Cozy Reading Nook - Shiplap & Lights

Hey everyone! Welcome to my newest project and my favorite project!

Also, congrats to Instructables for their 1000th contest! Keep up the great work.

Today, I will be making a cozy reading nook and letting you in on the secrets to making this work and look nice.

I have all of the materials, tools, and steps listed throughout this page so you can follow right along. There is also a video I've made on this on my YouTube channel you can check out HERE. Just make sure you subscribe :)

Let's go!

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Tongue and Groove Boards (6")

Quarter Round for the edges

String Lights

Outlet Extender

Designer Extension Cord

Ryobi Nail Gun

2" Brad Nails

Liquid Nails

Teal 26" Pillows

26" Pillow Inserts

Blue 18" Pillows

18" Pillow Inserts

Pre-Stain

Wood Stain Early American

Clear Coat

(click the links above to find more info on the products I used)

This project is SIMPLE. Really - it's easy and you don't need many tools.

Begin by measuring the area - mine was just under 4ft so I could use 1 of the 8ft tongue and groove boards to cover 2 rows without much waste.

I also made sure to measure near the floor, measure in the middle of the wall, and then measure close to the ceiling just in case you have any crooked walls.

After measuring, go ahead and cut all the pieces to size and do a quick sanding on just the faces.

For the quarter round (you'll see these images during install), cut them to the height of your wall and make a 45 degree angle on the top for a mitered edge.

I had a couple of outlets on this wall that I needed to take into consideration.

Since mine are low to the floor - I dry fit my boards up to the height of the outlets and took measurements this way.

If you're doing a light switch or something that is higher up the wall, you can always cut the holes out after you stain and begin fastening the boards to the wall.

To cut, drill out the 4 corners and then use a jigsaw or hand saw to cut out the squares.

This becomes a personal preference piece of the project.

I wanted something lighter than my usual Dark Walnut projects and chose Early American by Minwax.

Always use pre-stain first, let it dry 5-15 minutes, and then hit it with the stain.

After 4 hours of letting the stain dry, it is safe to clear coat with polyurethane. I only used 1 coat of the clear coat because I didn't want it to be too shiny.

Finally, just knock down any bubbles and bumps on the stain by lightly sanding with a very fine sandpaper.

Here comes the really fun part (no one likes staining and sanding).

Setting your first board on straight will set you up for success moving forward - use a level and start nailing it on.

I'm using 2" brad nails but you can always go shorter if you'd like. Drywall is only 3/4" thick at a max.

For outlets, light switches, or other receptacles, you can use outlet extenders to "extend" out these things and make it flush with your new wall. They are fairly cheap and really easy to install. Make sure you turn off your power first!

The last thing I'll note on this basic part of the installation process is that you should point your nail gun at a downwards angle. This not only better supports the tongue and groove boards, but it also gets the nail out of the way for the next board.

If you shoot it straight across, the grooves of the next board will hit those nails and won't go down.

Sorry - 1 more thing: I used liquid nails and just placed a tiny bit on the back of the boards to hold them on better as well. Not necessary, but I try to build things to where they could support an elephant.

More than likely, your last board will not fit perfectly with the ceiling.

You'll just have to rip that board using a table saw or skill saw. There will be a gap up top, but don't worry, we have quarter round to cover that.

Fasten on the quarter round and the general shiplap look is now complete!

The hard part is all done! It's now time to put on your designer hat and make this a cozy place for you to enjoy.

We chose some string lights off of Amazon with edison bulbs and hung them up in a staggered pattern.

The pillows were also purchased online and this whole project has now become one of the quickest, and most beautiful ones I have done in a while!

I really hope you enjoyed this project - you can check out the video of this process HERE

I would love it if you hit the like button and subscribed to my YouTube as well as a free way to show your support! https://www.youtube.com/c/KellyConcepts?sub_confirmation=1

Thank you so much! Reach out with any questions!