Centering the Pattern on a Non-Symetrical Wall

Some wallpaper patterns with a dominant feature look best when centered on the main wall.  Some of my NGPP (National Guild of Professional Paperhangers) buddies insist that a pattern must be centered on the wall. That works well if there is going to be a bed or buffet also centered on the wall. But what do you do if you’re hanging paper in a bathroom, and the main wall is the toilet wall, and the plumber failed to get the toilet set smack-center?  (It’s not necessarily his fault; sometimes the placement of the floor joists dictate where they plumbing for the toilet can go.)

In this case, I chose to center the pattern on the toilet, even though it meant that the pattern would fall unevenly in each corner. As you can see from the strong vertical line shooting from ceiling to dead-center of the toilet, this was the best option!

Or, maybe you’d rather see the pattern centered on the wall, so the “Y’s” are equal on both the right and left sides – What do you think?

This fun geometric pattern is by Antonia Vella for York Wallcoverings, and was hung in a contemporary new home in the Montrose neighborhood of Houston.

Hmmm. I Guess the TV Guys Forgot to Bring a Dropcloth

That’s the homeowner’s embroidered satin bed spread they’ve chosen to lay the big screen TV on. The mounting bracket for the TV got plopped on top of the homeowner’s shelving unit.

Added one day later: I posted this photo on the Facebook page of the National Guild of Professional Paperhangers (NGPP), and it received mixed comments. Some people thought it is perfectly OK, another pointed out that dropcloths can be dirtier than a television set, etc.

Here’s my take on it: We all know that the TV monitor is not going to do any damage to the bedspread. In fact, with the exception of priming (which can splatter) or stripping wallpaper (using lots of drippy water), there is little I do that will cause any damage to the client’s home.

Paper and plastic sheeting are expensive and time consuming. And I hate dropcloths, because they get all bunched up and snarled in the legs of the ladder, and most of the time they’re unnecessary anyway, because I leave my shoes at the front door and I keep cushioned booties on the feet of my ladder to avoid scratching floors, and the process of putting paper on a wall doesn’t result in much of anything getting on the floor. But you can bet that I put those dropcloths down before I start working!

You see, it boils down to the client’s perception that you are careful in her home, respectful of her belongings, and taking steps to ensure that everything stays safe and clean.

So, maybe there wasn’t really a need for a dropcloth or sheet under the monitor. But I think the homeowner would have appreciated the TV guys making a little effort to protect her bedspread – or, better yet, put the thing on the floor. With a dropcloth underneath it, of course.

Tape to Cover Holes With No “Pouching”

On my current job, I removed three electrical-type boxes, and was left with large holes in the wall. Most materials I know of that could cover the hole (like joint compound and paper tape) would pouch out, and leave a raised area on the wall.

A fellow NGPP member (National Guild of Professional Paperhangers), Steve Boggess, developed this paper tape with feathered edges to be used to bridge areas, or add stability in certain circumstances. I decided to give it a try in covering these holes.

I am pleased with how it turned out. Three strips of paper tape spanned the holes, dried quickly, and pulled flat and taught. It accepted a white primer, which means that the dark hole will not show through a thin or translucent wallpaper.

It’s not a really sturdy repair, because if someone knocks into it hard enough, it would probably give way. But the chances of that happening are pretty remote, and I am very pleased with the flatness of the finished patch. Tomorrow I will put wallpaper over these areas, and I’m sure that no one will ever know there was ever a hole in these spots.

Koessel Studios – Unique Hand-Crafted Wallpapers

We had a meet up yesterday, of Houston-area wallpaper hangers, and a few from Dallas, Mineola, and even Chicago. Most everyone was a NGPP member (National Guild of Professional Paperhangers).

In addition to visiting and exchanging tips and stories (and eating!), we had a presentation and expo by Koessel Studios, manufacturers of fine hand-crafted wallpapers.

Almost all their papers are embossed with gesso, giving a three-dimensional effect. Many of them are further embellished with “jewels” – faux rhinestones, pearls, etc.

And, yes, they are pricy, running $200-$300 per single roll. Take a look at these gorgeous and unique designs:

http://www.koesselstudios.com/

My Favorite “Find” at the Convention

OK, I’m back from the convention, and it’s time to start blogging again. There is a LOT to tell about the NGPP convention, but I HAVE to start with this:

At the Vendor’s Showcase Friday evening, there was a guy there, Bo Sullivan, introducing his company, which sells actual, authentic wallpaper from the 1800’s to the 1930’s. As I have mentioned previously, I am totally into the ’30’s & ’40’s, and love the patterns and colors from that era. I even purchased 1930’s wallpaper for my entry from Hannah’s Treasures (Rosie’s Vintage Wallpaper is another source). (Don’t ask when I’ll ever get around to putting it up!)

