Tag: how to wallpaper

Kitchen Renovation: Paint + Wallpaper

Written by Jenna on January 13, 2016. Posted in DIY.

You know if we’re at the point of talking about paint, it has to almost be complete.

That’s right… we are mere days away from wrapping up the kitchen renovation and I still can’t believe it’s real. When I look over to our kitchen area and my eyes see an entire new space, I want to cry. It’s so good!

One challenge I had when creating the plan of action for the kitchen was the paint color for the walls. After living with the mustardy-yellow for 5 years, I new light + neutral was the right direction – but then along the way my thoughts changed. keep reading…

This is the old color.

The first floor of our home is an open concept plan, so basically it’s one room that leads to the next, that leads to the next. There has always been a different paint color in each room, which I feel defines each of the spaces bringing uniqueness and character.

Creating definition, but at the same time a flow with various paint colors can be challenging, but if a color palette is set that works well together, the result can be gorgeous.

Of course, that’s what I was striving for >>> VARIATION + FLOW

THE PAINT STORY

After the kitchen cabinets were installed, the Lowe’s independent contractors got to work on painting the kitchen + dining room walls because it’s one large open space.

I chose a paint color that was a light grey tone. It was a pretty hue, but once all the walls were covered, I knew it wasn’t right. Because the kitchen flows straight to the family room that also has grey-toned walls, the definition that I wanted to achieve was gone.

Big Mistake – eek.

What to do? Leave it + live with it for a while?

I knew leaving it wasn’t the answer. After a few days, of living with it, I chose a new color. It was the first time ever that I got small color sample pods to put on the wall. It was the right decision and seeing the colors at various times throughout the day was key to choosing the best paint hue for the space.

Color Change…

As soon as the ‘new, new’ color went up, I felt at peace. Yes, that’s it. And who knew, back to yellow – but a very different hue of yellow – would be the right color?!

For the walls in the kitchen + dining room, I chose to use the color White Citrus HGSW1237 by HGTV Home by Sherwin Williams, which is available at Lowe’s. The sheen is eggshell (one step up in sheen from flat) and I used their Showcase line of paint.

The color on the wall is just gorgeous and brings all the spaces together. It’s not very far off from the last yellow paint color, but at the same time, it feels so new + fresh. To sum it up, this White Citrus paint color is a light buttery + sunny hue with subtle green undertones.

Sherwin Williams has always been a favorite paint of mine to use. The quality is like no other. I’ve used a lot of paint in my day, and have come across a lot I will never use again. When I was introduced to the HGTV Home collection by Sherwin Williams, I was intrigued because it was available at Lowe’s, a place I always shop. So the big question I had… Is the quality the same as the Sherwin Williams brand it’s always been or did they ‘change the formula’ for the big box store?

I had the opportunity to speak with a rep for Sherwin Williams, who has worked with them for over a decade and he assured me the quality is the same and their collaboration with Lowe’s was a ‘next step move’ to continue their growth and brand awareness to a new market. Basically, they want to reach even more people and by being in Lowe’s (versus just their own stand-alone store), they hope to do that!

I was skeptical about the quality, but I will say I had a great experience using the Showcase line of HGTV Home paint. It went on smoothly with a roller AND a brush. Most paint takes 2, maybe 3 coats, to get full coverage on the wall, but this paint went on in one coat yet it wasn’t thick and goopy. Of course, I went over it with a 2nd coat, but it really wasn’t needed.

THE PAINT RESULT

The yellow hue defines the kitchen + dining room space, yet flows with the neutral colors in the family room beyond…

Next to the kitchen is the living room / office which is a deep navy hue, and the yellow works beautifully with that as well…

THE WALLPAPER

I heart wallpaper and really wanted to use it somewhere in the new kitchen space. At the same time, I always wanted to define the bay area in the dining area with a different paint color.

How about ditching the paint idea and instead add wallpaper in the bay nook? YES, perfect solution.

I found this incredible bold + colorful wallpaper from Anthropologie. The rich colors of orange, blue, yellow, gray, raspberry perfectly summed up all the colors in my home… I had to have it!

Once it was delivered a few days later, I got to work.

I primed the walls first.

Then installed the wallpaper which took about 3 hours total for this bay area.

Want to know how to hang wallpaper? Check out these WALLPAPER TUTORIALS

Hanging a Bold Wallpaper in the Bathroom

How-To Hang Wallpaper Like a PRO!

How-To Hang Wallpaper using Paste (in the powder room)

I’ve shared enough wallpaper tutorials, so I’ll spare you the details of the process, but this is the result…

And there you have it. Mistakes were made. Sleepless nights were had (well kinda), but the Paint + Wallpaper ARE DONE!

