Our DIY Shiplap Built-in Fireplace Entertainment Wall

Neil and I have tackled our biggest DIY yet (our DIY shiplap built-in fireplace entertainment wall)! For YEARS, I’ve wanted built-ins in our Living room. Our home came without a fireplace of any sort (which I really hated) and although we had a nice Pottery Barn Entertainment Center, it just didn’t embody what I envisioned for this room. When getting estimates for a project like this, the quotes went from 7-11k! This is where my amazing idea came in! I showed a picture of something similar to Neil and asked if he could build it out. Without hesitation, he said yes!  And so the planning begun! I’m so lucky to be married to someone who just goes along with all my ideas, haha! Read on to get the deets on our DIY Shiplap Built-in Fireplace Entertainment Wall!

Our DIY Shiplap Built-In Fireplace Entertainment Wall

After measuring the space, we knew we needed 48 inch cabinets to flank each side of the shiplap wall Neil would build. You wouldn’t think that would be hard to find, but it took some time! We didn’t want to use lower cabinets because they’d stick out into the room too far. So, I found some upper white kitchen cabinets from Lowe’s and Neil built the base for them. We then used a large piece of pine, sanded it, primed and painted for the tops. Before you start any project, my advice would be to measure and measure again!

Dakota Timber Company

Once we found the cabinets and the awesome brass fireplace, I was on the hunt for the perfect floating shelves and mantel! In comes, Dakota Timber Company! Dakota Timber Co. manufactures high-quality, American made wood products with an emphasis on sustainability and low impact production. They are based out of Fargo, North Dakota and source their wood from retired buildings, urban tree removals as well as other sustainable sources. Dakota Timber Company’s most popular products to date are tabletops, floating shelves, mantels, shiplap, tongue and groove paneling, stair treads, and beams.

I connected with Ian, the owner, and his team whipped up the most AMAZING white oak mantel along with 6 matching shelves. If you saw my Instagram stories, you saw how excited I was to unbox everything! It was like Christmas! The quality is INSANE! Each piece meticulously crafted and ready for install. The mantel and shelves come with detailed instructions, a steel brackets that hold 150 lbs or more and six 2.5 inch screws. When installing these, use a stud finder to ensure proper attachment.

Currently, Dakota Timber Co. has a BOGO sale on their 28 inch floating shelf kits as well as a TON of mantels on sale!

This project seems daunting, but totally doable in a weekend. It turned out better than we had hoped and has transformed the space entirely. I’ve added detailed shots of the progress along with stoppable links to the cabinets, fireplace, TV (yes that hanging “picture” is a TV), and  everything else! Leave a comment of what ya think! Also, if you missed my last DIY project, you can check that out, HERE.

BEFORE:

our DIY shiplap built-in fireplace entertainment wall

our DIY shiplap built-in fireplace entertainment wall

Neil built a shelf to house the brains of our Samsung Frame TV. He also cut a hold inside the cabinet to the right for our hidden Xbox and DVD player. Leaving a large rectangle hole behind the TV also gives us access, if need be, to the Samsung box and cords.  Once the framing and shiplap was complete, I took over and caulked and painted. I used Sherwin Williams “Extra White” in semi gloss for the shiplap. For the cabinet tops, make sure to get cabinet primer and cabinet paint. I used a smooth cabinet roller for both primer and paint to give it the same look as the cabinets (3 coats each).

our DIY shiplap built-in fireplace entertainment wall

Finally, it was time to install the Dakota Timber Co. shelves and mantel. The mantel weighed approx. 100 lbs and Neil got it in place on his own. Honestly, he should have used my help on that, but with my back issues, he decided to muscle it up himself! Imagine me doing a face palm as I type this! Sure, he could have used one of our 4 kids, but then he wouldn’t be able to brag about his strength LOL. Neil drilled a small hold behind the mantel to feed in the cord for the sound bar. Our DIY shiplap built-in fireplace entertainment wall is coming along!

AFTER:

our DIY shiplap built-in fireplace entertainment wall

our DIY shiplap built-in fireplace entertainment wall

our DIY shiplap built-in fireplace entertainment wall

our DIY shiplap built-in fireplace entertainment wall

our DIY shiplap built-in fireplace entertainment wall

our DIY shiplap built-in fireplace entertainment wall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our DIY shiplap built-in fireplace entertainment wall

 

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