About all this powder room has going for it is its size – it’s LARGE . But it’s also BORING . Wallpaper adds personality and visual interest , and keeps the room from feeling too massive . In addition, the Brooklyn icons hold sentimental value to the homeowner . Here is the opposite corner of the vanity . AND the short space between the ” floating vanity ” and the baseboard. I was able to do this space fairly easily because, first of all, I’m small and can pretty much fit under there. But what really made this possible is that, once I knew what the pattern match could be to the adjoining wallpaper strip , I was able to pre-trim these six short strips horizontally at the point where they would sit above the baseboard . Then I trimmed their height to 4 1/2″ – the exact height of the wall space way under that cabinet . From there, after pasting , it was a (sorta) easy task to squirm under there and put the strips into place. Yeah – nobody’s going to see it. But the husband wanted the wallpaper to be under there. And you know what? Even if the homeowners had not requested the paper go down there, I would have done it, anyway. Because leaving that bit of wall uncovered would have bugged the heck out of me.
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Corner opposite toilet .IIconic scenes from life in Brooklyn , New York . The pattern is called Brooklyn Toile , and is by Flavor Paper – they are known for some unique and wacky designs . Some Flavor Papers can be very difficult to install . I pretty much won’t work with their vinyl , and definitely not their (or anybody’s ) peel & stick . But I do very much like their EZ Papes option . This is a thin , pre-pasted material that goes up beautifully , seams are invisible , not affected by humidity , it adheres nice and tight for decades , and will strip off the wall easily when you redecorate – as long as you use water and follow the directions . This brand doesn’t have a strong protective coating , and the mom has concerns about the three young kids touching or splashing the paper as they reach for towels or soap or toilet paper . So she’s exploring various alternative options for towel racks and TP holders . Like laying a hand towel on the counter top , and a stand for the TP, or placing the rolls in a decorative basket . Their wallpaper is packaged differently from other companies . Panels are 24″ wide x 10′ 4″ high, with two strips in a pack , or ” roll .” So the total width of a “roll” is 48″ (4′), and then 10′ 4″ high. So if you have 8′ high ceilings , you’re going to be throwing away 2′ or so with each strip. And for the areas over doors , same thing … a full 10′ 4″ strip will be needed, even if the space above the door is only 12″ high. There are a couple other companies that package similar to this, with Spoonflower , House of Hackney , and Mind the Gap being good examples. Fkavor Paper is also a pricey brand . But very worth it, if you want something fun and unique . I mean, these guys even offer scratch-and-sniff wallpaper!
Paint color test patches on my clients’ entry wall .Here’s what it looked like before. Guess which color swatch won?Neither! Wallpaper won! Very much the better option, as wallpaper offers pattern , dimension , warmth , and personality .
