I've become absolutely obsessed with wallpaper lately. I've seen some fine examples of wallpaper in a few of the homes I've been in while shooting House Tours. Now I've convinced myself that I have to incorporate wallpaper into my own home. The only problem is — I don't know if I'm ready to make that kind of commitment to wall covering.
I grew up in old houses with bumpy walls that were just begging for the merciful masking qualities of wallpaper. Living in those old houses also taught me that once wallpaper is applied, it’s not easily removed. My teenage bedroom was in a turn of the century house with walls that had so many layers of wallpaper on them that they almost started to encroach on the room’s square footage!
Our current home was a gut rehab so we have pristine drywall that is smooth and unmarred. I’m in love with beautiful wallpaper patterns but I’m reticent to apply it to the walls of our condo out of fear that the walls will never be the same. So lately I’m looking at other alternatives to wallpaper.
There’s always the option of using starched fabric as wallpaper. This method would allow me the flexibility of using any number of patterned fabrics. Plus, when I'm ready to redecorate, the fabric is easily removed from the wall. I imagine a bit of starch would stay behind on the wall but that should only be a matter of washing the wall thoroughly.
Sherwin Williams offers a removable wallpaper that was covered here at ApartmentTherapy a couple years ago. I have to say, I'm still not convinced that this wallpaper would actually strip off of the wall very easily so I'm still hesitant to use it. In theory, however, EasyChange sounds like the perfect wallpaper for someone who likes to redecorate often.
There’s also the option of painting a stenciled pattern on the walls to give the appearance of wallpaper. This method may be a bit time consuming but it's sure to not mar the walls. Once I'm tired of the pattern I can simply paint over it. Sure, it may take a coat of primer if I use a really dark or bold pattern, but it surely wouldn't take nearly as much to undo a painted pattern than it would to remove wallpaper.
I'm leading toward the stencil option if for no other reason that I know I can do it. I mean, I'm pretty handy with a paintbrush but I've never hung wallpaper. What do you think? Should I get over my fear of wallpaper and just go for it? Does anyone have experience with Sherwin Williams' EasyChange wallpaper?
Image: Jason Loper
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Rather than risk destroying some expensive wallpaper and spending a small fortune on tools that are just going to collect dust after the job is done - Why not simply hire a pro to do it for you?
It's well worth getting someone who knows what they're doing to come in, do it and get out in half the time it would take for you to figure out how to do it yourself.
As someone who has bought a couple of houses and has had to remove layers and layers of wallpaper--I HATE wallpaper and I will never put it in a house I am living in. Getting rid of it if you don't want it is such a hassle and such a mess. Every time I have removed wallpaper, I have done a Scarlett O'Hara, "I will never have wallpaper in my house again."
Geez, how do I really feel?!?
I think introducing wallpaper in a small space is the way to do it. I also think: JUST DO IT! Don't half way do it, like a band-aid commit. I suggest a bathroom (and yes, I wrote a post on the same thing this morning!): northonharper.com/2010/10/a-papered-home/
never wallpaper
What about wallpapering a large piece of thin board and then adding beading to frame and hanging it on the wall. At my local hardware you can get really thin plywood which would need to be screwed to the wall (hide with the beading) but wouldn't be too heavy for the wall.
I just looked at the next post and it suggested doing exactly what I just suggested! Haha!
Wallpaper takes over whatever space it is in. That can be a good thing or a bad thing. Hiring a pro is not that expensive, no worries. Taking it down is not that hard, just annoying. If your wall has textured plaster that has to be smoothed out and will never be the same again *warning*
Do it. It's not as scary as it seems so long as you're not striving for absolute perfection (going around windows is tricky). I've done two accent walls in different rooms in my house and they make me smile every day.
i just finished wallpapering my bedroom and i am not looking back to my boring walls. It's the second time I've used tempaper-it's akin to a roll of high-quality, well-designed sticker paper (perfect because I rent). I used the "etta" print in blue/copper and it is literally jawdropping. http://www.tempaperdesigns.com/patterns.nxg
Less time consuming than stenciling and when I leave my rental I can take it off super quick; no damage to the walls. It's so easy I installed it myself; almost impossible to do with glue-backed wallpaper. Not cheap @ $80/roll but well worth it considering I have spent many saturdays slowly peeling off old wallpaper. I say go for it. 100%
I'm in complete agreement with kariwk and for the exact same reasons.
I DESPISE wallpaper.
I want to join the "no-wallpaper" committee. I just spent the better part of a week removing multi-textured wallpaper from a bathroom, and all I can say is this: one day you or someone else is going to have to remove it, and it's going to be a huge, messy hassle.
I love wallpaper. I find a whole wall painted the same color extremely boring. Wallpaper can totally transform a room more dramatically and quickly than paint. I've never stencilled, but I think it would take much more time than papering.
I hired a pro to install the wallpaper in my bathroom (first papered room in my house). Then some neighbors taught me how to do it myself -- it's really easy -- and I've never looked back!
Try it in a small room -- if you hate it, just take it down. If you're using modern vinyl wallpaper, it's not hard to remove at all.
I'm pretty sure that most people who say that wallpaper is a huge pain in the butt to remove have not used a wallpaper steamer. YES, it is a pain to take it off without the right equipment, but with a steamer it's much less work. It can be hard to do if the wall wasn't properly prepped or if the paper has been painted over, but otherwise it's not a huge deal.
I've stripped paper without a steamer and with a steamer, so I know. I've also happily hung beautiful wallpaper after removing hideous wallpaper.
I've also had to deal with decorative paint finishes that someone else thought were a good alternative to wallpaper. Don't do it. They leave a texture that can't be masked by subsequent paint jobs. Wallpaper, on the other hand, can be completely and easily removed in most cases along with every trace of wallpaper paste, leaving your walls smooth and clean and ready to paint.
Wallpaper will come off easily if you prep the walls properly by rolling on wallpaper sizing, which is a special starchy primer. Steamers rent for around $25/day, or buy a new one for around $60 if you have more than 2 days' work to do, or buy a used one for cheap on ebay or Craigslist, or borrow one, . I've stripped a 12x12 room in a day with a steamer. It completely softens and saturates the paper and paste within 30 seconds, then you do a few swipes with a scraper and a wet sponge and move on to the next area. When you are spritzing and sponging, it can take ten minutes or longer for the water to soften the paste enough to wash it off. Steam is SO much faster.
You don't have to invest "a small fortune" in tools to hang paper, either. You need a bucket and sponge, some safety razor blades, a pair of scissors, a string with a tack at one end and a weight at the other, and a dining table. Oh, and a measuring tape. Maybe a couple other odds and ends like that. The most expensive investment is the paper itself.
I hope this clears up a few misconceptions. Good luck with whatever you decide.
Does anyone know where this wallpaper is from?
Osborne & Little, I think. I asked about it when it was in the initial post on AT.
Thank you so much!
I know a excellent wallpaper shop on line www.deco-indoor.com where you can find the best brands : Elitis, Arte International, Sahco, Nobilis...
I tested many times and always successfully