What Are Those Wrinkles in the Wallpaper?!

Un-Plumb, Un-Level

Shot of the finished breakfast room , for pattern reference.

Close-up view. The vertical lines are not wrinkles , but shadows cast by the macrame light fixture in this breakfast room .

The problem is, when walls aren’t plumb , and ceiling and floor and chair rail are not level , the pattern motifs won’t march across the wall at the same height on every strip . I’ve learned that, in most cases, it’s more important to match the pattern in the corner , and then allow the pattern to go off-track at ceiling or floor if necessary.
In this photo, note that the humming bird is sitting completely above the chair rail.

Here he’s dropped down to where his tail is swallowed up by the chair rail .

By the time we get to the left corner , half of the bird has dropped down and disappeared .

Here’s another bird motif doing the same disappearing act .

Feet and belly gone.
This house in the Eastwood neighborhood of Houston is nearly 85 years, so you can expect some settling and shifting on its foundation . But even brand new homes can have walls that are out of whack .

This beautiful pattern is by Cole & Son and is called Hummingbirds – it’s very popular and has been around more than 100 years … that’s older than the house!

Pretty , Airy Humming Birds on Breakfast Nook Walls

Before. Note that those vertical lines on the wall are cast by the macrame light fixture. You also see bench seating with storage underneath . There will be a wall-mounted table in the center . The wainscoting / chair rail is high enough to keep any food splashes or sticky fingers from staining the wallpaper .

Finished .

Hummingbirds Bring Color and Life to a Heights Bedroom

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This Houston Heights home is an older bungalow that has been nicely renovated, updated, and enlarged. The outside has been kept traditional, to fit in with the historic neighborhood. But there is a slight mid-century / industrial modern feel to the new interior. Everything is very white.

The homeowner wanted some life and color in the master bedroom, and fell in love with this beautiful, cheery, historic pattern of hummingbirds on a dark background. It went on one accent wall in the bedroom.

The homeowner is thinking of pulling a color from the wallpaper and painting the walls. She’s thinking of a light green. I am all for it – no more white walls! Plus, the woodwork in will stand out better, and the room will feel cozier.

This pattern has been around for nearly 150 years, so “historic” is fitting. Thibaut makes a very similar, but smaller-scaled version, called “Augustine.” But this one is by Cole & Son. It is on a non-woven backing, and is installed by the paste-the-wall method.

Very Pretty Hummingbirds in a Daughter’s Bathroom

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This is one of my all-time favorite wallpaper patterns. I have hung it a bunch of times, in many colors. The bathroom was originally papered in a dark mossy green and rose floral pattern, and the homeowner wanted to update and brighten the space. She mentioned liking birds, I showed her this pattern, she loved it, and that was that!

This wallpaper pattern called Augustine and is by Thibaut Designs. This is an old and classic and very popular design, and many companies have knocked it off over the years. I’m told that this one (the original) is 18.5″ wide instead of the standard 20.5″ because it is printed on the actual printing presses that were used back in the 1800’s.

This bathroom is in a home in the Galleria area of Houston. The wallpaper was bought at a discounted price from Dorota Hartwig at Southwestern Paint on Bissonnet near Kirby. (713) 520-6262 or dorotasouthwestern@hotmail.com. Discuss your project and make an appointment before heading over to see her.