Category Archives: Wallpaper

Project Diary #13 – Floral Wallpaper Mural

Posted on by
1

Woo hooo! Work on the #helloredreno series continues and is back with motivation to get the renovations completed by {hopefully} July 1st, 2019! That might be a tad ambitious but that’s the plan! This past week I installed a beautiful – stunning! – floral wallpaper mural! And you guys, I love the look of wallpaper. There are so many fun patterns/colors/designs – I could (and have) looked for days! But after lots of not-so-fun wallpaper removal in my past, I swore I’d never ever install wallpaper again. Well, the lasted all of a decade or two. I just couldn’t resist this. It’s just a small space, right? 

diyshowoff roeshel

I LOVE that I have creative freedom in this little slice of apartment oasis space to be bold and dramatic! Be still my heart. So many beautiful details and an inspired vision. The plan is for an airbnb rental but oh man, I want to live here. Think guests would mind? lol

Let’s take a little trip down memory lane, shall we?

• how it looked when I took ownership…

DIY craft studio // workshop - before room makeover @diyshowoff

• good-bye blue carpet…

old floor with fireplace

• hello gorgeous hardwood floors…

Shaw Monterrey Grandview hardwood

• before (and still a work in progress)…

helloredreno before

• current photo…

diyshowoff wallpaper mural installation

(notice any other decorative changes?)

What’s new?

So, this isn’t a sponsored post. Just a review of what I purchased and a little overview on my installation experience. I ordered the wallpaper mural from MuralsWallpaper and the entire experience from start to finish was so easy that it’s something anyone can DIY! (Do you use “DIY” as a verb too?) 

vase of flowers de heem

This specific design is called Vase of Flowers by de Heem. This Vase of Flowers by de Heem Wallpaper Mural from 1645 is a beautiful design that will completely reinvent your interior with minimal effort, a wonderfully striking piece of classic art that will be sure to impress. This wallpaper will be particularly eye catching as dining room wallpaper, but the stylish floral design will work well in most rooms. It was love at first sight for me. 

The best part? It’s a custom! This mural was made to be the exact size of the wall space where I wanted to place it (with a little extra thank goodness, because old house = not square!). They send a mock up with quote for my approval BEFORE I paid for it. And because I wanted more of the colors on the left hand side, I responded with a request to ‘mirror image’ the design. No problem! The entire process was friendly, quick and easy. 

Ordering in three steps:

1) Select your image. Choose from the extensive collection of mural designs and photo wallpapers.

2) Specify your dimensions. Measure up your wall full height and width.

3) Produced and shipped within 3-5 days. For a custom order, it arrived quickly! Yay! 

wallpaper level utility knife

It comes in one continuous roll (with awesome packaging to ensure no damage) with printed instructions to use a straight edge and box-cutter/X-acto knife to split it up into pieces. My design size was divided up into 4 vertical pieces. 

mural wallpaper instructions

I originally was looking for a removable peel and stick type wallpaper and shopped EVERYWHERE so when I finally decided on this, I completely forgot and overlooked that I was looking for a self-sticking adhesive backing. But, this actually was a lot easier than I thought! 

What I did: 

I picked up a wallpaper paste and brush from the hardware store along with some other recommended tools: a seam roller and wallpaper smoother tool. Other tools: level and utility knife.  

wallpaper level utility knife

The installation probably took around 1- 1.5 hours. I unrolled the wallpaper on the floor, used a piece of cardboard underneath to protect the floor and using a straight edge, I cut along each dotted line to divide the roll up into 4 pieces. It has a nice durable thickness and the pieces were labeled.

cutting wallpaper

Next, I brushed the wallpaper paste onto the wall, picked up my piece and starting from the top left, smoothed the wallpaper down the wall over the wet paste. I used the smoother to remove air bubbles and to smooth the wallpaper into place. I had a wet rag on hand for cleaning up excess glue. So much easier than I anticipated. Hurray! The key is making sure that first piece is nice and level! 

installing wallpaper

There is no overlapping. Each piece butts up against the other, lining up the design. There is a little extra wallpaper to trim away on the top and bottom.  I used the seam roller on seams, wiped away any excess wallpaper paste. Top and bottom of the wallpaper was trimmed using a straight edge and X-acto knife where wallpaper meets trim.

diyshowoff mural

The last piece was a little trickier because it was wider and a lot of the right hand side had to be cut off. Again, I just used a straight edge and trimmed away the excess. 

