Before. This is a very small under-the-stairs powder room that was carved out of minimal space during an update and slight expansion of a 1940’s home in the Garden Oaks neighborhood of Houston , maybe 20 years ago. The homeowners have enjoyed the white daisy on dark wallpaper for a long time, but are ready for something fresh and fun . That curious window-thingie there was part of the garage wall in the original home floorplan .
Here it is finished. So nice that the sink and toilet are not in this tiny room, and that the door swings outward , instead of inward, as most bathroom s do.
I started with the back wall, which is the first thing you see when you open the door. I’m happy with the placement of the animals , as they all appear intact as you look across the wall. Meaning, that no one got his head or rear end cut off on this focal wall . I’ve striped darker paint on the wall where the seams will fall, to prevent white from showing at the seams. Do a search here to read other posts about this trick . Note the bow in the joint where the back wall meets up with the sloped segment of wall. This is pretty typical. Not a big deal with paint. But it means that the portion of wallpaper that goes up the sloped wall / ceiling will have a very slight pattern mis-match where it meets up with that bowed part of the horizontal joint .
Here is the wallpaper going up the sloped ceiling , which is the part under the stairs . Note that you don’t run one long strip of wallpaper up and across all these surfaces. For every corner, the wallpaper should wrap 1/8″ or so around the corner. Then you start with a new strip, matching the pattern as best you can (remember that bowed joint!), with about an inch of overlap, which then you trim off off the excess . This enables the paper to fit tightly into the corner / joint. Otherwise, you would end up with wrinkles and puckers and areas where the paper is not tight to the wall. Starting with a new strip of paper also allows you to make sure your new strip is hanging straight and plumb . Often you lose a bit of pattern match , but usually not much that anyone would notice.
At top of photo, continued up the ceiling and onto the flat portion of ceiling . Here is where the third section of wallpaper is cut and overlapped and trimmed into the joint. Note that the pattern on the vertical walls won’t match up with the pattern on the sloped wall .
The homeowners are from Scotland , and told me that these forest inhabitants are common and beloved over there. Her parents are regularly visited by red fox es, and feed them. Hedgehog , owl , deer , rabbit , squirrel , quail , all are denizens of the Scottish forests . Ditto the mushrooms , ferns , and other plant life .
Here’s that odd little window papered . I positioned the pattern so that it would continue from the wall into the niche as if the wooden molding were not there. The homeowner has a small rectangular mirror that will sit in the left side of the niche .
Close up.
The brand is Home Style and comes from the UK . It’s a flexible non-woven / paste the wall material , and was pretty nice. However, the substrate was hard to trim through, even with a brand new blade . It also wanted to drag a bit, leaving raggedy torn edges if you weren’t meticulously careful while trimming . And the material creased easily .
I hung this wallpaper a year or two ago, and was back to do the powder room, so got a chance to get a picture of the finished home office . I want to say that it’s the wallpaper that makes the room – but really, it’s the window treatment … and that yellow CHAIR !
I don’t remember the brand of the paper, and can’t find my original blog post, but it’s from the U.K. and is on a traditional pulp substrate material, which is a bit more tricky to work with than most modern paper types. birds installer houston
This wallpaper is made of what we call a British pulp material – a classic used in England for decades. It has a beautiful matt finish . But it has no protective coating , so it’s susceptible to stains . There are other issues with pulps, and you can learn more by doing a search here and reading previous posts. The staining you see along the top of the backsplash is from water , splashing onto the wallpaper and also beading up along the top of the backsplash and then wicking up under the wallpaper. But look more closely, and you’ll notice a general overall dirty cast . It looks to me like these shadows and stains are coming from under the wallpaper.
First, let me point out what a nice job the installer did in centering the pattern on this wall behind the toilet. But next, notice the staining . The marks are obviously working their way out from under the wallpaper. It’s interesting that the stains seem to follow a vertical path – I believe along where the drywall screws and joints were floated over with joint compound. I also believe the wall was not primed or painted before the wallpaper went up. In other words, the wallpaper is sitting directly on sections of joint compound and bare drywall .
