Wildflowers Growing Up The Walls

Although I can’t tell if these are wildflowers or weeds, I really like this pattern. The homeowner does, too!

The original wallpaper in this hall bathroom was dark and dated back to the ’90’s. It had held up well, though. But the homeowner was ready for something new and fresh.

The original wallpaper was hung when the house was new, and was placed directly on the drywall with no primer. That bode badly, but – once I went to work on it, it stripped off relatively easily, and with no damage to the wall. It DID take most of a day, though, to strip both the large sink room and the large potty room.

Then I primed with Roman’s Pro 977 Ultra Prime, specifically formulated for wallpaper.

This is by Designer Wallpapers, and is a heavier non-woven material. It can be hung via the paste-the-wall method – but that works better on single accent walls. For this bathroom, with it’s corners and vanity and doors, I chose to paste the paper, which makes it more flexible, and easier to work into tight areas.

This home is in Katy (far west Houston). I hung paper in their entry a few years back, and was tickled when the homeowner called me to do some more rooms (additional posts to follow).

She also used the same gal to help her select and purchase her perfect paper – Dorota Hartwig at Southwestern Paint on Bissonnet near Kirby, my favorite source for good quality, product knowledge, expert service, and competitive price. (713) 520-6262 or dorotasouthwestern@hotmail.com. She is great at helping you find just the perfect paper! Discuss your project and make an appointment before heading over to see her.

Flaw of the Day – Smudged Smeared Ink

Luckily, these streaks of smeared ink ran through only about 5′ of one bolt of wallpaper.

Still, this cost us a full strip.

Another reason to always buy a little extra paper.

“Easy Removal” of So-Called “Temporary” Wallpaper – Peel & Stick

This homeowner did a nice job of smoothing and priming the walls in her powder room.

Installing the peel & stick wallpaper – the so-called “removable” new innovation in wallcoverings – was not so successful.

No wonder – that stuff is the Devil to work with. I won’t hang it, and virtually none of my colleagues around the country will, either. Click the link to my page on the right.

So she pulled off the woeful strips and, well, yes, it came off easily enough.

But the manufacturer neglected to mention that the “easy to remove” wallpaper would also take much of the paint along with it.

I had to skim-float and sand this section of wall, before priming and then hanging her new choice – a traditional paper wallpaper made by a long-standing and reputable company.

Hidden Hoarding? LOL

OK, folks, this is too funny.

Sometimes I need a place to temporarily stash towel bars or switch plate covers, or to “hook a toe” so I can maintain my balance and stability while accessing a high, tricky area. So I may need to open a drawer or cabinet door.

Too funny! Twice in a week, I opened cabinet doors in powder rooms to reveal this!!

We are in the era of the Corona Virus. I guess these folks are planning way ahead. You know – just in case …

Wallpaper Photos in Cottage Journal Magazine, Summer 2020

This issue is all about coastal living, hence the blue, sand, and fog hues, and nautical and beach accessories.

The second photo makes me envision floating fronds of seaweed. It’s called “Priano,” by Serena & Lily, a pattern that I love and a manufacturer that I like a lot. I have hung it many times.

The third photo is “Dashes,” which looks like watercolor daubs made a paintbrush. Note how it calls up images of ocean waves. It’s by Rebecca Atwood, also a good quality paper, and which also I have hung a few times. Although it is higher-end and requires hand-trimming and other special installation techniques. I have seen similar designs by other, more approachable brands.

Fourth photo – seagulls.

Next photo – Cheery flowers on a backdrop to a small home bar. This pattern is also by Serena & Lily.

Last photo – if you look at the top right of the picture, covering the walls of the landing at the top of the stairs, you can see an upbeat, open air feeling, red & blue floral pattern.

Dramatic Artemis Black Floral Completely Changes Dining Room

Like many newish suburban houses, this Clear Lake (south of Houston) home is all pretty much a homogeneous light tan – every wall, every room. This is the homeowners’ first venture into wallpaper – and, boy, did they make the right move!

This salad plate-scaled, brightly colored floral design on a black background amplifies this dining room accent wall many times! The pattern comes in other colorways, but none of those would have the impact of this black version.