Ta-da! The result: 

tada diyshowoff mural wallpaper

STUNNING! I am SO in love! It’s exactly what I wanted. Maybe even better!

helloredreno mural wallpaper

Photoshoot:

And makes for a beautiful photography backdrop, doesn’t it? lol I told you it was love at first sight! Seeing it ON my wall makes me so happy! The vision for this space is happening! 

vase of flowers de heem muralwallpaper wallpaper mural roeshelroeshel

This specific print is so interesting too. Each time you have a relaxing seat and gaze at it’s loveliness, there’s something new to discover. An ant or butterfly, a spider. The photos don’t do it justice. 

vase of flowers de heem

I can’t wait for the entire room reveal! Stay tuned!

diyshowoff wallpaper mural installation

Share your thoughts! 

What do you think? Wallpaper fan? Not your thing? Not your style? Know what I mean when I say I sure loathe the removal? Willing to change your mind and take a risk when you fall in love with a print/pattern and it’s just want you and in mind for making a dramatic statement? I felt like this print was less trendy, the design is traditional. I absolutely love that it’s an art print mirror image. I can’t wait to design the rest of the room! 

Next up:

More details on the fireplace and finishing the feature wall!

More about #helloredreno

The building has so much historical charm. It’s about one block from our town’s Main Street. The bus stop is literally steps away. There’s a gorgeous Butler, PA Bed & Breakfast across the street called Suite Retreat (how cute is that?!) and an antique shop nearby. There are breweries, the YMCA, shops, restaurants, salons, florists, candy/coffee shop, holiday parades and festivals within walking distance. So fun! If renovation from blah to ahhhhh is your thing, stay tuned!

So subscribe and be reminded of updates as the renovations progress! I’ll share before and after photos, projects underway and updates, plans and design boards, sources and links as they relate as well as fun events going on in and around the downtown area. I’ll be using a specific hashtag on social media to keep things all neat and tidy and organized.

#helloredreno

I welcome your thoughts and ideas! And as always, thanks for your encouragement and support and for sharing in my joy and vision! Watch for #helloredreno!

The #helloredreno project diary:

Project Diary Entry #1 – Hello Red Reno!

Project Diary Entry #2 – Efficiency Apartment

Project Diary Entry #3 Color Passive Paint

Project Diary Entry #4 – Full Bathroom Demo Day

Project Diary Entry #5 – Sealing A Wood Plank / Shiplap Wall

Project Diary Entry #6: Bathroom Flooring

Project Diary Entry #7: Sealing Brick

Project Diary #8: Hardwood Floors

Project Diary #9: Carpeted Stairs

Project Diary #10 Vinyl Floor Tiles

Project Diary #11 – Living Room Before & After

Project Diary #12 – Christmas at the Studio

Project Diary #13 – Wallpaper Mural

Things We Fancy – Using Fabric as Wallpaper Tutorial

Posted on by
6
Meet:  Hillary & Breann from 
Things We Fancy
Why would you want to meet these talented ladies?  Because they’re new to blogging and DIY divas!  I’m loving these DIY tutorials…
DIY Anthropologie Inspired Snow Globes
DIY Anthropologie Inspired Silverware Easel
DIY Ornament Chandelier
AMAZING, huh? There’s more where that came from!  But, first…
Today they’re sharing their tutorial on how to use fabric as wallpaper – a beautiful solution for those of us with anti-wallpaper phobia (when you’ve scraped an entire house with layers upon layers of wallpaper, some even painted, some on ceilings…you understand the hate and fear of wallpaper).  This is gorgeous and the fact that it’s easily removable is a huge bonus! Not to mention fabric comes in so many beautiful designs, patterns and colors.  Welcome Hillary & Breann: 
{BEFORE}
{AFTER}

Directions:
  • take starch and poor into your paint tray
  • take your paint roller & roll starch on just part of the wall about a 24″x 24″ square
  • line up your fabric and stick it to the wall

Tips: They found it easier to thumb tack the corner and top to make sure it stayed and didn’t slide–{make sure to always start at the top corner}[also make sure to leave about an inch extra on the top, bottom, and sides. the fabric shrinks about 1/2″].
  • after putting your fabric on, take your roller and roll starch over the top.
Tip: {fabric should be soaking with starch}-also when using the roller brush only roll upwards. if you you roll the roller down, all the starch comes gushing out of the roller-

  • continue doing the same thing with the rest of the panel & each one after that.

