Sunday, June 5, 2011

Behold the Power of Beadboard Wallpaper

Last summer, I gave my kitchen a budget makeover. The vinyl floors are still there. The laminate countertops too. Well, those just aren't in my kind of budget right now. What I did do, was paint the walls and cabinets, add new cabinet and draw pulls, and (drumroll) hang a beadboard wallpaper backsplash. Thanks to some amazing inspiration in blogland, including this post at Southern Hospitality, I ordered a roll of Graham & Brown's paintable beadboard wallpaper. I got my wallpaper paste at Lowe's which is specifically for textured wallpaper and a little kit of neat wallpapering tools. I mainly used the little roller and Xacto-type knife. Oh, and that metal triangular thing that helps you get good creases. These are professional wallpapering terms, if you weren't sure. :)
I was nervous. This was my first attempt at wallpaper. But it was EASY. I added trim to the top and bottom and painted it all the same color as my cabinets. I loooooove it. It is delicious. Nobody knows it's not real unless I tell them, which I do because it's cool. I mean, who actually goes around feeling people's beadboard backsplashes? That's the only way you can tell. It feels a little squishy. Like I give a hoot about that.
I still have a ton left and I have spent a year wrestling with what to do with it. Or procrastinating. Nevertheless, there must be a new project. I really want to give my whole living room some beadboard wallpaper wainscoting. I have been considering these issues:
1. I will have to buy more wallpaper for such a large project.
2. I will have to buy more trim.
3. I have two strapping young lads that will be much closer to this beadboard wallpaper. Will it hold up?
4. My living room and dining room form sort of a "J" shape. There's no door frame separating them and there is a small window right smack in the middle of where I could add some molding or a frame. Thus, the wallpaper would also have to go in the dining room. This is fine if the wallpaper is kid-safe.
5. I am also planning to add shoe molding to our baseboards. When the carpet was removed in this house by previous owners, shoe moldings were not added. This would be fine except the wood floors look crappy about an inch out from the baseboards. There are also gaps between the bottom of the baseboard in the floor in some places. Both of these issues would be fixed by shoe moldings. So WHY wasn't it done then?? Sigh. With that being said, I would have to add those before adding the wallpaper so I can just paint the whole dang thing at once.

1 comment:

  1. So glad you tried it, looks great! Thanks for telling me & for the shout out.

    ReplyDelete