Clever and CUTE Homage to Historic Wallpaper

This adorable swatch of children’s wallpaper was uncovered during a whole-house remodel of a 1930 bungalow in the Woodland Heights neighborhood of Houston.

I love the way these old wallpapers retain their intensity of color, even after all these years. There is also some of the “cheesecloth” adhering to the back ….

Back in the days before drywall, when walls were made of ship-lapped boards, the paperhangers would tack thin fabric over the walls, and then hang the wallpaper on top of that. This provided a smooth surface (instead of the seams between the boards showing through), and allowed for the paper to “float” over the walls, preventing cracks or tears in case of the house shifting on its foundation.

The homeowner salvaged some of the wallpaper and preserved chunks in frames, which hang in front areas of the home.

I was particularly thrilled to see this, because, well, I just LOVE old wallpaper, especially from that era.

From Bold to Background – Wallpaper in Flea Market Decor Magazine

Three rooms in a recent issue of Flea Market Décor, showing varying levels of bold color and pattern, to a simple small print serving as a background to set off other decor features.

Springy and Gay Accent Wall in Guest Bedroom

What a cheery look, for an accent wall in a light-filled guest bedroom of a beautifully renovated bungalow in the Woodland Heights neighborhood of Houston!

I hung this same pattern a month ago just a few blocks away, but that room had wainscoting so there was only about 4′ of the pattern visible. In this room, the wallpaper goes from ceiling to floor, so you see how the full design plays out.

The design name is “Clementine” and it is by Sanderson, a British company. It is on a tough non-woven substrate, and I hung this using the paste-the-wall method.

The interior designer is Stacie Cokinos of Cokinos Design.

William Morris Design in Home Office

Here is a home office in an 1895 home in the Woodland Heights neighborhood of Houston. The walls and woodwork have been painted a near-navy blue.

This rhythmical, stylized, organic design by William Morris is true to the era, when W.M. was a fore-runner of the Arts & Crafts movement.

The blue color in this room, along with the hues in the wallpaper, beautifully tie in with the colors of the dining room across the hall (see previous two posts).

This wallpaper is by Morris & Co., and is printed on a traditional (read: old fashioned) “pulp” substrate. It’s somewhat delicate, but I do like the material.

The interior designer is Stacie Cokinos of Cokinos Design.

One More Finished Pic of Yesterday’s Room

Worrisome Wall

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You are looking at a wall in a powder room that I am about to hang wallpaper on. If you look carefully, you will see fine vertical lines running down the wall.

These are faint water stains that have built up over a few years, from people washing their hands and then reaching with wet hands for the towel hanging to the right of the sink.

Repeated assaults from water will stain flat finish paint, as you can see. Wallpaper might hold up a little better, but it will eventually become stained from dripping or splashed water, too.

That’s why, when I finish hanging paper in a bathroom or other area where it might come into contact with water, I give the homeowners a “lecture” about not allowing splashing or dripping.

It’s easy to keep your new wallpaper looking clean and fresh, if you can keep all family members (and the housekeeper) conscientious about not splashing.

Classic Look in Historic Home in the Woodland Heights

This large 2-story home was built way back in 1985 – a whole 12 years before the Woodland Heights (Houston) neighborhood in which it sits was platted and developed. It just underwent a major renovation, but retains most of its original details, such as floor plan, windows, moldings, flooring, pocket doors, and much more. There are several large, regal live oak trees on the property.

The homeowner chose this classic damask pattern with a weathered look for all four walls of the dining room. It perfectly suits the room.

It took me about two hours of measuring, plotting, engineering, hanging, removing, re-hanging, yada, to get the design to perfectly flank either side of the window. All that work was worth it, to have the design fall symmetrically. But the real show-stopper is the view of those oak trees through the window!

This wallpaper is by Designer Wallpapers, and is lovely to work with. The interior designer for the job is Stacie Cokinos of Cokinos Design. She is the go-to designer in the Heights for whole-house remodels and new builds.

I threw in a photo of my work table, just for fun.

Tune in tomorrow, to see the finished room!

Preventing Mars on the Wall & Fixtures

A step ladder, which is what I normally use, does not touch the wall, so there is no worry of marks or dents. But in this room, with it’s high ceilings and awkwardly placed tub, it was necessary to use my extension ladder, which works by leaning against the wall.

In the first photo, you see how a towel is used to protect the wall and woodwork from the ladder. In the second shot, the tub has been well-padded, before placing the ladder inside (the only way to access the walls above it).

wallpaper hanger houston

Somebody Painted Over Old Wallpaper

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Instead of removing the wallpaper, a previous homeowner painted right over it. In the first photo, where the mounting bracket of the bar light fixture was removed, you can see a bit of the original floral wallpaper to the right of the uncovered area. The sponge-painted beige paint went on top of that. The bottom 1/3 of the walls were painted in just the beige paint, and a border separated the two patterns, as you see in the second photo. It all looked pretty good, and was right in style in the ’90’s.

The bad thing, though, was painting over the wallpaper. It wouldn’t have taken that much effort or time (3-4 hours) to strip off the paper. Painting over it instead was quicker, but there are drawbacks. The wallpaper seams show, if even just a little bit, through the new paint. Because most wallpapers have a vinyl coating, the paint will not stick really well to it. There is the potential for moisture from the latex paint to penetrate through the wallpaper underneath, causing it to swell and bubble. It adds more layers and thicknesses to the wall. And every one of those layers is a potential to loosen and peel up.

Best bet: Take the time to strip off the old wallpaper, and then properly prime the surface, before painting or re-wallpapering. Also, the mounting bracket should have been removed, so the wallpaper and / or paint could go behind it.

Silver Cork in Art Niches

Wallpapering just the back of a niche or bookcase is a wonderful way to get maximum impact for little money.

One of the first things the homeowner said when I arrived for work was how expensive this silver cork wallcovering was. The good thing is that we only need one double roll. That provided enough to paper the backs of both niches. One had a barely-noticeable seam down the middle, and the other, which was less than 36″ wide (the width of the material), was seamless.

The homeowners loved it, and are now happily searching for something to put in the niches. I think something three-dimensional would look best … an architectural piece, a statue, some old rusty object, etc.

The pattern is Thibaut #839-T-7047