Artemis Block – Inverted Twin of Yesterday’s Install Post

Half bath sink room primed and read for wallpaper . I have plotted where the seams will fall and striped with dark paint , to prevent the light colored primer from showing in case the seams gap a bit.

Artemis is available as a floor-to-ceiling pattern. So this partial coverage option is an innovative and fun variation on a theme .

This is the same pattern Artemis Climbing Walls as yesterday, but reversed , so the flowers go from bottom upward .

The ceilings are pretty high. The empty 5 gallon bucket is there on the counter (with non-slip cushioning beneath it) as an un-OSHA approved footrest , so I can safely reach the top corners .

Artemis is a very popular wallpaper pattern , especially in this dark / black colorway .

Manufacturer is House of Hackney .

This install was on four walls in a powder room , instead of a single accent wall. Since this comes as a 4-panel mural instead of traditional rolled goods, the layout was a little more tricky . I cut out the little mock-ups from the instruction insert, and marked them as to roughly where each panel was separated .
This is a non-woven material, and can be hung by the paste the wall method, as I did yesterday in the dining room. But today, in the small and chopped up powder room , I opted to paste the paper instead.
You will note that this pattern continues uninterrupted from one mural to the next. If you have a wide space to cover and will need more than one mural , this continuation of the design is imperative. Not all do, so check and be extra sure, before you order.
Speaking of ordering material … remember that for murals, you MUST add 2″ to EACH side – in other words, a total of FOUR INCHES to BOTH WIDTH and HEIGHT . This will accommodate trimming at floor and ceiling , and also will allow for wonky or off-plumb / level surfaces .
Better yet, have your wallpaper installer calculate for you.
Houston

Don’t Do This When OSHA Is Looking

The ceilings in this powder room were about 10′ high, and it was difficult for me to reach the areas high up over the 20″ deep vanity top. So I got a little creative.

Usually, the 5 gallon bucket is high enough. But today I had to add a sturdy box on top.

There was enough room on the vanity top to hold the bucket securely, without toppling over the edge or into the sink.

Note that I used this get-up for balance only, and only placed one foot on it. The other foot stayed safely planted on the ladder. I never set my full weight on the contraption.

I like to put non-slip material under the bucket, but found that it was leaving marks on countertops, so hence the bucket on the bare granite.

Little Giant – Cool Ladder

This accent wall in a Houston dining room is a little taller than I can safely reach with my 6′ ladder. Rather than run home and dig out my 8′ number, the homeowner set me up with their Little Giant.

I was glad for this experience, because I have heard my colleagues talk about these handy, adjustable ladders. It worked out pretty darned nicely!

It’s as high as my 8 footer, but the leg spread is much less, so it fits into tighter places and does not carry you so far away from the wall you want to work on. It also folds into different configurations, and can even be used on stairs.

One unexpected benefit is that you can straddle the top, which gives you a unique work position and access. It’s also amazingly stable … you can really toss your weight around, and over-reach (don’t tell OSHA!), and it won’t shift or jiggle.

The only disadvantage for lil’ ol’ me is that it’s fairly heavy. While I was able to move it around as needed in this small space, I doubt that I could carry the thing any distance, or set it up, by myself.

10″ Head Space – I Can Do It!

Not only was there only a mere 10″ of clearance between the cabinet and the ceiling, the niche was way deeper than the typical cabinet, because below it was a 36″ deep refrigerator. Even standing on the very top of my ladder (ya know – the step that OSHA says NOT to stand on!), and contorting my whole torso on top of the cabinet, it was difficult to reach the back wall. And even more difficult to maneuver my hands and tools.

I managed to skim-float the area, sand it smooth, and prime it. Today it was time to get paper onto it.

The fewer tasks I had to do, the easier (and safer) it would be to accomplish.

The first thing I did was to trim the paper horizontally at the point where I wanted it to meet the ceiling. This eliminated the need for me to squeeze in a straightedge and trimming blade and try to manipulate them in the deep, narrow space.

Likewise, I wanted to avoid having to trim in the last corner (on the right). So I measured carefully, and pre-trimmed my last piece to fit. It was 3 7/8″ at the top, but widened to 4″ at the bottom.

After the strip got pasted and booked, it expanded a tad, so I had to trim off a teeny bit from the right edge. And also a little more off the upper right, due to the wall being un-straight at that point.

I was able to get my plastic smoother and damp microfiber cloth into the space, to smooth the strips to the wall and wipe off any paste residue.

Don’t Try This at Home – And Please Don’t Call OSHA!

Digital Image

Sometimes you have to get a little creative when your reach won’t reach.

The ceilings were 11′ high, I’m 5’3″ standing on the 5th step of a 6′ ladder – I just couldn’t reach that far corner over the vanity! A 5-gallon bucket on top of a Rubbermaid step stool, on top of non-slip shelf liner protecting the marble vanity top, with most of my weight on the ladder and just a toe hold on the bucket for balance, I was able to reach the top of the wall to trim the paper and smooth it into place.

Just please don’t call the man from OSHA! 🙂