The homeowners knew they wanted something brighter for their entryway . But their paint samples tested on the wall were falling flat.Wallpaper was the answer! Brighter and more personality and interesting than paint of the same color .Here’s a better shot showing the actual color . And here it is with my 100-watt light bulb gone and the room’s chandelier providing the light . This is a stringcloth material . Note that, just like grasscloth , another natural fiber material , you will see the seams a bit. On this one, the heavy inked areas of the white berries showed more than the background areas . From a few feet away, none of this was visible. Close-up showing the texture of the strings and the thick ink . I do think this will have some sound-reduction qualities ( absorb noise ). Also a note … cats and even dogs love to scratch or chew textured fibers like this.Rolling it out on my work table. The rolls / bolts were really heavy . Made by Wallquest in their EcoChic line. The home is in the Tanglewood / Galleria area of Houston . installer
Everyone advised this homeowner not to put black in the dining room, that it would make the room too dark. But she had a vision and went with her gut. She was right – the room looks fabulous and elegant. And the texture and sheen on the walls visually expanded the space. There is enough white molding in the room to play against the black. And the satiny drapes, along with the slight sheen of the grasscloth wallcovering bounce light around the room.Accent wall in dining room. White swirls (look closely – they’re snakes!) add movement that make this wall lively, not closed-in. In this master bedroom , everything’s dark – dark green walls , black ceiling , and black floral wallpaper . If this accent wall had been left painted green , the room would have felt dark and lifeless . But the black against the green, along with the limited color pallet and the visual movement of the wallpaper pattern visually push the wall back and add depth . This powder room started out all black. And it was a bit oppressive .But add wallpaper with a little color and pattern , and now the room feels larger and alive with personality . A powder room with black moldings and black wallpaper. Nothing claustrophobic here!Another powder room that started out with black painted walls . Yes, it has an enclosed feeling. Wallpaper with a black background and dark flora / fauna open up the space. wallpaper installer houston
This young couple hosts the mother / mother-in-law a few times a year, and are lucky enough to have a private spare bedroom for her. To make it special, they wanted to jazz up the area a little. Enter this fun and whimsical wallpaper pattern .The room before was a pretty shade of murky teal – but needed personality and warmth. The wall started out with a light orange peel texture . I skim-floated the wall, and then sanded it smooth . Along the baseboard at the floor , here’s the dust from sanding , along with the sanding sponge I use – this is a modern take on the idea of wrapping sandpaper around a block of wood . I tack painter’s plastic across the wall from ceiling to floor to prevent dust from getting into the room or onto the furniture . Here’s the wall smooth and primed , ready for wallpaper . Since this is a dark wallpaper and I want to be sure that the white wall does not peek out from behind the seams, I stripe dark paint along the wall under where the seams will fall. Because non-woven papers don’t expand when wet with paste , it’s simple to measure the width of your strips and plot out where each seam will fall. Use the laser level as your guide . Do a Search here (upper right hand corner) to read more about this technique. I use craft paint from Texas Art Supply (or any hobby store ), diluted with water from a Gatorade bottle cap , and applied with a scrap of sponge . Further insurance is taking a chalk pastel (never oil pastel – oil bleeds and will stain wallpaper) and running it along the edge of the wallpaper strip – from the backside to avoid staining the surface – to cover the white substrate the wallpaper is printed on. This is to prevent white from peeking out at the seams , which can happen with dark papers. Centering the first strip in the middle of the wall, and using my laser level to ensure the strip is nice and straight and plumb . Note: The strip is not centered on the wall. The dominant pattern element is. Notice that the center of the dominant pattern motif – the white circular flower – is 3.5″ to the right of the left edge. This means that I had to position the left edge of the wallpaper 3.5″ to the left of the center of the wall, in order to get the round white flower to fall down the center of the wall. When you look again at the finished photo, you’ll notice that the white flower falls down the middle of the walls, and that it also appears at equal distance from both the right and left walls. Most people wouldn’t be able to put their finger on this symmetry , but it is something they subconsciously notice , and it lends a feeling of orderliness to the room. As orderly as you can be, that is, with pigs dancing around the meadow dandelions ! Finished accent wall . The three other walls painted in blue were a bit of a surprise, because one would think the more dominant color of green would be used. But with so much green in the wallpaper, green on the walls, too, would have been too much, perhaps. I like the cool feeling that the blue creates . There is plenty of the exact same blue in the wallpaper pattern to tie the walls and wallpaper together. Close up shows the stamped printing technique . You’ve gotta love a frolicking pig in a hand-knitted sweater! This pattern is called Hoppet Folk and is in the Wonderland line by Borastapeter , a Scandinavian company . It’s a nice, sturdy but flexible non-woven material that can be hung via the paste the wall installation method . In addition, this product will strip off the wall easily and in one piece , with no damage to your walls, when it’s time to redecorate. This is a very popular pattern, and I’ve hung it more times than I can count, just in the last two or three years. It does come in other colors – but most people gravitate toward this black version. The townhome is in the Rice Military area of central Houston .
