Tuesday, December 4, 2012

My OBSESSION with Wallpaper!


Those of you who know me know my LOVE of wallpaper! Some say it's old school but with all the new modern designs and colours I think it's anything but old school!  Such a great DIY project too, that adds sooo much to a room!
If you are apprehensive about installing the wallpaper don't be!  It's pretty easy.  This is my accent wall in my dining room.

$40 roll of hardware store wallpaper behind my $60 refurbished
thrift store sideboard.
I have a 100 year old home, so I stuck with more classic wallpaper choices but there are amazing more modern ones out there...like zebra prints (one of my favourites!).  I adore tuffed expensive headboards behind beds, but can't afford $1000 + for a headboard, so I opted out of the headboard and decided to use wallpaper to draw attention to the area behind my bed.
  
Demask wallpaper from Home Depot $45.
Demask up close and personal!

Another room, another roll of wallpaper....
Blue Mountain Silk Demask Wallpaper from Rona.
Where to Buy Wallpaper?  Be careful wallpaper can get really expensive so try your local hardware or paint store.  Lots of paint stores have tons of catalogues that you can order from.  Or of course there are tons of online stores that sell wallpaper and often you can buy samples.  I definitely recommend getting samples before you buy wallpaper online.  The samples can look very different from the images online-trust me I know from experience:)   

Here are the tools you need to install wallpaper:
Plastic board/sheet to cut on, an exacto knife, large L shaped ruler, measuring tape, wallpaper tray, smoothing brush, wallpaper sizing-THIS IS ESSENTIAL!! Roll the sizing on the wall with a paint roller before applying your wallpaper.  This will ensure you will be able to remove it in the future without any hassle:)

Apartment Wallpapering:  If you live in an apartment and are worried about wallpapering because of having to take it off when you leave don't be.  If you prepare the wall really well by sizing it before you install the wallpaper it is super easy to take it off.  Back in the day they didn't size the walls before wallpapering, so that's why old wallpaper is sooo hard to get off.  In my dining room I did the wrong wall as the accent wall, and so I ended up taking off the wallpaper about 6 months after applying it.  I bought all gadgets to take wallpaper off with, then when it came time to take it off it just peeled off really nicely without using any removal spray or anything.  I was pleasantly surprised:)

Check out this great video on You Tube for a step by step guide on how to install wallpaper.