That Wonderful Beadboard Wallpaper

Oh yeah, I’ve been at it again with the beadboard wallpaper and have totally transformed that blah 70’s bath into a beautiful coastal inspired space.  I had avocado tiles and an aqua laminate countertop to work with, so adding beadboard wallpaper to the space gave it a much more interesting architectural feel and at a cost of $25 per roll, it’s a bargain.  I used less than 1 roll for this project and still have a little left.

I love this stuff all over again.  If you missed my earlier posts about my new found love of beadboard wallpaper that started 2 years ago, you can go here, here, and we even had a beadboard wallpaper linky party here.

Sigh, it’s so pretty!

Before I show off the new bathroom, I’m going to share the how-to’s on the beadboard wallpaper and the new vinyl faux wood planks that went down on the floor.  Y’all, it’s gorgeous now and I’ve only got one more thing to do to the mirror and it will be show-worthy.  I promise it will be worth the wait! 🙂

So, first step was to paint out the walls.  I didn’t bother to paint below the chairrail, since that is where the wallpaper will go.  Painting first makes sense, then you don’t have to worry about getting it on your new wallpaper.  I decided where the chairrail would sit and used the light switch as my guide, right below that.

Wonderful Beadboard Wallpaper

Getting ready to start the wallpaper.  I began in a corner, working my way around the wall.  I did have to wallpaper behind the toilet, but managed to slide it behind before we took the toilet out for the floor planks.  First thing, I measured from the baseboard up to the point I wanted the chairrail to sit and there I had my measurement for the length of wallpaper I would need to cut.  I cut across the wallpaper as straight as possible, measuring on each side and drawing a line with my yardstick to ensure as straight a cut as possible.  Then I took that first piece to use as a guide and cut several more pieces the same length, since it is repetition all the way around.

Then you just dunk the back of the paper in water, wetting it really well. That activates the glue on the back.  Let it sit for about 5 minutes and then start putting it up.  You may have to work it down to the baseboard to get it just at the right spot.  If you can’t move it by pushing with your fingers, peel it back and start again. 

Start with the next piece, matching the seam up and get it as tight as you can.  I used an old rag to smooth out the bubbles as I placed each piece and it all dries out like a charm.  You do want to get it down to the baseboard as close as you can, but really when you go back and paint it all out with trim paint, those edges lay down smoothly and it looks seamless.  You can work with it for quite a long time to ensure that the seams are straight.

One caution for the bottom where you have to make cuts.  If you happen to have a wall that is not square, there is a possibility that your line at the bottom will be slightly off sitting on top of the baseboard.  I didn’t have any major problems with mine at all and any slight gaps got covered up with trim paint, so it is really not a big deal.  IF by chance you do have extreme gaps, then you could always get a small 1/4″ trim piece and slap it right over the bottom paper on top of the base and that would totally hide any boo-boos.

Here’s one wall all done, ready for chair rail to go on top. It makes sense to do it this way, then you  don’t have to cut the paper with the chair rail up.  This way the chair rail goes right on top of the paper, all smooth and easy.  My sweet daddy wanted to do all the chair rail, so he got out his big miter saw to help me out.  He’s so great!  You all know I could have done this myself, since I’ve done it before, but I will let that daddy of mine help when he wants to.  I think he likes to help! 🙂

You can see here I had a little corner to wrap around, so that is just what I did.  Make sure you leave enough on the ends when you are wrapping a corner to have it line up properly.  Then you can cut the excess with a sharp razor blade or scissors.  Press on the corners really well when you lay it all down and it will dry beautifully.

Here I cut around the vent in the bathroom, and the vent plate will go right back on top of this.  I love anything that cuts with scissors. 🙂

This wall is completed.   My dad cut all the chair rail and got it installed.  I usually miss a few steps along the way and forgot to show you the chair rail up before I painted it all.

I countersunk all the nails, caulked and painted it all.  I used a small paintbrush and foam roller and that made quick work of the wallpaper.

I get asked all the time:  “can you paint that wallpaper?”  The answer is YOU MUST paint the wallpaper.  That is what makes it look SO real.  YES, absolutely PAINT that paper!

My trim paint color is Creamy by Sherwin Williams.  I had it mixed in latex Semi-gloss by Dutch Boy at Walmart.  I happened to be in there and noticed they had all their Dutch Boy paint on clearance for $7 a gallon!  I had them custom mix this Creamy color for me and it was perfect in there.

Two coats later and now it looks like this.  You can barely see the seams after it is all painted out.  New wall color is Windsor Greige by Sherwin Williams.  I did get Sherwin Williams paint (in Satin) for this bathroom, since it is mildew resistant and perfect for areas that get moisture.   I am loving the new color.

Here’s how my dad chose to finish out the corner chair rail.  He added a small piece of wood molding instead of the real stuff.  Not the professional carpenter’s way, but it works OK when all painted out.

You can see how pretty the beadboard wallpaper looks next to the baseboards after it’s all painted out and here’s a peek at the new vinyl plank flooring that I’ll tell you about next! Love this stuff too.

Then we’ll show off the new bathroom with all the accessories and my squishy new rugs. 🙂