Wallpaper Wars: Week 1 of the One Room Challenge

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If you've done wallpaper before, you know it can be a battle. Well thankfully this time around (my 4th wallpaper experience), I won the war!

The bathroom will be getting almost new everything, but I started with wallpaper partly because I knew it would make a huge impact immediately, but also because I did not want to mess with anything around the vanity until the new countertop was in. So let me take you through from the beginning.

Here is my mood board for this bathroom. Over the last month or so, the girls and I have been brainstorming some of the design elements that we want in here. The girls definitely wanted something light and bright, and we have a few fun ideas to personalize it as well. I love Rifle Paper Co. designs, so I thought -- let's keep it simple and just choose one of their designs for the wallpaper. Each girl chose one they liked, we ordered samples, and as soon as we put the samples up on the wall, it was pretty clear which one was the winner. The colors are gorgeous and you can't beat that stunning, ethereal pattern!

Last week I visited 2 stone yards in my area to look at countertop remnants. A remnant is a leftover piece of stone from someone else's job. Of course they can be small but many remnants are full length slabs and they are 30-40% cheaper than buying new! Since this is my second custom counter experience this year (we did our kitchen this summer), I felt more confident that I knew what I was looking for. Quartz is perfect for bathrooms, so I scoped out quartz remnants in a bright/true white and found a great option at a local place called Architecture Stones. They had a lot of options and took the time to pull out the pieces I was interested in. They were able to come out and measure the next business day and we should hopefully get the install scheduled for next week!

To prepare for the demo (removal of the old granite) and install of the new counter, I'll need to unhook the sink and faucets. The old sinks and old faucets will be taken with the old counter. Once the new counter is in, they will probably have me wait 24 hours before doing anything to allow the sealant and caulk to dry and cure. Then, I can hook up the sink and install the faucets, getting the water back on and functional. I'll be sure to show you all the step-by-step on how to do this...I PROMISE you do not need a plumber for this!

But, back to the wallpaper. To start, I removed the old mirrors, hooks, screws, and mounts and filled in the holes with spackle. A quick fill & sand x2 usually gets the job done, and in this case it did not have to be perfect since it would be covered with either wallpaper or tile. It's just good to not to have holes and indentations below your wallpaper, ya know?

Then I applied one coat of Zinsser Clear Shieldz Clear Wall Size, which is a wallpaper primer. I had never used wallpaper primer before, but it was recommended in the instructions of the wallpaper I purchased. I really trust Zinsser products and it was fairly inexpensive, plus the sheen of the existing paint on the wall was a semi-gloss, so I figured it would be a good idea to ensure the wall would be sticky enough!

The wallpaper I purchased is traditional, which means I had to buy paste separately and apply it to either the wall or the paper. The other 3 wallpaper jobs I have done in our house were with pre-pasted wallpaper, and I have to say I actually like traditional best! I found it much easier to add more paste when needed than it was to re-wet the pre-pasted wallpaper. Plus, the edges and seams tend to be the areas you need more paste, and it is easier to dose those areas with more paste as needed. All it required was a quart of paste (even had some leftover) and a roller with a 3/8 inch nap. This wallpaper was thick and durable and did not rip throughout the whole installation. Seriously so pleased, 10/10.

A few more tricks to hanging any kind of wallpaper:

• Start in a discrete area or corner, since your pattern may not line up perfectly at the end. I chose the little nook where the toilet is.

  
  

• Always plan out the direction you want to go to ensure your pattern looks the best at the most visible area of your room

• Use a plumb line (I used a laser level) and start your first panel and make sure it is flush with this line -- NOT your ceiling; because your ceilings and corners are never as square as you think!

  
  

  

  
  

• Always read the instructions -- some papers you do a 1/2 inch overlap; others you do not overlap seams at all. Some wallpapers will expand and contract as it dries, which means you may not want to trim your edges right away. In this case, mine could be cut right away.

  
  
  
  

  

  
  

• Consider your pattern return; that is, how long does the pattern go (vertically) before it repeats itself. This is another area where you'll want to plan out. Consider the vertical height of your wall/space and make sure the pattern gets displayed in a logical way.

  
  
  
  

  

  
  

• When it is time to trim your edges, use a sharp blade and have extras on hand, as you may have to switch it out if it dulls. Use a straight edge (I use my smoothing tool for this) and protect the important side of the wallpaper with the straight edge, in case your blade gets off track. Take your time and don't pull too hard!

Later this week I will be raiding the paint section in my garage and putting up some samples to decide on the vanity color. And because I removed the vanity lights in order to complete the wallpaper, I want to purchase new ones ASAP! I need your help deciding -- do you like the green glass light or the gold & glass fluted light? Follow on Instagram and TikTok to see my progress and help me make design decisions in my stories! You should also check out One Room Challenge and check out all the guest participants to get more inspiration!

Thanks so much for being here ♡