REMODEL - Paper Rolls and Paste: Planning
I was about to write about the wallpaper going up on the walls for the remodel project and I ran across an old blog post in 2012, about putting up the Scalamadre’s zebra wallpaper in the twins new bedroom. I think 11 years later, the reason why ended up not doing the paper was the reason why putting up wallpaper shocked me in 2014. The cost of wallpaper. Not the cost of installation professional, but the actual paper itself. I went into this project with a vision for this project and executing that vision saw some unexpected digits in the cost. Let me just say, I love my wallpaper installer and her cost is worth every penny because she’s all about detail and achieving a clean install.
Master Bathroom Toilet Wallpaper selections
Initially I was planning on doing 6 rooms in the house with wallpaper. Once I started researching wallpapers and seeing the pricing, the largest room was removed from the project list. Not really a room, instead it was the staircase area. This not only incorporated the the tall staircase walls, but the first floor hallway and second floor landing. It was also the one space that I was going to have trouble really envisioning the wallpaper style itself.
Sitting room Wallpaper selections
So many things were factored when picking out the paper. For the master bedroom, the crown molding, bookcases and baseboards are all done in a dark stain. The same went for the third room I wanted to do, the new sitting room, which was originally our master bedroom. Both rooms would need a wallpaper that had a dark tone to it, to melt with dark woods. Find the right color family was important as well. For the sitting room, I wanted the room to cozy and opted for Christmas colors, either red or green. While the master bedroom need to be a color that was more calming.
MASTER BEDROOM WALLPAPER SELCETION
I opted to do a lot of my own research to find the right wallpaper. I used two methods to search, most wallpapers can be found online using key wallpaper vendors or shopping sites. Here is a list of a few sites to start your search. Some of these sites can also lead you to vendors who offer more selections.
Perigold (Higher End Products through Wayfair)
Then there are small little sites that offer their own selection of wallpaper.
If you are working with a designer, you may end up visiting a design studio that will have dozens if not hundreds of book to look at wallpaper. Be warned, choosing this route can be intimidating. I visited on in Los Gatos and found myself gabbing with the designers more than looking at the wallpaper. Shopping online does have a downside. Make sure you budget money and time to get samples of the wallpaper before purchasing the larger order for a project.
The one thing you will find is that a lot of wallpaper companies are printing wallpaper digitally and this means the patterns are larger than you expect and quality of the printing can be low. The end result is a fuzzy image of the wallpaper pattern. Then there are the fabric wallpapers. Some vendors will actually take fabric and face it with paper to place it up on the wall. The vast majority of fabric wallpapers are actually a digital picture of the fabric, and the image is repeat printed on a paper to create the wallpaper. These wallpapers tend to have the fabric blown up and the resolution is so low, that the fabric become very fuzzy and fake looking the closer you get to the paper. If you have an enormous room, this might work for you, but most rooms have people standing 2-10 feet away and the catches all the imperfections.
Now before you start ordering those swatches. Have an idea of how much square footage you are going to need for the room. If you are working with a designer, they will take care of all your ordering. You might also find your designer will steer you away from some expensive brands like de Gurney and Ralph Lauren. These papers tend to have a $100+ per sqft cost. I’ll get into later how that number will become a shock when you start pricing paper out. Getting samples will also help you envision the space with all of its trimmings. Typically you want to install wallpaper during the last three weeks of your project. You don’t want greasy/dirty hands all over the paper, especially with fabric wallpapers. Getting samples for your installer to look at before purchase helps as well. A lot of fabric and grasscloth paper are super tricky. There are all handprinted papers that can bleed or even difficult with it’s repeat pattern. Your installer will more than likely ask for you to share the options that you are looking at and they can guide you through the selection process.
PLAYROOM WALLPAPER SELECTION
If you are working with a designer, then you are good to go. Just keep in mind. It’s your house and your walls. If you don’t like what the designer has picked out or the overall selections for a room, don’t feel guilty to say no. You have to live with those colors and patterns. If the room isn’t comforting for you, then time change. If you find your designer pushing you hard on a selection, it’s time to have a sit down and remind the designer who is paying who. A designer is there for guidance. If you could care less about the interiors, then let them do their magic.