Another checkmark on the to do list. Next up are the final details and then the reveal…

If you want to see all the posts documenting the kitchen renovation, here they are from start to finish:
Wonderful White Kitchen Inspiration
Kitchen Remodel: Before + Plan of Action
Demo Day: Steps for Demolishing the Kitchen
Kitchen Progress: Staining Hardwood Floors
The Cabinets Arrive + Get Installed
Natural Quartz Countertops in the Kitchen
10 Countertop Materials to Consider for the Kitchen
Subway Tile Installation + Choosing the RIGHT Subway
Kitchen Backsplash Tile Options + Inspiration
Choosing a Paint Color + Wallpaper for the Kitchen and Dining Room
Kitchen Renovation: The Appliances
Dissecting the Details
Kitchen Renovation: REVEAL + RESOURCES

DISCLAIMER: THIS KITCHEN RENOVATION IS A COLLABORATION WITH LOWEâ€™S USING HGTV HOME BY SHERWIN WILLIAMS. ALL OPINIONS + SELECTIONS ARE MY OWN WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE LOWEâ€™S DESIGN TEAM.

Bathroom Makeover: Installing Wallpaper {Day 17}

Written by Jenna on November 20, 2014. Posted in Bathroom Makeover, DIY, Wallpaper. 2 Comments on Bathroom Makeover: Installing Wallpaper {Day 17}

If you follow along with me on Instagram, then you may have seen a few sneak peeks of the next phase of the Bathroom Remodel… the WALLPAPER! Tile is done (well mostly) and after 17 days of cutting, grouting, tiling, I never want to touch another tile again in my life. Now we know that’s not true. But in all honesty, it was a big job. Totally doable for any skill level, but just time consuming!

As I move forward with this Bathroom Makeover in 30 Days Challenge, the walls are now adorned with pure beautiful.

Take a look…

Can we say dynamic?! What do you think??

The evolution of this bathroom has been quite interesting. Every moment I think I am leaning one direction, I end up going the opposite way. Such as life, I guess. Originally my plan was to go basic and neutral for the base elements, and then add pops of color and interest with layers. Before tiling, I painted over the previous yellow paint color with a neutral greige. Once the white tile went up, it felt boring. It wasn’t a reflection of my design style or the home we’ve created. It needed something… Then I found the wallpaper.

This wallpaper by Serena and Lily gave the perfect amount of eye-catching intrigue without overwhelming the space. There is still a lot of whites + neutrals, and with the other elements I have planned, it’s going to be my next favorite space.

So on to the install…

I’ve wallpapered areas in my home before including the powder room and my son’s bedroom. Both were one wall projects and didn’t involve a lot of cutting. When working with a tight space that has lots of nooks, crannies, and crevices, it can get a bit tricky.

Differently from the other walls I’ve used wallpaper on, I never before used a wallpaper paste. A discussion started a few weeks back on a picture I shared on Instagram about using wallpaper primer. An expert chimed in strongly suggesting using wallpaper primer before wallpapering, ” You can install wallpaper without primer if you have smooth walls, however, it’s going to be a pain later when when you want to remove it. If you prime your walls, the wallpaper will roll down in long flowing strips. If you don’t prime, the drywall comes off with the wallpaper in 6+ years.” My thought upon this input… USE WALLPAPER PRIMER.

I chose this clear wallpaper primer at Lowe’s and the gallon was about $16. I used the smallest amount so a little goes a long way. I wish they sold it in smaller amounts, but o well.

I poured the primer into a paint tray and using a roller, I applied it to the walls. You really only need a thin coat because it is watery. I found after a few minutes some of the primer dripping down the wall, so I took a cloth and dabbed it so it wouldn’t harden.

In about 3 hours, it was dry and ready to wallpaper. I waited till the next morning to start though…

Supplies for Wallpapering

Wallpaper
Wallpaper Paste
Smoothing Tool
Sharp Razor or blade
Other handy tools for wallpapering are: a tape measure, a laser level, a pencil

How-To Wallpaper

I started off at one edge of the wall and worked my way around the room from that point. Because I am planning on adding moulding at the top of the wall, and a tile trim piece at the bottom, measuring exactly wasn’t needed – phew! I measured about the length of the wall and cut my wallpaper with a scissor. Then I layed it on the floor so I could apply the paste.

Unlike with my previous wallpaper experiences, this time I applied the wallpaper paste to the back of the wallpaper as indicated on the instructions that came with the wallpaper. In the past, I put the paste directly on the wall, then adhered the paper. I wanted to see if this other method worked better (and in the end, it did!). Why? I felt that by adding the paste to the back of the wallpaper instead of applying the paste to the wall there resulted in less air bubbles and air pockets. The paper was easier to smooth out which avoided the paper from getting creased or damaged.

