Thank you ALL so much for participating in the Thrifty Treasures parties! They are really filling up each week and I appreciate you taking the time to do a post and link up. Y’all make it fun! Your enthusiasm is great. I am running out of time to visit every one of you each week, so please forgive me if I don’t make it around to see all 100+ of you every time. I try to visit, but just run out of time. Moving on….
Letās just start by saying this! Iām totally sold on the beadboard wallpaper.
Well, girls I just have to tell you that this project was even easier and looks better than I could imagine. If anyone had doubts about it from my first post, this just might change your mind. This beadboard wallpaper is amazing, thatās all I can say about it. Itās thick, probably 3-4 times thicker than regular wallpaper and Iāve put up regular wallpaper many time before. This is SO much easier to work with. You can cut it with scissors and it cuts like buttah. No shredding or crinkling. So, for those of you who LOVE the detailsā¦this oneās for you. Lots of pics, lots of details. I promise you, anyone can do this project. It went so well and turned out so pretty that Iām going to do something else with it. And I know that diehard REAL beadboard lovers will probably pooh-pooh this (and I am a REAL beadboard fan myself), but for those of us who do not have a garage full of power tools, this is the next best thing. I’ll go through the steps I used to get it all up there and trimmed out, so follow along with me.
It’s by Graham Brown and made in the UK.
So first thing is to measure wherever you are putting it and get yourself a yardstick to help keep a straight line. Measure on each side and hold the yardstick across and draw a line side to side with a pencil. Thatās how I did it and it worked great. And trimming from top to bottom is easy, you just follow the lines.
Wet the back of it in the sink, let sit for 5 minutes. Book it, Dano. I really wanted to say that. š Anyone besides me remember Hawaii 5-0? Guess cause I am 5-0, I would. Booking is when you let glue sit and activate so it adheres better. Now, hereās something I didnāt do. I didnāt sand my cabinets at all. I just went right over the painted surface, which was a little glossy, but it seemed to stick just fine and I didnāt have any problems with it. But, to be safe, you might want to lightly sand or degloss if your surface is glossy. Thatās my disclaimer. I tend to take shortcuts, as you’ve probably all figured out by now. š
My plain jane ends of the kitchen cabinets. Nothing special, but this treatment really makes them look SO much better.
Also an issue when we got our granite, to keep the countertops level, they had to add some shims underneath, which you can see (well, you can if youāre on your head, which doesnāt happen too much, but still) and I wanted to get some molding around the top of the cabinets to fix that little issue. So, this all worked together for me. I bought a small molding MDF piece that fits underneath the granite and then some fancier reeded trim, not too wide to trim out the beadboard. Keep that in mind. To make this all come together and really look good, the extra trim made all the difference too. When you look at the finished product, the trim makes it appear to be the real thing. Now you wouldnāt necessarily HAVE to add the trim under the countertop like I did, but I had that issue to deal with, so I needed to do that. You may not.
Another look at the shims under the granite. Youāll see at the end how it all works.
First thing, I cut and pasted my wallpaper pieces. Only 2 of the ends had to be pieced and you can see the small seam to the right. Not a big deal to me, since regular beadboard also has seams. And I did go back and fill in with some spackle which didnāt totally erase it, but made it less noticeable. If I had worked a little bit harder with it, it probably could have totally disappeared, but have I mentioned Iām not a perfectionist? Iām a āif it looks good, then Iām OK with itā kind of girl. So, thatās the first step. Cut, paste and smooth it out. Make sure you smooth all the bubbles out after you get it in place before it dries. That really wasnāt a problem. I just used my hands to smooth it out and it totally lays flat. No bubbles or anything.
So, this is what it looks like on one end after the paper is in place. Not bad at all, huh? Lookinā good already and itās not even painted OR trimmed out. Wait til you get to the bottom pics.
I did this on the top cabinet too. Same process. See the good thing about this method is, if you were using real beadboard it would really stick out from the cabinets pretty far and youād have to get some bigger trim to trim it out and hide the edges. This way, the wallpaper just snuggles right up to the existing molding and then all I had to do was add molding on the right side and bottom to trim it all out. Youāll see in a minute. This doesnāt add a lot of unnecessary bulk to your cabinets, BUT you get the same look.
Again, the small cabinet above the fridge got the same treatment.
Hereās the spackle I used. I used it on the seams and also in the bigger gaps that I had with the old molding and new molding in a couple of spots. Spackle and caulk is your friend, as I told you when I did this project. You can hide a world of sins with caulk. š Believe me, I know.
Next up is the molding just under the granite to hide that ugly. I used my miter box and trimmed it to fit each angle and put that molding all the way around the kitchen cabinets under the granite. Used finish nails and wood glue to put it on here. I am NOT a good finish nailer. You will see in the final pics that some of my nail heads are sticking out. They kept bending and I couldnāt get all of them in all the way. Oh well. I really donāt care too much, I just painted over them. š A real carpenter would fire me. Again, caulk or wood putty goes in the corner to fill in for painting.