I believe that some component in one of these materials is working its way up through the wallpaper and showing on the surface. Another theory is that the original installer used clay based paste . This paste is tan in color, and actually made from red clay. It’s very sticky, so many installers like it, especially for commercial use on heavy vinyl wallcoverings . But I won’t use it, because I’ve seen way too many times where it has worked its way through wallpaper, leaving stains like this. OK, full disclosure … aside from the commercial uses, there are certain wallpapers that call for clay based paste, specifically some colorways of the Bradbury & Bradbury brand. Cool Victorian and Arts & Crafts and more designs. Google them.
These stains are dangerous, because they can continue to bleed through anything you put on top, such as paint or new wallpaper. This is one of the very few situations where I plan to hang the new wallpaper over this existing paper. That’s because, since this paper was hung on bare drywall, it’s bonded to the surface, and will be very difficult to strip off. And the clay based paste will still be under there, which is nearly impossible to wash off completely. So, to save me time and to save the homeowner money, I’m going to leave the paper on the wall. I’m going to seal it off with a good coat of stain blocker , such as this oil-based KILZ Original , or another good product is shellac-based BIN . Note that latex or water-based sealers – no matter what they claim on the label – will not adequately seal off stains . IMO. KILZ has fumes that will make you high. BIN won’t set you adrift in a yellow submarine, but it does have a strong smell. So ventilate the room, and consider wearing a chemical respirator. Both of these splatter and drip, especially the BIN, so cover floors , baseboards , and other surfaces.
Wallpaper paste won’t adhere to an oil-based product, and BIN dries too shiny for the paste to grab a good hold of. Besides, they’re not designed to hold wallpaper. So you’ll need to topcoat the stain blocker with a primer made for wallpaper. I like Pro 977 Ultra Prime by Roman . It sticks to just about anything, and makes a great surface for wallpaper, easing installation now and removal later, and working to hold the seams down tightly without gapping as the paper dries and shrinks .
Shout out of appreciation to the great members of WIA (Wallcovering Installers Association), and networking of fellow paperhangers! My van broke down last week (which is why I haven’t been posting pics or stories about my daily installs ) (the leak was much larger than the photo shows, and was also inside the cab), and I was unable to get to my Wed-Thurs job. Because I did not have that client’s contact info with me, I was not able to notify her until I got home, which was well after 10:00 p.m. The homeowner was extremely unhappy ,,, which we won’t get into. But I do understand … their only bathroom in the house had been disassembled (toilet and sink removed) in preparation for the new wallpaper . 11:30 p.m., I put out desperate texts to my installer buddies in the Houston area. Within 15 minutes (we’re talking midnight, folks), I had heard back from three! All were willing to help. But it’s a busy time for wallpaper, and most already had commitments and were unable. I’m very grateful to Randy Wages, who jumped in. With just a few hours’ notice, with no prior knowledge of the job or material, he was at the home the next morning, less than 10 hours from getting my distress text! Got the job done in the same 2-day time frame, for the same price the homeowner was prepared to pay. He left them very happy. I don’t know if Randy just happened to have Wednesday & Thursday off, or if he rearranged his schedule to help me out. But it was GREATLY appreciated! All this is due to the network of installers who know each other and have occasional meet-ups in Houston. And the broader reach of the Wallcovering Installers Association ( WIA ) and our active Facebook page and annual conventions where we get to meet in person and know one another. There’s an atmosphere of comradery rather than competitors, and willingness to help each other in a pinch. I’m still dumfounded that this horrible mess happened, and that it was resolved within less than an hour, in the wee hours of the morning, and that all turned out so well. Thank you, WIA , and thank you Randy!
Nice packaging by Thibaut. Textured vinyl on non-woven. 20.5″ in 27″ heavy and double-walled corrugated box. Cardboard protectors on the edges, tons of bubble wrap all around. Material was perfect. Not even pinched edges, which sometimes appear with this cardboard endcaps.
I don’t like wearing shoes , plus they make me feel clumsy . And most homeowners prefer you don’t bring dirt or scratchy grit or germs into their home. I have a mat that I place just inside the door for shoes. And also for setting down my tool box and cans of wallpaper primer and other gear I bring into the home.