I applied a nice coating of wallpaper paste using an inexpensive paint brush.

Then I let the paper sit about 3 minutes (as the instructions stated) and aligned it on the wall.

Once I positioned it where I thought it look best, I used a long level (sorry no picture) and made sure it was vertically plumb. Once I had the paper in the right place, I used the smoothing tool to smooth out the paper from air bubbles and air pockets. It’s best to start in the center of the paper and work your way out to the edges.

Once the paper was smooth, it was time to move on to the next piece. I cut another piece of wallpaper length and then aligned it edge to edge with the previous piece. Never overlap the wallpaper.

Once it was smoothed out, I took a lint-free rag and cleaned off the paste from the seams. One reason that I love this paper is that is easily cleanable.

This damask looking wallpaper was really nice to work with and the quality was very good, but I was slightly unhappy with the design repeat when I went to align the edges. The design didn’t match exactly like it should and I was bummed about it. I tried my best to line up the design to make it look right. Thankfully the pattern is so busy that you don’t really notice.

Once I had the 2 sheets up, I was feeling really confident in my work. I continued around the room and then I came to my first obstacle… the corner and the door.

For this area, I used the old method of applying the paste to the wall because I was afraid if I didn’t, the paste would get on everything – door, tile, etc. To start, I measured and trimmed the paper leaving lots of extra on the edges. Then I put it in place and trimmed again until the size of the paper fit the exact space.

I had a few other obstacles to overcome like the outlets, the switches, and the light. I typically use a scissor or a sharp blade to cut the paper.

Before I knew it, a few hours later, all the walls were covered and the wallpapering process was complete.

A recap of the before & in-progress now.

Whats up next?

The moulding at the top + the tile trim around the shower & walls…

As you can see, this new bathroom space is surely NOT going to be boring. I can’t wait to finish it up and finally use it. Even though there are lots of little things still to do, I am thrilled with the direction that it is taking.

The installation of this dynamic wallpaper took about 5 hours on one day

Follow along on this bathroom remodel with these other posts
Plan of Action {Day 1}
Demo: Removal + Installation of the Tub & Walls {Day 2-4}
How-To Tile + Grout the Bathroom Walls {Day 5-16}
Installing Wallpaper {Day 17}
Adding a Tile Accent Border {Day 18}
Creating a Tiled Niche {Day 19 + 20}

Coming up (still to do)
Details: Moulding, Lighting, Accessories
Finishing Touches
Bathroom Remodel Reveal

{Day 17} Wallpaper â€“ Complete! 13 more days to goâ€¦

This post is sponsored by Loweâ€™s, but all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. I am thrilled (and a bit nervous) about tackling this project, but very excited to be partnering with Loweâ€™s on creating an entirely new bathroom space. Iâ€™d love for you to follow along on this new project!

Check out more of my posts on wallpapering

[Frames Wallpaper in my son’s bedroom]

[Amy Butler Wallpaper in my Powder Room]

How-To Hang Wallpaper Like a Pro!

Written by Jenna on March 11, 2014. Posted in DIY, Wallpaper. 7 Comments on How-To Hang Wallpaper Like a Pro!

If you follow me on Instagram – my favorite place on the web to share snippets throughout my day – then you know I had a busy weekend wallpapering. The kids room took a design turn after we found out a few weeks ago that baby #3 is going to be a girl. In the end, as a family, we decided the kids will stay in the rooms they are currently in and the girls will eventually share a room once the baby is ready to move in. So what does that mean?? Design changes! The room that was going to be a shared boy / girl room was no longer needed. Since we had already started on the transformation for my little guy, it meant we had to continue chugging along. And let me tell ya, he’s a happy camper!

After choosing a new paint color (Benjamin Moore Hazy Skies) that I was very unsure of, because it was way lighter of a color than I’m used to, I am now thrilled with the decision. Why? Because I’ve been adding in colors in other ways. Layers, my friends! Layers are huge and in a kids room, books and toys add an amazing pop! BUT, I was in need of more. Yes more! And that more resulted in a fun + unique wallpaper for the focal window wall that instantly turned the entire 12′ width into a photo gallery wall…

How fun is that?! And before we go any further, I want to give you a peak at the before and after…

I want to show you more of the room because it’s turning out pretty fantastic, but I can’t. That’s to come – pinky swear!

