One Room Challenge: Powder Room Wallpaper (Week 2)

[Before we get to powder room wallpaper, isn’t that yellow rose paper the sweetest?  It was my favorite of the wallpapers in our home when we bought it, and the only one original to the 1960s (all of the other originals had been covered by another layer in the 80s).  If it hadn’t been damaged beyond repair, I totes would have kept it.]

It’s Week 2 of the One Room Challenge!  Last week I shared the before photos of our Powder Room, and this week we’re jumping into the first big change:  wallpaper.

Despite the layers of wallpaper we painstakingly removed from this house, I decided I wanted to put some up in here.  I am just so enamored by the myriad colors and textures available, and this tiny room is the perfect place to take the plunge.  Plus, there are so many temporary or easily-removable options available, it’s much less risky than it used to be.

In looking at patterns, I kept a few things in mind:

Color

I wanted something bold, but there needed to be a good dose of white in it, as well.  If I chose something too dark or a pattern that’s super crisp and geometric, the white toilet and sink would stand out like sore thumbs.  And the whites in our home (toilet, sink, and trim, etc) are all crisp white, Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace, to be exact.  This is not a cream or ivory color, so the white in the wallpaper needed to be that same bright white.  I also wanted it to relate to the nearby kitchen and living room, both of which have navy blue repeated throughout.  So, a pattern with navy among the colors would help this space feel cohesive.

Removability

As I’ve alluded to, removing old wallpaper is just no fun.  Especially when it comes off in tiny little pieces, and damages the wall in the process.  The awesome news is that smart folks have developed papers that go up AND come down easily.  But, not ALL papers are designed this way, so I limited my search to ones that are.

Fun Factor

I have such an appreciation for gorgeous traditional wallpapers, but our home is more casual than it is traditional, so this paper needed to have a hint of quirk.  I didn’t want anything that takes itself too seriously or feels pretentious in our space.

Keeping those factors in mind, here are a few of the papers I considered:

Sources: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

The One

The one I couldn’t get outta my head was number 6, a York wallpaper called Jovana, sold through Anthropologie.  It met all of my criteria and was just the right amount of whimsical.  I ordered it during a sale, and when it arrived I knew it would be perfect!

This was my first experience in installing wallpaper, and I have to say it wasn’t as difficult as I had imagined.  I watched a couple of Youtube videos on installing York paper, got my supplies all ready, and got started.  You can see some shoddy footage of my progress in my Instagram Stories.  Just click on the ORC highlights from my profile.

I won’t bore you with the details, but will instead share the results.  I did about half of the room one day:

And the rest the following day:

 

I would say it took a total of 3-4 hours to get this tiny room done.  Not too bad for such a big punch of style!

My seams are certainly not perfect, and my cut-ins leave a bit to be desired, but I’m more than happy with the results.

This “Sure Strip” paper from York was so forgiving and easy to work with.  Once you wet the paper, you have plenty of “open” time to get it in just the right spot.

Tip for installation:

Have a super sharp blade ready for cutting in (a fresh X-acto knife or box cutter).  And, wait until the paper has dried a bit before attempting to cut…otherwise it will tear.

I covered the existing switch plate with wallpaper, matching up the pattern, so there wouldn’t be a visual break in the pattern.  With so much going on , continuity is key!

You may have noticed the new light fixture in the room.  I found that little gem in the Habitat Restore last year, and thought it might work really well in here!  We’ll see if it stays or goes, but isn’t it adorable!?

There you have it, folks!  The biggest element of the room is up and I am loooovin it!  Next up…the mirror.  I’m considering some pretty cool options.  Can’t wait to share them with you next week!

Be sure to check out the other participant’s Week 2 updates here.  The featured designers are all linked here.  A big thanks to Linda Weinstein of Calling it Home for creating such a fun and inspiring challenge, and to House Beautiful, the official media sponsor.

[This post contains affiliate links.  If you purchase items using these links, I may receive a tiny percentage, at absolutely no extra cost to you.  This helps support my business in a small, but meaningful way.  Thank you for your support!]