Tip: {it would be a good idea to place thumb tacks through out the whole process. especially where the panels overlap.}
  • once your wall is completely dry, go over it again with starch to get all the air bubbles out
  • after that dries, take your rotary cutter and cut the excess fabric off the sides.

Tip: [using a rotary cutter [or razor blade] was the best way to get a smooth straight cut. scissors… no bueno.]

For more information or questions, visit Hillary and Breann and their awesome DIY at
Things We Fancy

Pin It

Coming soon – in order to fix the feed, the DIY Show Off will soon have a new look. Unsuccessful attempts have pushed me to switch to my own domain. Thanks for your patience and sticking with it while I work out the bugs. 🙂

DIY Stenciled Wallpaper

Posted on by
6

Meet:  Heather from

Heather just started a DIY-Organic Food-and-Soiree blog!  She’s a full time teacher but in her spare time she enjoys helping others decorate their homes on a budget, entertaining and cooking.  

With a small budget, Heather gave her dining room wall a new look.  $15!  Using paint pens, she created this DIY stenciled wallpaper:  

Helloooooo beautiful! Look at that diva chandelier sneaking into the beautiful wall’s close up!  Love her too!

Big improvement from the boring before:

The power of paint never ceases to thrill me. $15,a little DIY and Heather’s dining room looks completely glamorous! Reminds me why I put make up on before leaving the house! 

Gorgeous job, Heather!  After scraping layers of wallpaper off so many walls and even ceilings, THIS is my idea of wallpaper!  I’ve done it in my own home too and really love to personalize the “wallpaper” look!  Thank you so much for sharing!
See the HOW TO at The Lovely Cupboard for the full tutorial.  Know what else you can see?  DIY project going on in Heather’s 1943 cottage.  Kitchen envy and more!

Have you stenciled a wall in your home?  Feel free to include a link in the comments so we can all check it out!
~*~*~*~

Last day to enter the vintage doorknob hanger giveaway!

Coming soon – in order to fix the feed, the DIY Show Off will soon have a new look. Unsuccessful attempts have pushed me to switch to my own domain. Thanks for your patience and sticking with it while I work out the bugs. 🙂

Stenciled Walls

Posted on by
11
Closet before:  
Now with beautiful new color thanks to Dutch Boy Refresh paint.  It’s a light blue called Fountain of Youth. The perfect backdrop for a fresh new look.  Speaking of fresh!  Not only is Dutch Boy Refresh paint zero VOC, check out the key features:
  • Exceptional hide and durability
  • Gives mildew-resistant coating
  • ZeroVOC / Greenguard® Indoor Air Quality Certified

Tools needed:
  1. Cutting Edge Stencil’s “Whispering Elm Wall Pattern Stencil“
  2. 3 different colors of paint (I used less than 1/2 a quart for the closet.  It doesn’t take much.) Our stencil was made using Mythic Paints in Woodbury and Bleached linen for the pattern.
  3. 3 foam rollers
  4. Paper towels
  5. Paint tray or foam plate
  6. 3 pieces of painter’s tape
The stencil comes with very easy to read directions, tips and tricks.  At first, I felt overwhelmed with placement and where to start.  I chose the right top corner of the wall since this is the most viewed side of the closet.  No measuring required.  Once I developed a pattern (eyeballing stencil placement), the rhythm and pace sped up.
1. Place the stencil on the wall (secure with a piece of painter’s tape).
2.  Roll the foam roller into the paint, covering the roller.  Then roll on folded paper towels to evenly coat the roller.
3.  Roll over the open areas of the stencil. 
4.  Repeat until entire wall is covered in the 1st stencil pattern.
5.  Repeat with Steps 1-4 for Stencil #2 and then with Stencil #3.
6.  Clean stencils by laying them in the utility sink under running water and rubbing with a sponge.  Hang to dry.
Tips:  Use a clean foam roller for each color/stencil. After coating the roller with paint and rolling on the paper towel, roller is good for about 3 turns with the stencil. Again – no measuring required.  It’s magic.  Okay, maybe not but the pattern works out and imperfections aren’t noticeable.
Here is closet after with the look of painted wallpaper.  No ripped or torn wallpaper in the future, no wallpaper removal. There is no lighting yet in the closet so colors are off a little in pictures.  

