DIY Shiplap Island Trim

Rip plywood board down into 6" planks. This can be done for you at Home Depot or Lowes.

Paint the cabinet base

Start hanging trim at the bottom, making sure your first piece is level.This piece may need some adjustments as most floors are not perfectly straight. Nail the board on the edges where there is backing behind the cabinet.

Use tile spacers or two nickles to space out your next board.

Start moving up the cabinet until you reach the top.

Paint planks on the cabinets.

Add corner trim pieces to finish it off, as needed

Paint the wall (or island, in this case) the same color as your shiplap before you start the installation process. This leads to a cleaner look overall.

Even though this is more work, the good news is that you do not have to use the normal care that you would use when painting a wall. Don't worry too much about making the edges perfect around windows or trim, because those areas will not be visible anway once you add your shiplap.

Using paintable caulk, fill any holes made by nailing your boards to the wall. As with painting the wall beforehand, this will give your finished project a more polished look.

User primer, or at least be prepared to add a second coat of paint if the first coat is not completely even. Unfinished wood can soak up a lot of paint, and so the finish may come out uneven after just one coat of paint.

If using faux shiplap (as above), use a toothpick or wooden skewer to clean out the wet paint that will drip down into the cracks of your shiplap. It is important to do this while the paint is still wet!

This way, you'll get the nice clean lines that you are looking for in your DIY shiplap. You won't have any drips of paint ruining them.

These tips are adapted from posts by Farmhouse Blooms and Domestic Imperfection. Be sure to check out more of their smart tips and tutorials!