This incredible wallpaper is made by Taylor & Wood through Graham & Brown and it truly brings a wall to life. I knew I wanted to do something fun on this focal wall. Originally I was thinking a stencil, but this is way better. So let’s jump right into how I installed it…

How-To Hang Wallpaper… LIKE A PRO!

Similar to the last time I hung wallpaper in the powder room, this paper was also NOT pre-pasted (wallpaper that has paste and is activated with only water). After wallpapering a few areas in my home, I have found that higher-quality wallpapers typically are not pre-pasted, so instead a paste has to be added. I actually think the paste is easier to use than putting the paper through water. I wrote a tutorial a long time ago on How-To Hang Prepasted Wallpaper, if you want to check that out.

Supplies:

Wallpaper
Wallpaper Paste
Smoothing Took
Sharp Razor or blade
Other handy tools for wallpapering are: a tape measure, a laser level, a pencil

The Steps:

1. To start off, I found it best to measure the wall and cut a piece of wallpaper the length of the wall + an additional 6-8″ for extra at the top (ceiling) and bottom (floor).

a little helper is always fun + keeps you entertained!

2. I wasn’t worried about centering the paper on the wall for this project (in the powder room I did) and started at the left most edge of the wall. When hanging wallpaper, I find it best to add the best directly to the wall, THEN add the paper. I used a cheap $1 brush to add enough paste to cover the width of the wallpaper (not the entire wall).

3. Once the paste is in place, then I started at the ceiling (adding about 2-3″ extra paper to trim), I hung the paper making sure to match the seam of the adjacent paper. NEVER overlap the paper.

4. When the paper initially adheres to the wall, there are always bumps and wrinkles. No worries. Simply smooth them out with the plastic smoothing tool. Itâ€™s best to start at the top and move down the wall, as well as from the center of the paper and smooth out towards the edges. You want to press firmly, but not too hard so all the glue seeps out. Alittle glue seepage is okay and expected.

5. Cutting around windows, doors, and outlets. Thought to be tricky, but really not. For the large window, I added the paste to the wall. Then I hung the paper temporarily (very lightly) and trimmed the paper around the window using a scissor, leaving about 2 extra inches for trimming. Once I cut the paper, THEN I went back and adhered the wallpaper to the wall properly.

Here is a picture of me trimming the wallpaper around an outlet. I used a sharp razor, cutting a small hole at the outlet and trimmed so the entire outlet was exposed. The paper was wrinkled, but I smoothed it out after the hole was cut.

CONFESSION: totally my opinion... Wallpaper is kind of like giving birth (that’s all I thought about throughout the process). Going into it, your excited and ready to do “the work”. You’re in the midst of it cheering yourself on. Then there are some snags along the way and you start to get frustrated and defeated. The end is almost near. You’re exhausted and your patience is done. AND it’s over. All is beautiful and you can sit back and relax. After a few days, the memories start to fade and within no time, you think back that it wasn’t so bad after all. Until the next time…

Anyway, let’s move on. Obviously you know where this prego girls head is.

Here are some pictures mid-project (the moments when exhaustion started to set in).

And the result once finished. The part of enjoyment…

I started to jazz up the wall by hanging a few real picture frames over the “frames”. It started to bring in some color and dimension! I used a few pieces of command strips to keep the frames in place instead of nailing them to the wall.

We (meaning my son + I) have a lot more ideas for making this wall even better. In the meantime though (after hours of joyous wallpaper hanging) a few pictures and frames did the trick for fun.

I even added some hooks for hanging a few hats and metals.

So there you have it. A 2 in 1. A tutorial on how-to hang wallpaper + a fun & unique way to create an instant photo gallery wall. A LOT more is happening in this room to make it suit the style of my little guy. More to come soon…

Powder Room Remodel: Repairing Wall and Hanging Wallpaper

Written by Jenna on May 14, 2013. Posted in DIY, Wallpaper. 5 Comments on Powder Room Remodel: Repairing Wall and Hanging Wallpaper

Between baseball, a birthday party, and celebrating Mother’s Day (shout out to all the moms out there – hope you had a great day), there was very little time to actually get anything major accomplished on the DIY homefront this weekend. BUT, somehow with 5 minutes here and 10 minutes there, I was able to squeeze in a few trips to Lowe’s (for supplies) and a few moments to hang wallpaper. And thankfully with those spare moments, I actually got alot done and I feel like I’m making progress – even though it’s slow.

Since announcing the plans for the powder room and sharing details on the removal of the toilet and pedestal sink, the room has really taken a drastic turn – for the good. When I left you last, there was a huge hole in the wall from where the tile backsplash was removed and the wall colors were still orange and beige. Well not anymore.