 “I love wallpaper patterns but after tons of wallpaper scraping in our old farmhouse, I will never apply wallpaper.  Scraping wallpaper is my least favorite DIY project.  Using the cutting edge stencil was the super easy. Little prep, little clean up and once I got a rhythm going, it went quickly. I love that it looks like wallpaper but I chose the colors, it was so much less expensive and I did it myself!”


Closet now. 
Coming soon – in order to fix the feed, the DIY Show Off will soon have a new look. Unsuccessful attempts have pushed me to switch to my own domain. Thanks for your patience and sticking with it while I work out the bugs. 🙂

Stenciled Walls

Posted on by
1
 “I love wallpaper patterns but after tons of wallpaper scraping in our old farmhouse, I will never apply wallpaper.  Scraping wallpaper is my least favorite DIY project.  Using the cutting edge stencil was the super easy. Little prep, little clean up and once I got a rhythm going, it went quickly. I love that it looks like wallpaper but I chose the colors, it was so much less expensive and I did it myself!”
Closet before:  
Now with beautiful new color thanks to Dutch Boy Refresh paint.  It’s a light blue called Fountain of Youth. The perfect backdrop for a fresh new look.  Speaking of fresh!  Not only is Dutch Boy Refresh paint zero VOC, check out the key features:
  • Exceptional hide and durability
  • Gives mildew-resistant coating
  • ZeroVOC / Greenguard® Indoor Air Quality Certified

Tools needed:
  1. Cutting Edge Stencil’s “Whispering Elm Wall Pattern Stencil“
  2. 3 different colors of paint (Roeshel used less than 1/2 a quart for her closet.  It doesn’t take much.) Roeshel used Mythic Paints in Woodbury and Bleached linen in her pattern.
  3. 3 foam rollers
  4. Paper towels
  5. Paint tray or foam plate
  6. 3 pieces of painter’s tape
The stencil comes with very easy to read directions, tips and tricks.  At first, I felt scared with placement and where to start.  I chose the right top corner of the wall since this is the most viewed side of the closet.  No measuring required.  Once she developed a pattern (eyeballing stencil placement), the rhythm and pace sped up.
1. Place the stencil on the wall (secure with a piece of painter’s tape).
2.  Roll the foam roller into the paint, covering the roller.  Then roll on folded paper towels to evenly coat the roller.
3.  Roll over the open areas of the stencil. 
4.  Repeat until entire wall is covered in the 1st stencil pattern.
5.  Repeat with Steps 1-4 for Stencil #2 and then with Stencil #3.
6.  Clean stencils by laying them in the utility sink under running water and rubbing with a sponge.  Hang to dry.
Tips:  Use a clean foam roller for each color/stencil. After coating the roller with paint and rolling on the paper towel, roller is good for about 3 turns with the stencil. Again – no measuring required.  It’s magic.  Okay, maybe not but the pattern works out and imperfectio
ns aren’t noticeable.
Here is closet after with the look of painted wallpaper.  No ripped or torn wallpaper in the future, no wallpaper removal. There is no lighting yet in the closet so colors are off in pictures.  The walls are a very light aqua blue and the stencils are in a light tan/white and silvery green. What do you think?
Coming soon – in order to fix the feed, the DIY Show Off will soon have a new look. Unsuccessful attempts have pushed me to switch to my own domain. Thanks for your patience and sticking with it while I work out the bugs. 🙂