Nailing and gluing. Next youāll see the reeded wood molding I used on the edges of the beadboard wallpaper. This is small and dainty and I like how it looks and it sort of mimics the beadboard effect. I just added it right on top of the wallpaper and flush with the edge of the cabinet corner. Again, youāll caulk on both sides if thereās a little gap.
Mitered the corners where they meet. Again, nailed and glued with wood glue to get it on here. Iām not great at measuring, but again, it just takes some patience and perseverance and YOU can do it too.
So, one by one, they all got the trim molding attached. Everything got caulked. Wherever you see any gaps inside or out should be caulked. That just makes the final paint job look so much better if you do this.
Caulked and ready for paint.
Same in the master bath. I did both vanities in there too. After all the caulking and nailing, then itās time for paint.
I love to use this small weinie roller I got at Lowes for projects like this. Works great and with the small brush, they work together well. I rolled the paint on the wallpaper and used the brush to go back and smooth out around the edges and on the molding. When we moved here over 3 years ago, I discovered our doors throughout the house were primed but never painted, so I had to track down a good trim paint color in gloss to paint all the doors and match our existing trim . I also noticed that the trim color that was already here matched the kitchen and bathroom cabinets to a T, so it made it easy once I got the right match of paint to touch up the kitchen cabinets and all the trimwork. In case anyone is interested, I got Anthem White from Valspar (Lowes) and itās a perfect match to my trim and cabinets. If I was choosing trim paint myself, I probably would have chosen a creamier white, this one is a little bright white for me, but bright white does look good next to other colors. And I wasnāt about to paint out all my trim just to change the color. This one is just fine thank you.
So, after 2 coats of Anthem White on it all, here they are! I just LOVE how this turned out and would do it again in a minute. Iāve already got plans to add some of this to the master bathroom walls around the whirlpool tub.
Nice huh? Would you ever think that this is not the real thing? I really donāt think that someone coming in our house would ever know the difference even up close. The paper actually has a little texture to it that mimics wood.
Here you can see my messy nails, but thatās OK. Itās not bad if youāre not right on top of it. And see, you can barely see the seam after itās all painted. I did try to sink the nails, but I’m not all that good with counter-sinking. I may go back and work on those nails a bit better.
Side panel by the dishwasher.
Looks great to me!
From a distance. This is how most people will see them anyway, not up close.
Little cab above the fridge. The great part about painting is that you seal down the edges at the top and sides and it totally looks seamless. I did 2 coats of white high gloss trim paint on it.
Bathroom cabinet
Another angle.
So, thatās it! I hope this will inspire some of you to try this too. Itās a no-brainer for those of you like me who do not have power tools at home and donāt want to get into major remodeling with the real stuff. I think this gives exactly the same look for a fraction of the cost. Not to mention, you donāt have to remove any molding to use this. It goes right up next to what you already have, which to me is ideal even if you wanted to use it in a small bathroom on the walls. No removing the baseboard molding. All youād have to do is put up the wallpaper, add some chair rail molding on top and thatās it. Iām SOLD on it and I hope youāll try it too and let me know how it works for you. I know if you have small children that tend to run into cabinets like this, it might be a problem, but for most areas without high energy kids around, you would be fine, I have no doubt.
I can see all sorts of possibilities for using this: Back of a hutch or kitchen cabinets with glass fronts, powder room or small bath on the walls under chair rail, inset in a piece of furniture (drawer or door), on the end of a headboard or footboard with recessed panels, on a ceiling, lots of possibilities. So, what are you waiting for?
I spent a total of $50 on the wallpaper AND trim for this little project. Can you say a LOT of bang for the buck?! And Iām not stopping with this. Iāve got some left and will definitely be putting it to good use.
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I read your blog about this wallpaper just before I was about to purchase real beadboard to cover a very irregular wall that I didn’t know what to do it, and I am SO glad that I did. I purchased two rolls and went to work. It was really easy, so much less expensive than paneling, and the best part is that you CANNOT even tell the difference! The irregularities in the wall show through a little, but it makes it look even more like older vintage bead board. It’s agreat way to spruce up a closet- thats my next project!
Thank you so much for sharing this!
I just stumbled over your blog today and I love what you’re doing! I wonder if this wallpaper can hang over paneling. I bought an old 70’s house and it is filled with original paneling. Most rooms will be replaced with drywall, but this seems like a nice quick fix for some of the other rooms.