Before I could even think about wallpapering, the hole had to be repaired. I’ll admit, I haven’t had the best of luck patching holes and achieving a flawless finish. It’s definitely an art. I’m good, but not great. (need a great tutorial on patching holes in the wall? check out Sawdust Girl). THANKFULLY, most of the hole will be covered with the new vanity, so I wasn’t super obsessed with making it perfect and smooth. To start, I grabbed a 2′ x 2′ piece of sheetrock from Lowe’s, cut it to fit tightly in the hole (a tight fit is key), and spackled the edges. This isn’t the best way of patching a hole, but it’s the lazy way I took – again because I know it’ll be covered with the vanity.

It took a few days for multiple thin layers of spackle and drying time before I could give the wall a good sanding. The hand sander gave a really nice smooth finished surface.

Once the walls were smooth and clean, I was able to paint and wallpaper the room.

I started out with painting the corners and edges at the window and door of the 3 non-wallpapered walls.

The color is Blue Mystery by Valspar and it’s almost an exact match to the background color of the wallpaper. Even though it’s blue, it has a deep purple / violet hue. It’s actually a very different blue than my office, but with the foyer in between the two spaces, you can’t notice the differing tones.

Once the walls were done, it was time to get down and dirty with wallpapering!

How-To Wallpaper using Paste

I had thought the wallpaper I chose was a pre-pasted wallpaper (wallpaper that has paste and is activated with water) but when I added water to the back of my sample piece, I quickly learned it wasn’t. So this was my first time wallpapering using paste. I was apprehensive at first, but it actually wasn’t at all as difficult as I thought it would be. I wrote a tutorial a long time ago on How-To Hang Prepasted Wallpaper, if you want to check that out.

Supplies:

Wallpaper of your choice. I chose Amy Butler Lacework in Midnight.
Wallpaper Paste
Smoothing Took
Sharp Razor or blade
Other handy tools for wallpapering are: a tape measure, a laser level, a pencil

1. To start, I found the center of the wall and made a mark. Then knowing the width of the roll (20.2″), I determined how far over the edge would need to start (1/2 of the overall which is 10.1″). I made another mark and used my laser level to make marks all the way up the wall (which will be the location for the edge of the wallpaper).

2. After determining where the wallpaper edge would be placed, I added the wallpaper paste to the center section of the wall using a brush.

* There are several techniques to hanging wallpaper, but I thought it would be best to follow the steps that came with my wallpaper roll. Another method that is readily used is to apply the paste to the wallpaper back, fold over both ends of the strip (being careful not to crease the paper) so that they meet in the middle. This gives the paste a chance to activate. Again, the instructions with my wallpaper said to apply the paste directly to the wall, which is what I did. If you want to see more on the other application, I found this helpful step by step method.

3. After the paste was applied, I took the end of the wallpaper roll (leaving about 3″ extra at the top) and adhered it to the wall aligning the edge with the mark I made on the wall. Then continued to roll it out down the wall.

4. As I was adhering the paper to the wall, I used the smoothing tool to eliminate the bumps, wrinkles, and air bubbles. It’s best to start at the top and move down the wall, as well as from the center of the paper and smooth out towards the edges. You want to press firmly, but not too hard so all the glue seeps out. Alittle glue seepage is okay and expected.

5. Once the first panel was hung, it was time to hang the second adjacent sheet. The same steps should be taken, but this time it’ll be key to align the seams so the design / pattern matches (especially with the paper I was using).

photo credit: my 7 year old!

6. Once the paper is up and in place, it’s time to trim – the ceiling, edges, and base. Using a sharp blade / razor, follow the crease / edge and gently cut the paper. It might be damp from the paste, so try not to pull the paper because it’ll rip. Scissors also help.

I also had to trim around the light fixture… that’s to come.

And the result is…

…a beautiful, bold focal wall!

The quality of this paper is amazing. Comparing it to the previous time when I wallpapered, this paper is alot heavier which hides many of the imperfections on the wall – score!

Not to shabby going from this… to this…

Plan of Action for #powderroomremodel:

~~Choose and buy sink~~
~~Choose and buy toilet~~
~~Choose and buy faucet~~
~~Remove sink~~
~~Remove toilet~~
~~Repair hole with new sheetrock~~
~~Repair floor @ sink and toilet~~
~~Hang wallpaper~~
~~Paint~~
Add crown moulding (yes, my 1st moulding ever)
~~Assemble sink~~
Install sink and faucet
Install toilet
Accessorize â€“ mirror, pictures, etc.

7 items crossed off the list since last time. Now that’s progress!

But there’s still more to come. Stay Tuned.

Have you ever hung wallpaper? What method did you use? Was it pre-paste or the kind where you had to add the paste?