The wall was textured, so I had to skim-float it and sand that smooth, then apply a primer. In the photo, you see where I have striped dark paint under where the seams will fall, to prevent the white primer from peeking through. I also used black chalk (see photo) to color the edges of the paper, to prevent the white substrate from showing.

This wallpaper pattern is a multiple / quarter-drop pattern match, which is very complicated to plot and lay out. The House of Hackney company made it easy, by providing this material in a 4-panel mural format. See photo

In one photo, you see the strips arranged in the order they will be hung on the wall. Before hanging, these will be re-rolled backwards, so the unprinted white backing side is facing outward.

This is a non-woven material, and I hung it using the paste-the-wall method. When I am on the ladder and unroll the strip and working to get it into position, having the paper rolled backward keeps the printed side from coming in contact with the paste on the wall.

Non-woven wallpapers have a high fiberglass content, and do not expand when wet with paste, nor do they shrink when drying, so less chance of gaps appearing at the seams, and also you can get accurate measurements that won’t change. The fiber content also ensures that the wallpaper “should” strip off the wall easily and in one piece when it’s time to redecorate.

A few short hours after I left, the homeowners sent me some “finished” photos. I wish I were more tech savvy and knew how to get photos off of text and into this post, so I could show you the gorgeous room. But for now, you’ll just have to use your mind’s eye.

Sparkling Glitzy Damask Accent Wall for Teen Girl’s Bedroom

Combine glamour, tradition, and sparkle, and you get this large-scale damask pattern for an accent wall for this “girly girl’s” bedroom near West University Place in Houston.

If you are standing at the right spots, you can see the built-in sparkle and glimmer on the wallpaper.

This material was a non-woven, so I could use the paste-the-wall method (instead of hauling in my large and cumbersome work table). N-W’s have a high fiberglass content and are hard to tear. They are designed to strip off the wall easily and in one piece, when it’s time to redecorate.

Like many of the N-W’s, this one has a vinyl type surface, so will hold up to some dirt and washings, and resist some bops and dings, as well.

This particular N-W product did tend to crease very easily (see second-to-last photo), so it was important to handle it delicately.

The wallpaper is by Fine Decor Wallcoverings, and was bought from my favorite source for good quality, product knowledge, expert service, and competitive price – Dorota Hartwig at Southwestern Paint on Bissonnet near Kirby. (713) 520-6262 or dorotasouthwestern@hotmail.com. She is great at helping you find just the perfect paper! Discuss your project and make an appointment before heading over to see her.

Colorful Backdrop to an Eastside Powder Room

The homeowner owns some treasured artwork (one painted by her grandfather!) that will really pop when placed against this cute, tight, small-scale geometric print in bright orange.

The wallpaper is by York, one of my favorite companies, in their SureStrip line, which is also a favorite of mine.

This paper comes pre-pasted, so you only need to activate the paste on the back with water. And it is designed to strip off the wall easily and cleanly, when it’s time to redecorate.

As with most rooms, the walls were not straight or plumb, so it was more than a bit of a challenge to make the pattern look straight, while also matching the design when turning corners.

In the end, the room looked great.

Central Houston

Wonderful Stringcloth Alternative to Grasscloth

Special Paste for Special Paper

Most wallpapers can be hung with standard wallpaper pastes. But some papers are more delicate or have special characteristics (silk, vintage, non-woven, prone to curling seams,) and thus call for special pastes.

When certain pastes are used, non-woven wallpapers like this one can display “blushing” or “staining,” which look like wet spots that never dry.

This manufacturer, Rebel Walls, has included a box of paste that is specially formulated to work with non-woven material. It is a powdered potato starch-based paste that is mixed with water on-site, allowed to set up, then mixed again, and then it’s ready to use.

To be honest, I probably wouldn’t use this paste. With the propensity of non-wovens to blush and stain, the less moisture you introduce, the better. So I would opt for a pre-mixed clear paste, such as Roman’s 838 or SureStik 780. But beware – some other types of clear pre-mixed pastes will stain (880, 234) and probably clay pastes will, too.