Here’s my work table, set up in the hallway outside the powder room where I’m hanging wallpaper . Padded moving blanket underneath to protect the floor. Thick purple towel extends beyond where U-Haul left off. Three collapsible trestles to support the table. The table is made of three boards, 11″ x 7′ , which fit together and are held in place by metal pegs. I use the 5/8″ thick boards. But the guys who are beefier than me often opt for the 3/4″ thick, which are a bit sturdier and less prone to bending / warping. And a lot heavier! Mine probably weigh about 30lbs. I wrap them in a thick blanket and secure with Velcro straps. Relatively easy to carry. I fold up the trestles and also wrap them in a sheet, secured with Velcro. Easy to carry, and also keeps those cushioned rubber feet from leaving marks on the wall, if I should accidentally brush against it whilst carrying all this bulky stuff into my clients’ homes. My 76″ straightedge is the blue bar hanging just under the front of the table. Many installers leave their paste roller in the bucket of paste, but I find that too messy. So I have mine hanging on the edge of the table. You also see my red trim guide, which I use to tear wallpaper against to get if off the roll . And a yardstick , scissors , damp microfiber rag , and blue cut tape (do a Search here to learn what this is used for, but basically to keep paste off surfaces, like ceilings ). Bucket of paste is below the table, with a roll of that blue cut tape sitting on top. Plus the blanket I wrap the boards up in, folded and sitting right where I’ll be standing, to give a little cushion to my feet throughout the day.
A lot of installers leave their boards as they come from the factory. Others apply a sealer . I don’t like paste getting into the grain of the wood, or trying to wipe paste off the porous surface. So I’ve covered my boards with clear Contact Paper. A lot of installers trim wallpaper directly on their boards / table , claiming that the wood is ” self-healing ” and that tracks from the razor blade disappear . I say that’s bunk! I took their word for it and tried it. I hadn’t had my boards more than a week when I realized that tracks gouges from the razor blades were developing in the wood, and were catching the blades and causing my trims to go squiggly or crooked . Not good! So now I trim on a strip of Lexon plastic , which you can kinda see running the length of the first board on the right. Better shot below.
To the right of the scissors is the plastic strip. It’s also used for double-cutting / splicing wallpaper on the wall . Lasts for a good number of cuts, inexpensive, and disposable. You can buy this, and the blue tape film at the Wallpaper Tool Store . https://www.wallpapertoolstore.com/ The table is 7′ long. I’ve attached thin flexible tape measurers from a fabric / hobby store to the edges . Pink on this side, and yellow on the far side. I measured in 6″ from the both ends of the boards, drawn a line across, and then placed the tape measures in the center 6′ length . At 12,” 24,” and 36,” etc., I drew dotted lines across the table, to help with measuring and rolling out wallpaper . The tape measures are under the clear Contact Paper, both to keep them clean and to prevent their thickness from catching the edges of the wallpaper that I will be working with on the table.
Getting wallpaper around an arch is trickier than on a window or doorway with a flat underside (which we call a return ). Mostly because if you try to wrap the wallpaper under the underside, it won’t lie flat, because the underside has more space and the paper won’t fit. So you will have to make slits to allow the paper to lie flat. And then there will be gaps between the slits. Hard to describe. But if you sew, and are familiar with easing in the fullness when adding a sleeve to the shoulder area of a garment, you’ll kinda understand what I’m talking about. At any rate, wrapping the paper under this return was not an option. So I opted to trim the paper with a razor blade right to the conforms of the arch, and so that it covered the edge of the drywall (rather than being cut back away from it by a hair). If you don’t get this right the first time, you’ll have to replace the whole strip, ceiling to floor. The next thing to do will be to cut a strip of paper to cover the underside of the arch. Behind the curtain, the paper on the wall wraps around the return, and the lines are horizontal. At first, I planned to keep the lines going in this direction – in other words, the short way across the strip, so the top would be the same as the sides. This would be easiest for me, because I could cut one long strip to cover the underside of the arch. But then I realized that the sides would be covered up by the curtain / shade, and no one would see the nice homogeneous look. Besides, those short crosswise lines would be at odds with the left-right lines above the window. So it became more important to have the lines on the underside of the arch sync with the lines above the arch. This meant having the lines run lengthwise, instead of the short way. This would look better, but was also less simple. Because the wallpaper is 20.5″ wide, and two strips would need to be used to cover the width of the underside of the arch. Probably no one would notice if the pattern didn’t match from strip to strip – but, me, being me, had to ensure that the stripes matched across that short seam. With a pattern repeat over 2′, that could mean using up a lot of out left over paper. I like homeowners to keep their leftovers, in case of needing to do repairs later. So I dug through the scrap pile and found two segments that would match from side to side. Measured the depth of the return. I was lucky that it was the same all the way across (there usually is some variance). 5+ 3/8″. I used a razor blade and straightedge to square up the strips of wallpaper, and then trimmed them to that width, making sure to match the pattern from left strip to right strip. Then pasted and applied to the underside of the window arch. The two 20+ 1/2″ long strips next to each other were too long / wide for the arch, so I trimmed off the excess.
