It seems safe to assume that the rugged Norsemen who reached North America around the years 900-1000 were not fashionistas. But we all know what happens when we assume.
No less an authoritative source than thevikingherald.com reports that “overall, Vikings were a diverse, well-groomed and practical people” who valued hygiene and often wore bright clothing. (And no, they did not all have blonde hair and blue eyes.)
Their practical acumen is evidenced by the fact that these Vikings, pre-Fran Tarkenton, invented overlapping wood planks called lapstrakes that created a watertight seal on a ship’s hull. These later became known as shiplap.
Sail forward oh, some 1,700 years, and shiplap is a hot commodity for a different reason. The rustic wood planks look became an iconic interior design trend not long after being featured on an episode of the HGTV show “Fixer Upper” during its inaugural season in 2013, when stars Chip and Joanna Gaines were renovating a 1911 farmhouse.
Before drywall came into widespread commercial production around 1920, shiplap was the standard base for interior walls in U.S. homes, which were often decorated with wallpaper. A shiplap wall was covered with cheesecloth or muslin to cover the seams and give wallpaper enough grip to adhere.
Called “the Holy Grail of house flippers everywhere” by plankandmill.com, shiplap has evolved beyond a trend to become a staple in many celebrity homes, where it’s used—and sometimes overused, especially the white horizontal planks—on everything from accent walls to kitchen islands. It’s affordable, easy to install and exudes warmth.
In its December 2025 issue, Southern Living asked three interior designers whether shiplap has fallen out of style. The answer was a resounding “no” because of the wood’s aforementioned attributes—and the fact that the vertical planks can make ceilings appear taller, while horizontal planks can make rooms appear wider.
Rabbet runs
Vikings made their shiplap joints by cutting an identical rabbet—an L-shaped groove or recess cut along the edge or end of a piece of wood—into opposite faces of adjoining boards, then overlapping the rabbets to lock them together and prevent any caps.
Plankdandmill noted that the Vikings “had great long straight trees to work with and they had iron nails, too. They overlapped rows of planks, nailing them into place where they overlapped with the adjacent plank.”
The overlapping plank method evolved over centuries for adaption in exterior siding on barns, sheds and seaside cottages to keep out wind and water.
In a May 2026 interview with Entertainment Now, Joanna Gaines said she’s happy to have helped Americans discover such an aesthetically pleasing and functional interior design style but does not want to be pigeonholed for one talent. That Viking ship may have already sailed.
