Posts Tagged ‘room’

Tall Windows Allow Innovative Pattern Placement

May 30, 2023
Focal wall before. With many patterns, the finished room looks better if the dominant features of the pattern can be centered .
You may not consciously notice this, but the overall room just feels more cohesive and balanced .
Here I’ve located the horizontal center of the wall , and placed the skinny tree running vertically down that line .
Same thing on this section of wall, but I used the alternate tree figure, which is wider and filled the space better.

It’s kind of tricky finding the center of a design like this, because it’s not symmetrical and elements of it move to left and right , and some are wider than others. So it helps to be able to pull up a room-scale image on-line , or to lay a couple of rolls out next to each other on the floor and look at the pattern from a distance.

It was cool that this dining room had lots of individual spaces , separated by windows and doors .

And extra cool that these features reached up almost all the way to the ceiling. AND that the design was loose and flowing . That’s what allowed me to fiddle with the pattern and center the trees on each individual section of wall . Normally a pattern would have to match all the way around the room. But here you would never notice if a tree branch didn’t perfectly match the next tree branch way up 9′ high over the window that was only 2″ high .

On those short areas over the windows and doors, I overlapped the left and right strips a small amount, and then cut along one of the branches to disguise the mis-matched pattern.

Since there were two tree figures to the design , I varied what I placed in the center of each wall, to prevent every visual vignette from being the same.

It was fun plotting all this out and executing the layout . I love when my work environment is nice and quiet and I have the space and time to play around like this .

The pattern is called Luminous Branches and is by York . It’s a material made by a good brand .

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Trick for Centering Pattern With Non-Woven Wallpaper

May 27, 2023
Dining room focal wall before.
Same wall done, with dominant tree figure positioned down center of the wall. How was this achieved?
Laying the paper out on my work table, to see the pattern. Determine this tree is more vertical and visible than the more spreading trees on either side.

It helps to access the pattern on-line, to see a full-scale , room-set photo. And also to roll the paper out on the floor.

Finding the center point of this tree.

The center of the pattern is 20 1/8″ from the left edge of the paper . Since the wallpaper is 27″ wide, this places the center at 6 7/8″ from the right edge of the strip. Hold on to that / those figures!

It helps to access the pattern on-line, to see a full-scale room-set photo. And also to roll the paper out on the floor.

Now we’re looking at the wall, and the calculations I’ve drawn on it.

At the left, I’ve marked the mid-point of the wall. The mid-point is 27″ from either side.
Since the center of the tree is 6 7/8″ from the right side of the wallpaper, to the right I have marked 6 7/8″ over, which is where the right edge of the wallpaper should be placed. This will land the center of the tree motif at the center point of the wall.
This also works out to 20 1/8″ from the left edge of the subsequent wallpaper strip.

6 7/8″ from the right edge of the strip on the left works out to 20 1/8″ from the left edge of the strip to be placed on the right.

Confused yet? We paperhanger s aren’t just slapping paper on the wall . There is a lot of math and plotting and engineering that goes into all this.

At least the way I do it. You can call me the Queen of Overthinking . 🙂

Trimming right-hand strip to 20 1/8″ wide.

Instead of placing the left-hand strip along a plumb line at the 20 1/8″ point on the wall, and then placing the next strip to the right of it, and having to trim against that window molding, I found it simpler to pre-trim the right-hand strip to 20 1/8 ” wide, and then I could simply butt this strip up against the window molding, eliminating the need to wipe paste off the molding, and also keeping the pattern straight along the molding.
But there is also that 2″ high bit of space over the window. That’s why I’ve left that little tab of wallpaper you see at the upper right of this photo.

Here is that first strip in place. Maybe now if finally all makes sense.
When I put that second strip next to it, the mid-point of that tree is going to be 6 7/8″ from the edge, and will fall right at the mid-point of the wall. Remember, that was at 27″ from both the right and the left window moldings.
And here we are! Measured from the right.
Measured from the left. Spot on!
All that math and calculating for one 54″ wide x 5′ high wall!

But look at how nice it looks with that tree down the center of the wall. Especially with the brand new chandelier hung in the middle of the room. This will be the focal point of the room, as people walk into the home’s entry .

The pattern is called Luminous Branches , and is by York.

Note that this calculating and plotting could be achieved because this product is a non-woven / paste the wall material. This stuff does not expand when wet with paste . That means that you can take measurements and trim your wallpaper , without fear of it stretching beyond where you plotted for it to land on the wall.

Lively But Soft Swirls In Hall Bathroom

May 20, 2023
Original wallcovering was a dark , rustic , textured (and outdated) torn and overlapped paper .
Smoothed , prepped , primed , and ready for wallpaper .
Done! Bright , fresh , and with visual movement from the swirly leaf pattern .
Opposite side of vanity / countertop .
Mirror shot showing wall behind the vanity / sink .
Wall opposite the vanity / mirror .
The pattern is called Priano .

The color is called Dusty Pink – it’s a very livable pink.
This is very popular pattern , and I’ve hung it a bunch of times, in every colorway . It’s one of my favorites, too.
I love the soft swirling foliage , and the simple two-color scheme . This makes it a very easy pattern to live with , whether it be one accent wall or a whole room . In fact, the pattern is so soft and un-intrusive that it makes a wonderful choice for papering all the walls in even a large room such as a bedroom or dining room (Search here to see the dining room I did in the soft blue version .)