This non-woven / paste the wall wallpaper is by Thibaut and was purchased below retail through Dorota at the Sherwin-Williams in the Rice Village ( Houston ). She has 25+ years selling wallpaper and 300+ selection books – and she knows what’s in every one of them! So she can easily and quickly help you find your perfect pattern. Hours fluctuate, so call to make an appointment, and let her know what you’re searching for. (713) 529-6515
Before shot. The empty nesters lost their Braes Heights ( Houston ) area home during the unprecedented flooding brought by Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Over a year, they built a new home on the same site. Once completed, decorating was put on the back burner, and they moved in and set about trying to get back to “life as usual.”
But the homeowner always wanted wallpaper in at least the powder room, and so had the builder leave the walls untextured . Today, her dream was achieved!
Coordinates beautifully with the marble vanity countertop , as well as the brushed silver faucet and handles .
The wallpaper pattern has a modern feel and really brightens and freshens up the powder room .
It features a silver metallic finish on a textured / embossed vinyl surface .
More on how the arched window top was treated in a separate post.
The wallpaper is by Thibaut , one of my favorite brands . It’s on a non-woven substrate , and can be hung by pasting the paper (which I prefer, especially in chopped up rooms like this) or by the paste the wall method. With 20% polyester content, it’s more resistant to water splashes and stains than traditional papers . And it’s designed to strip off the wall easily and without damage to the wall when you redecorate . This wallpaper was purchased below retail through Dorota at the Sherwin-Williams in the Rice Village ( Houston ). She has 25+ years selling wallpaper and 300+ selection books – and she knows what’s in every one of them! So she can easily and quickly help you find your perfect pattern. Hours fluctuate, so call to make an appointment, and let her know what you’re searching for. (713) 529-6515
I generally try to steer clients away from real grasscloth , for many reasons. Please read the link to the right of this page. Luckily, there are lots of alternatives / faux grasscloth options . These paintable ones are new to me, and I really like the idea. They mimic the look of grasscloth nicely. There are plenty of other designs, too, such as stucco , wood , brick , Victorian wainscoting , old fashioned tile ceilings – you name it.
Anaglypta is one brand. The pattern number and specs for the top photo is in the photo above. Paste The Wall is an easy and near fool-proof installation method , and material ( non-woven ).
This is sideways – sorry, I don’t know how to flip the photo. These papers can be painted . Then you end up with a solid color , a very serene look, which many people like. But the solid color of paint can also be wiped with a glaze in a complimentary color , to add depth and accentuate the texture in the pattern . This would make it look a whole lot more like real grasscloth .
Instead of a paste the wall non-woven material, the one above is pre-pasted , which is also a relatively easy material to install .
Here’s a linen look option.
This is just one of several selection books that offer this paintable wallpaper . These papers can be purchased below retail through Dorota at the Sherwin-Williams in the Rice Village ( Houston ). She has 25+ years selling wallpaper and 300+ selection books – and she knows what’s in every one of them! So she can easily and quickly help you find your perfect pattern. Hours fluctuate, so call to make an appointment, and let her know what you’re searching for. (713) 529-6515
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