There’s something about home transformations that make me both super nervous and also super excited. With all of this new-found time at home (we’re currently on Day 17 of Quarantine), I’ve found that finding little projects, like transformation a statement wall, not only fills my time and keeps me from feeling restless, but it also makes me really motivated in other channels.
We had been meaning to get some wallpaper up to create statement walls (in our otherwise very “white” house) for a while now; but somehow I never bit the bullet. Since we now have so much time at home and a lot less “work” to do, we figured it was the perfect time to roll up our renovation sleeves again and put our home projects in motion. I had never put up wallpaper before, so this project was definitely an exciting, but also nerve-racking, one.
If you’re thinking of creating a little statement wall of your own, I’ve shared some tips to keep in mind, shared our experience putting it up and installing it, and included a review of Photowall (the company we got our wallpaper from)
Why wallpaper?
I’ve shuddered at the thought of wallpaper before and the many stigmas that go along with it: “it leaves horrible residue”, “you can’t go back after you’ve started”, “what if this wallpaper goes out of style in a couple of years” But after having done some painting, we realized that wallpaper actually has a ton of benefits in home decor. It adds more of a statement than any other type of coloured pain and it’s great for small homes where it’s easy to style a shelf, then have it just look super cluttered afterwards. I also find that there’s no better large statement in your home than wallpaper (that or a gigantic print). It’s an automatic statement piece.
The statement wall above is actually in our powder room, tucked away in a corner of our 100 year old home. Our house wasn’t made with a powder room in mind (we put this in ourselves), so it’s extremely small (making it hard to decorate it). We originally made it a black statement wall but realized that this didn’t add much value to our decor, and frankly, it made the space look even smaller than it is. I would describe our home aesthetic as “Neutral with pops of organic statements – metallics, woods, greens”, so this giant palm leaf print worked perfectly to compliment the existing style in our home.
Choosing your wallpaper
Here’s the hard part. And when asking an indecisive libra like myself… it’s even harder. I had hmmmm-ed and haaaa-ed over what style of print I wanted in the powder room for the better part of 4 months. I kept going back to this palm leaf print and figured that that was a sign.
When you’re trying to choose your wallpaper print, here’s a couple of things to keep in mind:
- How big is the space?
- Will this pattern make the space look too busy?
- Does this print compliment my existing decor?
- What colours am I looking at incorporating? Which prints incorporate these colours?
- What type of print will I never get sick of looking at?
- Do I have access to all part of the walls I’m thinking of putting wallpaper on? (for us, the obstacle was a 1-piece toilet we could not detach temporarily)
When you’ve decided on a few contenders, I suggest screenshotting the print and either printing or digitally visualizing the print on the wall and in the space. The last thing you want it a wallpaper put up that clashes with everything else in your room and home
Installing your wallpaper
I looked into the different options here and weighed the pros and cons. Should I go for a self-adhesive wall paper? This is normally a more expensive route, but might be better for your walls if you’re thinking of changing it up a lot? If I use a glue-on installation, am I capable of doing it? The wallpaper from Photowall is a glue-on, so you need the right tools to install it. Luckily, the wallpaper came with a self-mix glue (which you’ll need a bucket to mix), and they also offer a tool-kit for purchase that comes straight to your door with your wallpaper. I found this to be really helpful (and great for a time like this where we can’t leave our house).
Surprisingly, the process was a lot easier than I thought. Here are some tips and reminders when you’re installing your glue-on wallpaper:
- Ask a friend or your partner for help! Two sets of hands is really helpful
- Measure out your wall and find our how much of the glue and print you’ll need
- Keep an exacto-knife on hand
- You can use your hands to smooth it out, but I recommend getting a tool (or perhaps a ruler/book) to get a really smooth application
- Line up your panels before installing (especially if your print needs to connect/match)
- Try not to get any glue on the print itself. If you do, wipe up with a wet paper towel right away
- Apply glue evenly, but also be liberal. Smooth out as you go and make sure to address lifted edges and bubbles right away by applying more glue or smoothing it out
Photowall Review
Photowall is actually a company out of Sweden and I instantly fell in love with so many of the prints and murals on their site. They have designer commissioned artwork that feels really unique and is certainly a conversation starter. Their website also makes choosing a print that’s right for you really easy. You can filter by what type of look you’re going for, the type of print you’re interested in, and get inspiration from other rooms that have used their product.
I love the fact that you include your wall dimensions and they spit out the exact amount that you need. This was so helpful in comparison to the stores we looked at selling panels at a fixed size (where we would have had to calculate the amount we needed). This results in more exact application and also a lot less waste, which I love.
Their international door-to-door delivery is also amazing. If you’re looking to do a project like this, I love that everything you need comes straight to your door (including all of the tools you need to do it). The thing I hated most about renovations was going to the hardware store, picking up everything we thought we needed, and going home to realize we forgot we needed something else. Their installation kit is really affordable (as is the prices of their prints).