HI, Shelly, I would not try to put this over paneling, the grooves would show through. I had old paneling in my den in this house I just renovated and it looks gorgeous painted. So, I would definitely say to paint it! Here’s my post on it:
http://southernhospitalityblog.com/house-renovation-week-12-paint-that-paneling-people/
Hi I applied similar wallpaper – paintable and looks like tin tile – over my 6×6 shiney white tile kitchen backsplash. Not a problem at all with it sticking and you cannot see the outline of the tiles behind either. It has been a challenge in getting the right look – sent to the states for copper paint and verdigris patina – painted the wallpaper backsplash – sprayed the patina but I didnt like the look. It was too dark and medieval looking. Great for someone else who wants to achieve that look though. Worked perfectly. And so I repainted it all with a white primer then off white eggshell followed by rubbing a deeper cream over top to give it some dimension. Then coated it all with 2 coats of floor varish – which is clear, water based and dries super hard. Now I want to do my cabinet fronts in the beadboard paper. They are the 80’s beige laminate. The kind with the band of oak across the tops and a grooved (built in handle) at the base. BORING. I think if the sculpted paper stuck to glossy ceramic tile it should stick to laminate doors and drawers? I plan to paint the oak trim in the same type of paint that I used on the countertop – acrylic with built in primer. Then use the beadboard paper on the fronts. Cut (ugh) and add trim to the fronts and sides. Countertop came out fabulous. Lots of playing with colours, inks and many many coats of floor varnish for durability. (Still adding coats of varnish to the countertops). Sorry, didnt mean to write a book. But I did want to let your fans know that this type of paper is very very forgiving and can definitely go over tile with no problem. Like you, I added a smear of spackle along any edges just with my finger to secure and finish the paper ends. Thanks for a great tutorial and the cabinet application. Bravo !!!
Just saw your response. I also have the same style cabinet doors. Do you have a picture of the trim and the end result? At 67, I don’t want to start something I cant finish. [email protected] Thanks.
Hi, Joan, this is an old post and the above person, Georgina, won’t see this from you. Sounds like it worked well for her.
Love this idea. Can you paint and glaze the wallpaper to match the cabinets that I am redoing myself with rustoleium.
HI, Jennifer, you definitely should paint this wallpaper and even glaze it with paint/glaze mixture. But, you cannot sand it, so that method is out with this product.
I have two young boys… And a husband. Hehe how does wallpaper hold up. Thinking of doing this on th cabinet near my dishwasher, but it is where little hands touch. Chalkboard instead? š
Hi, Vanessa, it holds up pretty well, but if there are lots of kids and hands touching, it might not be a good idea. Under normal wear & tear, it’s great!
Rhoda, I read your blog alot and can’t believe I missed this section about beadboard. My head is going wild with ideas! Can’t wait for pay day!!!
Plus, I am originally from GA – living in Montana for the last 28 years.
Hi there,
I LOVE the look of the beadboard paper. Do you think it could be done on cabinets WITHOUT putting the wood molding around it? I’m worried that the paper might start to come up on the edges but adding the molding is going to be really tough on the kind of cabinets we have. What are your thoughts?
Thanks so much!
Leah
HI,Leah, I think it would be best to put something over the edges, but it might work if it’s really flat. I just think the danger could be the edges pulling away after awhile. And the trim just gives it a real wood look as well.
I have old plain very dark cabinets. Do you think that I can do this on them, or will it be too much?
Sonja, are you planning to paint it white? I would only use it on cabinets you want to paint white.
Did I read correctly and you painted the paper? I love the look! I’m a REAL bead board gal but this looks amazing. I could totally give several areas a face lift with this without the whole Reno aspect. Nicely done.
Hi, Sherri, yes it’s meant to be painted and looks way better and very realistic when painted the same as your trim. All the boards and paper were painted.
This is amazing!
I tried this in our bathroom and put it on top of wallpaper! I LOVE it! It took a few days to dry but now I can’t see thru it and no one would ever know. Did it 2 years ago. I need to get it painted.
Great Candi, glad to hear that. It does look great painted,so go ahead and do that!
This looks awesome! I’ve been wanting to do some sort of backsplash in my kitchen for awhile but can’t decide what to do. I will definitely be trying this. My wall is textured, will this still stick to it? Also how is it holding up behind the stove with all the heat? And is it easy to clean?
Thanks!
Hi, Tabitha, if your wall is heavily textured it might not work so well, flat really works the best. I didn’t use it behind the stove, but I think it would work on plain wallboard as a backsplash, painted with a semi gloss finish for wipe ability. You would need to be a bit careful with it because it is paper after all.
I was planning on painting my old “plywood” kitchen cabinets – original from when the house was built in ’57, but I was looking for other ideas and came across your beadboard wallpaper post. The look is amazing but will it stand up to cleaning off kitchen spills. I’d use a good quality satin or semi-gloss paint. I’m just afraid of “denting” since the paper is somewhat 3 dimensional. Thanks for very comprehensive, detailed instructions.
Hi, Sharon, you would definitely have to be careful of the wallpaper on the front of cabinets. They can dent since it’s paper.
Where did you purchase the bead board wallpaper?
I buy prepasted beadboard wallpaper from Graham Brown online.