Made by Serena & Lily

I like the quality of just about everything from this company. This is a paper wallpaper , and goes up nicely . Like most traditional wallpapers , this is installed by pasting the paper .
The home is in the Champions Forest area of northwest Houston .
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Recessed Electrical Outlet

May 16, 2023
This recessed electrical outlet is a super cool innovation, because your plugs won’t stick out into the room behind furniture and etc.  But this outlet is high up on the wall in a powder room , so is probably to service a lighted picture or mirror or similar.  The recessed outlet will allow the fixture to sit flush with the wall .
Here it is pulled out of the box, so I can place wallpaper behind it. This pic shows some of the electrical connections.
I did some searching, but couldn’t come up with definitive information about if a special deep electrical box is required.  But my guess is that it is. 
Either way, these types of outlets are a super good idea for both items that need to sit flush with a wall (lighted mirrors, TV s) or with every day appliances like lamps and home electronics. 

Revisiting Foliage Accent Wall in Home Office

May 14, 2023
I installed this wallpaper a couple of months ago, and was back to do another room, so took the occasion to get a shot of this home office all furnished and finished . The homeowner has a real green thumb with plants !

Getting More Light Into A Room

April 30, 2023
This small hallway in a 1936 bungalow in the Eastwood neighborhood of Houston was very dark , with just this hanging light fixture . It’s gorgeous … Art Deco style , and probably original to the home. But just not putting off enough light for me to install wallpaper .
So here’s my easy solution . The metal fixture has an open hook type area that will hold my extension cord . But if not, I have dollar store hair bands (beauty dept) that I can rig up there to hold the cord. The plug-in socket s are available at Home Depot or the like for about two bucks. You can also plug them into a wall outlet .

More Blue Heron Flight Mural

April 22, 2023
This is the kind of a room that you don’t just look at the walls – you have to stand in the room and feel it. Dusk settling into night , swooping birds , stormy clouds .
This looks a little like hand-stitched embroidery .
This textured natural material is a fine sisal , which is similar to grasscloth . The color between panels was pretty uniform , as you see at the seam toward the right of the photo .
These panels came 33″ wide . But for this last strip on the right, I only needed 23″ width. That means I would have 10″ of width , the length of the strip, to cut off and discard . If I had used the left side of the strip, which is logical installation sequence , we would have had birds’ butts sticking out from the side of the window molding . So I decided to trim off that left side and instead use the right side which, as you see, has a more pleasing bird’s face and wing .
The brand is Phillip Jeffries , a high-end company . The material comes as a 6-panel set . You have to purchase six panels, but after that, you can buy individual panels in sequence, so you’ll have enough to do your room , without having to purchase a full 6-panel set. Like I said – this stuff is pricey!
This dining room is in a renovated 1925 home in the Heights neighborhood of Houston .
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Someone Trying to Scam the Wallpaper Lady

April 13, 2023

I got this email today, along with an attachment they wanted me to click. At first, I thought it was valid, because clients do pass along my contact info. But read more closely, and there are lots of holes.
Salutation doesn’t include my name. “Neighbour” is spelled the British way. They don’t name who this supposed person is. Reference to my supposed work is not specific and doesn’t name any particular room or address or what kind of work they think I do. Wallpaper is never mentioned. The word “outcome” is vague and can be plugged into any trade. Poor grammar. Oh, and they “insisted” on using me?! Next, they encourage me to click links and attachments. Sorry, folks. Not fallin’ for it. Go scam someone else. Read for yourself below:

Hello,

You did some work for my neighbour, I was
impressed with the outcome and requested your contact information from
him. Me and my partner are in need of a contractor and we insisted on
speaking with you about it.

I have attached the Drawing for you to login
and review.

Please do not hesitate to let me know if you have any
questions or need more clarification.

Thanks

Cream on Black Chinoiserie Accent Wall

April 12, 2023
Accent wall below staircase in a sitting area of a living room in a Meyerland ( Houston ) home that was flooded during Hurricane Harvey in 2017. It took five years for the homeowners to raise and restore the home, and settle in. They are waiting for the wallpaper before choosing furnishings for this room.
But the colors of the wallpaper meld beautifully with decor in other areas, such as the family room on the other side of this wall , which has colors of cream , tan , and dark grey in furniture , flooring , and accessories .
The pattern is called Bird and Blossom Chinoiserie (a term that refers to Chinese / Asian style decorating ). Its in the Ronald Redding line by York. It’s a non-woven material that can be installed by either paste the wall or paste the paper methods. It will strip off the wall easily when you want to redecorate later.

Laser Line Not Straight

April 4, 2023
A line from a level – in this case a laser level – can help ensure that your wallpaper strips hang perfectly plumb . In this room, I’m to hang wallpaper on the horizontal accent wall , as well as the angled / vaulted area above it. I was disappointed to learn that the light beam doesn’t shoot straight up both sections of the wall . The light beam refracts as it hits the angled portion of the upper wall. Turns out that the laser level (the blue object you see on the corner of my work table ) has to be EXACTLY in front of the wall, at a properly perfect 90* angle perpendicular to the wall .
Well, that sounds simple enough. Thing is, the level has to sit on a surface that is itself perfectly level, and situated directly in front of the wall. In this nursery, there is no suitable furniture , nor is my table long enough to span that whole 12′ wide wall .
So I just winged it on the upper portion, using measurements rather than a plumb line, and the wall turned out fine.