Q: I recently signed a lease on an apartment, with the stipulation that the landlords would paint over the very dark laminate that is covering several walls and even the living room ceiling of the unit. The laminate is on the sort of flat, slick panel walls that you see in elevators or offices. It is a dark, cool brown with a swirled brushed-metal pattern and gold flecks. There are can lights in the ceiling panels and hidden cabinetry behind a few of the wall panels:
These are some pictures showing a laminate with a similar pattern, and another showing the sort of panel wall I am describing.
Of course, after taking a huge deposit, they are backing out of repainting the laminate. They are attached to it, and they have vague hopes of moving back into the unit someday after their kids are grown. So I don't think they'll go through with painting it.
I am wondering whether there is some temporary way I can cover it. In particular, I already own a few rolls of unpasted wallpaper. Is there an adhesive I could use to hang wallpaper over the laminate that would be strong enough to hold the paper for a year or two, but strippable enough not to leave their laminate damaged after that time?
I can't tack, staple or hang anything to the laminate, because I would not be able to fix the holes that would cause. Also, I don't know if the the starched fabric trick would work on such a slick surface, especially in such a humid environment (I am in Singapore).
Are there any good, truly strippable wallpaper pastes out there?
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Try these? http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/temporary-peel-and-stick-wallp-153453
There was a house tour recently and the tenant had used temporary wallpaper. Of course you would want to make sure these will stick well to metal.
I hope you got the paint clause into the lease, so that you can back out if you want, since the landlord is backing out of the agreement.
There is a combination of baking soda and other ingredients either here on AT or You Tube that you can make to hold up fabic as well paper. If I remember correctly, the post indicated that it was easy to put up as well as pull down. Not sure how it will work on metal but you can try a small patch and see if that works. BTW: It sucks that your landlords backed out of your 'gentlemen's' agreement. Sounds like a bad start to a new relationship; hard to trust their word from this point forward. Best of luck.
sorry...to hold up fabric as WALL paper.
I know it's costly to have to move again but I would be getting out of there quick. If they asked a big deposit and then backed out on promises already who knows what you're in for the rest of the time you are there. Not to mention, now that they have your money, since they are dishonest, they will find every reason in the world to keep it after you leave.
We had a similar situation with promises that weren't kept and the sociopaths never left us alone. Walking their dog to spy on us and even knocking on the door at night unexpectedly. I was never so glad to get out of a place. We had come from renting the same apartment for 12 years to getting out of the one with the crazies after just 1 year. It's a shame to have to say it but I really would get out ASAP since they didn't keep up their end of the bargain. They sound terrible and if they are talking about wanting to get in there themselves someday...that's like waiting for a bomb to drop. Not a good situation.
If it is metal it may be magnetic. You could magnetize paper or fabric up. So many possibilities!
I'd second the recommendation to get out while the getting's good. But if you don't want to do that, I've heard of using fabric, soaking it in liquid starch, and sticking it to the wall. At least the laminate will be easy to clean when you want to take it down? Also, One King's Lane has removable wallpaper for sale today. Good luck!
"Of course, after taking a huge deposit, they are backing out of repainting the laminate"
Hindsight is 20/20 obviously, but thats why everything needs to be in writing. They dont get money until the painting if the laminate gets added to the contract. Its good that you're coming up with alternatives that will work for you. I second the suggestion of removable wallpaper. You could also look into ways to hang fabric or screens or something in a way that doesnt attach it to the wall. Ikea has a wire curtain thing that can attach to the wall, the ceiling, if the adjoining walls, for example.
laminate walls.. does not compute.
There is removable wallpaper. I'm worried those horizontal grooves, though.
Walls disappear into the background once the room is decorated, pictures hung, etc.
I remember seeing something (on AT, maybe?) about using double sided tape to wallpaper an accent wall. Depending on just how much wall you have, this could be a pain. But maybe a few taped-up accent walls will change the space enough to make it liveable?
My advise is less design-oriented and more legal-oriented. Note: I am NOT a lawyer, but I am a real estate agent so I've come across a few similar rental issues. As long as you have it in writing that they agreed to paint the laminate, you should at least be able to get them to pay for some other temporary wall covering. I don't recommend creating a relational divide between you and your landlord, so perhaps point out to them that they did indeed agree to paint and ask if there is another solution you can come to together. Perhaps they'd be willing to hang curtain tracks or pay for the temporary wall paper, etc.
A friend of mine moves frequently because her husband is in the military. She puts fabric in starch and hangs it on the walls. It is easy to peel off when you leave and the walls just need a wipe down.
Don't give in so easily. Pursue this issue with the landlords. I am guessing the cost to paint the walls was more than they thought it would be and they are probably hoping you will accept their excuses. Tell the landlord that you rented the place based upon their assurance that the dealbreaker walls would be covered. You don't have to be adversarial but be firm about the fact that certain promises were made and you expect them to be met. They may paint at no cost to you or you may have to split the cost but either of these choices would be a better deal than temporary wallpaper or some other DIY.
I've had good luck using starch to adhere fabric to walls. It can be tedious to put up, and buying that much fabric may be pricey, but it's very easy to take down with no damage to the walls.
Wow on the fabric idea...I might have to try this myself
http://canderealestate.com/2011/03/17/cant-paint-use-liquid-starch-and-fabric-to-upholster-your-walls-like-nate-berkus/
I just did this to the lower half of our ground floor windows. It would likely work on something like laminate as well. And it was incredibly easy...
http://manhattan-nest.com/2010/11/26/the-doors-again/
I'd do whatever I wanted.I assure you,if they are already acting like this from the beginning,you will not see your deposit back.So personalize away!
Just a thought . . . why not have an interior designer look at the walls, your furniture and discover if something fabulous might happen? Lots of brass, for example, with Chinese lacquer red or a really nice, deep orange? It always seems like the very best, most unique places start with something really different that most of us can't quite imagine working.
I like Gooddog's ideas. Sometimes if there is not a workable solution, you just have to live with something and make do with it. An interior decorator may have some ideas we haven't thought of and my be able to pull it all together so those laminate walls will be more acceptable.
some friends papered a wall with rice paper (well, probably not truly rice paper but the point is that they put it up with watered down elmer's glue. i'm in the states and i don't know what other names it goes by but i'm talking about the white liquid glue that is, even when undiluted, really only for kids crafts. it's very easy to remove. they did a stairway with torn pieces of rice paper and dilute glue and a couple years later, when getting ready to sell their house they just soaked it all with sponges and the stuff all came off. it took a lot of elbow grease but just water to remove it. since you're putting stuff on metal it will probably be even easier to remove. they were dealing with drywall.
Contact paper?
Here is an update:
We tried sticking wallpaper to the livingroom ceiling with spray mount, and after a couple of days it bubbled up and looked terrible. So we stripped it off and painted after all.
The landlord was very attached to the entryway laminate though, so I tried wallpapering with wheat paste. Wheat paste was great! And the wallpaper is still up! I cooked wheat flower, glutinous rice flour and a bit of sugar in water until it was clear. I had to use my Kitchenaid to beat the lumps out, but that worked OK. I tried saving the leftover paste but it fermented and burst its container (oops).
I will try to post some before and after pics.