Wallpapering in real life is nothing like what you read in self-help
books or see on HGTV. It's more like a domesticated Arnold Schwarzenegger
action flick with lots of plot twists, fights, and quick thinking.
Not to say that I didn't learn something from the self-help books or video
that I checked out from the library - I couldn't have attempted wallpapering
without them - but invariably you encounter things that aren't addressed
in any how-to guide or TV show. Fortunately, I kept my sense of humor
intact along with my perseverance, and my first big wallpapering project
turned out better than I hoped for.
If you're the impatient sort who just wants to see the Before
& After pictures, click on the link.
The good news is that wallpapering is something you can do yourself.
So, this web site is not only to share my what I learned in my first wallpapering
project, but to fill in the gaps, share a few sources - and to have a few
hyucks over the illusion of perfect wallpapering (it ain't gonna happen)
in a perfect room (ain't no such thing).
What Made Me Do It My husband and I have always been neutral kind of people in decorating.
Off-white walls with stained woodwork was our comfort zone, and painting
the hobby room a light blue was radical. The wallpaper we've had
in various kitchens and bathrooms are generally light, fairly neutral,
with a bit of blue in them. Carpets have always been a shade of beige,
too - we can match things with that, and given our chance of getting transferred,
so can future owners. We're not into big florals or Victorian or
oriental or anything remotely "cute". Then came The Baby. Having
a kid has a way of softening a parent, and a nursery set which had a mobile
with aqua-colored dolphins dangling from it won our hearts. We got
just about everything that went with the set, and I made curtains to go
with the valance (sewing is where I exercise any creative flair I might
have). There was even a border - the peel and stick kind, like contact
paper.
Well,
The Baby is now The Kid. At age three she likes pink, despite
my efforts to broaden Daughter's horizons to other neat colors. So
when it came time to make the nursery into a Big Girl room, she chose a
Sears' patchwork quilt of pink gingham hearts and blue flowers with white
polka dots. I found a border in a wallpaper book at a local decorating
shop that worked with the quilt along with coordinating fabric. I
painted the bottom half of the walls pink, repainted the top half white,
hung the border where the colors met, and made the curtains, valance and
memory board to match. I was pleased with the results, Husband was
impressed, and Daughter was overjoyed.
I was never
satisfied with how the guest bathroom turned out in our house as far as
wallpaper and tile go. We had little time to select color schemes
- Husband was working in a new state while I remained 400 miles behind,
visiting him and the house on weekends. Also, we had an acceptable
color scheme in the spare bathroom in our first house, and so tried to
find a similar wallpaper scheme for the new house. It didn't work
- the neutral light pink and blue pattern didn't fit well with the beige
tile, which turned out more to be a sandy brown. I always said that
one day I'd screw up my courage and rewallpaper to suit the tile.
Doing The Kid's room gave me that spark. Bring it on!
Spousal Enthusiasm Husband basically said "This is your project." Meaning
he'd help if I absolutely needed a second set of hands, but it wasn't his
thing, and he wasn't bothered by the color scheme in the bathroom anyway.
I understand. He's an amateur woodworker, and those are his
projects. As with any project, Husband's main concern was the possible
cost. When I countered that "At Sherwin- William's order desk, they'll
beat local prices," he gave me a knowing glance and replied "You're looking
for something to do, right?" You bet. Since becoming a stay-at-home
mom, I scrutinize our previous decorating decisions from 11 years ago day
in, day out - and some of them are getting on my nerves.
See what I mean? Booooo-oooooring!
Next: Planning is an Anal Thing
- including self-help sources, calculating how much you need and tips on
buying.
Well,
The Baby is now The Kid. At age three she likes pink, despite
my efforts to broaden Daughter's horizons to other neat colors. So
when it came time to make the nursery into a Big Girl room, she chose a
Sears' patchwork quilt of pink gingham hearts and blue flowers with white
polka dots. I found a border in a wallpaper book at a local decorating
shop that worked with the quilt along with coordinating fabric. I
painted the bottom half of the walls pink, repainted the top half white,
hung the border where the colors met, and made the curtains, valance and
memory board to match. I was pleased with the results, Husband was
impressed, and Daughter was overjoyed.
I was never
satisfied with how the guest bathroom turned out in our house as far as
wallpaper and tile go. We had little time to select color schemes
- Husband was working in a new state while I remained 400 miles behind,
visiting him and the house on weekends. Also, we had an acceptable
color scheme in the spare bathroom in our first house, and so tried to
find a similar wallpaper scheme for the new house. It didn't work
- the neutral light pink and blue pattern didn't fit well with the beige
tile, which turned out more to be a sandy brown. I always said that
one day I'd screw up my courage and rewallpaper to suit the tile.
Doing The Kid's room gave me that spark. Bring it on!