My clients had purchased and moved into one of those all white new-build homes in the Houston Heights that are popular right now. The blank slate style suits many homeowners – but my family wanted more personality and warmth. They found this Hollyhocks 4-panel mural by House of Hackney . They love the color and fresh liveliness of the design. This wallpaper does a whole lot to perk up the breakfast area, but doesn’t overwhelm or feel childish, because the colors are muted. A snug eating area.Close-up looks like a chalk or pastel drawing. The flowers remind me of active people – a lot of people talking and milling about. This is a non-woven material. It can be hung by the paste-the-wall method, although I prefer to paste the paper.
Before my baby blue primer hit the walls, this hall bathroom was all white – white walls, white tile, white vanity and mirrors and sink. Just a little bit of light grey color, and a simple white line drawing on this wallpaper do wonders to give this room warmth and personality. The design reminds me of a fairy tale. The family is bowled over by the change!
The paper is by Borastapeter, a Scandinavian company. It is a superb product – washable, easy to strip off when it’s time to redecorate, soft and supple enough to make hanging it in tight areas easier, seams are virtually invisible, non-woven material so can be hung via the paste-the-wall method (I pasted the paper instead).
The interior designer for this job is Stacie Cokinos of Cokinos Design. The home is in the Woodland Heights neighborhood of Houston.
Apologies for the dark photos. It’s the best my elementary phone camera can do. But look closely at the second photo, and you can see the pattern wrapping around the windows.
Here’s another home where all the walls were originally white. You can see how a little pattern and color add personality, definition, and warmth.
This swirly wallpaper pattern was chosen in a soft hue, so when you look at the breakfast nook from a distance, it feels snug and warm, but still light enough to fit into the home’s crisp white vernacular.
The space looks small and simple, yet took me at least six hours. There was a lot of intricacy involved in getting around the windows, and keeping the pattern intact.
Serena & Lily is one of my favorite brands. One of their catalogs came in the mail recently, and maybe that is why – I’ve had a rash of clients these days using this brand.
The home is in the Bellaire neighborhood of Houston.
All-white is always boring, so the powder room in this brand-new home in the Spring Branch neighborhood of Houston needed some personality and warmth. The homeowner chose this popular “Priano” wallpaper pattern by Serena & Lily.
The pattern has movement, but it’s gentle because there are just two soft colors tightly entwined in a loosely repetitive pattern.
In addition to being pretty, it’s a lovely paper to work with, and it will hold up well in their powder room.
This home is a new-build, and the walls are covered in a fairly heavy texture. Since the homeowner knew she wanted the powder room wallpapered, she wisely made sure the builder did not texture that room. Because I did not have to smooth the walls, this saved her a day of labor charges.
Guys don’t usually get too excited about decorating, but this husband really loved the new look. They’re even thinking about doing another room! 🙂
This large powder room (it has a shower!) in a new home in the Houston Heights originally had all-white walls (like the rest of the house). Interior designer Stacie Cokinos suggested wallpaper to warm the room and add personality. The homeowner had never used wallpaper before and was skeptical, but she tentatively agreed.
What a wonderful choice this turned out to be! The wallpaper defines the space and transforms it from timid to bold. But, because the color palette is limited, the feeling is not chaotic. The color coordinates beautifully with the dark brass wall sconces. Previously, the white woodwork blended in with the white walls. But now the dark color of the wallpaper makes the beautiful door moldings stand out.
This is a popular pattern, and I’ve hung it, or variations of it, a number of times. The design is by David Hicks and is made by Cole & Son, a British company. It’s a non-woven material, and is meant to be applied by the paste-the-wall method, but I had better results with pasting the paper.
The interior designer is Stacie Cokinos, of Cokinos Design. She works primarily on new builds, and mostly in the Heights neighborhoods. Her look is spacious, clean, and crisp, with a little fun tossed into the mix.
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