop cloth and place the boards in rows the length of the wall to make sure you paint each row the correct color.
Step 5: Paint Shiplap Planks
We poured the paint directly onto the wood and used a paint roller to roll it on. We did have to do three coats for the best coverage.
Let the paint dry between coats. You should be able to start with the first color once you finish the last color.
Want a single color ombre wall? Use this tutorial to mix paint colors.
Step 6: Cut Shiplap Planks to Length
You want to stagger the ends of the boards. Using your miter saw, cut the pieces vertically in random spots to make it look like an actual shiplap wall and not a straight line down the wall.
Step 7: Install the Painted Shiplap Boards
Once the last coat of paint has dried, you are ready to start adding the painted boards to the wall.
If you are using spacers, the wall color will show through a bit, so now is the time to paint that wall if needed.
We started at the bottom of the wall, but if we were to do it again, we would have started at the top. This will ensure if you have a space left over, and have to rip a piece down, it will be at the bottom instead of the top.
Start on one side and use a nail gun and finishing nails to secure the boards along the line where you identified the studs.
Once you get to the end, you will likely have to cut your last piece down to fit in the remaining space. Just use your miter saw to cut that last piece.
Step 8: Space Between Boards
OPTIONAL: Once you get the first row down, start the next row but you will use the regular nails as spacers between the two rows. This will make it look more like shiplap. Continue all the way down the wall.
Remodelaholic Note: You can also use popsicle stick spacers like this faux fireplace facade or nickels as spacers like this shiplap wall used.
Step 9: Finish
Once you get to the last row, (if needed) rip the last piece as needed to fit and nail in.
Happy Rainbows!!
Get the plans to build the house bed frame here.
——–
Kimberly, thank you so much for sharing with us!
Remodelaholics, be sure to visit Kimberly over on Instagram to see more projects! Click the link to see the story highlight for each project.
More colorful decorating ideas:
- Rainbow Playroom Decorating Ideas
- Rainbow Home Decor and Paint Color Ideas
- 25 Colored Bathroom Vanity Ideas
- Colorful Sofa and Living Room Decor Ideas
Lorene has been behind the scenes here at Remodelaholic for more than a decade! She believes that planning projects and actually completing them are two different hobbies, but that doesn't stop her from planning at least a dozen projects at any given time. She spends her free time creating memories with her husband and 5 kids, traveling as far as she can afford, and partaking of books in any form available.
