Before & After: Introducing The World’s First Shiplap Shower
Wendy Doris of Dwelling Studio was renovating a house with three bedrooms and zero bathrooms upstairs. She cleverly converted the center bedroom into a “hallway, laundry closet, spiral stairway to the rooftop deck, master closet and master bath. Yes it all fit.” Not only was the bedroom space efficiently chopped up and repurposed into five rooms, but the former bedroom’s closet became a shower!
Here’s the final product! (To orient yourself in the now-divided room, remember that the shower used to be the closet seen above, and that the windows have remained in place.) This is a stunning transformation, from drab and dreary to bright and airy. Here you can see the door from the master bedroom, as well as those leading to the laundry room—so convenient!—and a closet.
Here’s the opposite view, towards the master bedroom, showing how the accessories chosen—vintage glass towel bars, chicken wire and glass pendants, farmhouse sconces, and wood-framed mirror perfectly suit the 130-year-old home. Meanwhile, the grey, white, and wood palette keep everything looking fresh and modern, while the long pendants emphasize the incredible height of the ceiling. Are you curious about the sink, perhaps?
One of the other bedrooms mysteriously boasted a sink…
…so Wendy removed it, reglazed it, and installed it into the new master bath. It’s always amazing to be able to salvage a home’s original elements—especially if you can use them in rooms that actually make sense. The unique shape of this antique sink has character that you simply can’t buy.
Tired of the ubiquitous subway tile, Wendy decided to create one of the world’s first shiplap showers. She was especially concerned with avoiding the overlapping shiplap method, as she didn’t want it to look like indoor siding. If you’re interested in recreating this look in your own home, check out her highly technical interview with her contractor regarding his approach to the project.
Can you tell me about the material you decided to use? I decided to use a material called AZEK. It’s a material usually used on exteriors so I knew it could hold up… I was confident this was the right product to use.
How did you go about installing the boards? I started by making a waterproof system before installing the boards. I used the Schluter-Kerdi board system to make it 100% waterproof. Next, to install the AZEK “shiplap” boards, I used OSI adhesive for PVC material to bond to the Kerdi board. Then, to install the next board above it, I siliconed the entire “grout” seam. I could only do about 5 rows at a time, then start again 24 hours later after it dried.
How did you finish off the shiplap? I sprayed it using an airless HVLP sprayer. There are two types of this material. I chose the type that was more porous so it would accept paint once installed. I used a marine grade acrylic enamel which would normally be used on a ship. I knew it would be durable enough for a shower.
Just print out the entire interview and hand it to your contractor, and the world’s second shiplap shower could be yours. The new homeowners report that after a year, the shower walls are holding up great so far.
Check out Dwelling Studio’s full Before & After post for shopping sources and more behind-the-scenes info and inspiration. Thanks, Wendy!