But the 1800’s papers shown by Mr. Sullivan of Bolling & Company were positively STUNNING. The colors are so intense and rich, the ink texture is almost velvety, and the combinations of color, the designs, are pure magic. I can’t believe they survived all this time, perfect and radiant.

I was thrilled and flattered when Bo told me to take some samples home. Just take a look – so brilliant, so perfect, so gorgeous.

There is very little stock of these 100+ year old papers, as you can imagine. Bo says there is rarely enough left to paper even a small powder room or entry. So he suggests that people use them as art, framing a piece and hanging it on the wall, for instance. There are other innovative ways to use small bits of very pretty wallpaper.

Here is the link, and please DO take a look! http://bollingco.com/ I hope I can send some business their way!

Wallpaper Hangers’ Convention This Week

I am off to Reno, for the annual convention of the National Guild of Professional Paperhangers (NGPP). Yes, we paperhangers have a convention every year – educational seminars, vendor show case, socializing, and much more.

Say, I am even giving a presentation – on blogging!

How the Heck Do You Remove this Light Fixture?!

Wallpaper looks better and resists peeling when it goes behind towel bars, switch plates, and light fixtures. So I remove these things before starting a job.

I have never seen a light fixture attached this way until this year – and this year I’ve encountered two!

When a light fixture is attached to the wall by the nipple (threaded rod visible in the photo), usually you remove a cap on the front of the fixture and the thing comes down.

But on this one, the nipple is attached to the fixture. Turning the fixture would unscrew it from the rod, but you can’t turn a light fixture, first because it’s big and unwieldy and might hit the ceiling, and second because the wires in the electrical box would get all twisted up. I couldn’t undo the wires because they’re tucked back behind the bracket in the box. And I couldn’t remove the bracket because the light fixture blocks it so a screwdriver won’t fit in there.

I posted the picture to the Facebook page of the National Guild of Professional Paperhangers (NGPP) and got various answers. One guy said they make bent screwdrivers to get into tight areas like this.

Another said that undoing the bolts that hold the nipple in place could work. But how to get my fingers back behind there?

Another said that fixtures like this can be removed by one person, but are put up by two people.

Well, it was just lil’ ol’ me, I couldn’t figure it out, so I just left it in place and cut around it. Luckily the pattern was busy and forgiving. Looked great.

Oh, and THEN I could not find the screw that holds the decorative plate to the rod. Looked EVERYWHERE – and finally went out to the van and found it in the bottom of my Shop Vac

This is Shocking!

This is a timely post, because my NGPP buddies (National Guild of Professional Paperhangers) have been discussing on Facebook about dealing with dogs in clients homes. Where I’m hanging wallpaper this week, they have three pretty big dogs, and they can get rambunctious at times.

When I get to a job, I usually kick my shoes off at the door … it helps protect the client’s floor, and I work better in stocking feet. It’s just my way. 🙂

So this morning I was going out to the van to get more supplies, and my right foot started tingling. I thought I must have kinked up a muscle or nerve in there or something. But it kept tingling, and – dang it – it felt like an electrical shock. But that was pretty weird, because how the heck would you get a shock in your feet standing inside the front door of a nice home in West University Place?

I went to the van, got what I needed, and came back inside. There, at my feet, lay the answer to my tingly feet… This funny looking mat was on the floor just outside the home office. I looked closer and saw that it had wires running through it and was hooked up to a battery pack.  (Look closely … it’s clear and somewhat hard to see.)

It’s a mat designed to keep dogs out of rooms where you don’t want them to go. When stepped on, it delivers a tiny tingly shock. Not enough to hurt, but definitely enough to discourage a canine from going where he’s not supposed to.

Most people are not bothered by the mat, because most people wear shoes in the house. I, in my stocking feet, unwittingly stepped on the mat and got the shocking revelation.

Incidentally, the household pooches had learned to outsmart the zapper mat. I watched the spaniel deftly step on tiny spaces that were not electrified, and he walked right into that room as if it were his personal home office.

Black & White Wallpapers

Borrowed from the New York Times “Letter from London” about one woman’s love affair with black & white monochromatic decor.

I especially love the storm clouds by Cole & Son.  Who would think of papering a room in rolling storm clouds?  A friend from the National Guild of Paperhangers (NGPP) hung that paper recently, in an entry, and it was drop-dead gorgeous!  Take a look….

http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/02/letter-from-london-monochrome-wallpaper/

Her blog is a good read, BTW

Empty Paste Buckets are Good for Many Things

The buckets are recycleable, but there are so many other uses for them around the house, yard, and garage. My friend Lillian Spurlock Weist-Kinkaid, fellow member of the National Guild of Professional Paperhangers (NGPP) says she sells her empties to a local food co-op for $2 each.

I contacted a local community garden here in Inner Loop Houston. I think I got a better deal – traded a bucket for a passel of home-grown cherry tomatoes!