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. 🙂
Rhoda, that looks fantastic! Big difference.
Very impressive. It looks awesome. I used that same Windsor Greige at the ranch!! It is so lovely. We have beadboard also and it goes so well together. How neat that you teamed up with your dad to do the project.
Lookin’ good!!!! I just think your dad must be the nicest guy. Your posts about him always make me miss mine. Give him a big hug!
Looking good. I’ll be excited to see the whole thing put together because I have some lovely aqua laminate in my master that sounds like yours. That was very sweet of your Dad to help you out!
That looks great! I like the flooring. I use to sell that flooring at Home Depot. It is a big seller for homes near the beach. I can not wait to see the new bathroom. Of course it was even….YOUR DAD BUILT THAT HOUSE!
I have always adored beadboard, but never realized it could be accomplished with wallpaper! Brilliant! I’ll know where to come when I’m ready to do this project. Thank you.
Rhoda,
Your bathroom is looking great. I love the wallpaper. And I can’t wait to see more of that vinyl flooring. 🙂
Traci
We were going to put beadboard paneling in the utility room. We have already painted the upper portion of the wall and ready for the beadboard. I showed my husband your wallpaper and he thinks that would be easier and less expensive. He didn’t want to use the prefinished masonite stuff which is only $5 a sheet less. He isn’t afraid of wallpaper, he has wallpapered just about every room in our house once upon a time, and stripped it all off too! Bless his heart! My question is, do we need to sand the wall smooth before putting up the paper?
Glenda, I think it depends on how rough it is.I think minor imperfections will be covered with the paper, since it is so thick, but if you’ve got really bad spots that are sticking out, it might be a problem. I’m not sure this would work on orange peel type walls either. That would take an experiment to know for sure. If you would like, I can send you a small sample to look at before you buy.
So gorgeous Rhoda! I can’t wait to see it all finished 🙂
I am reading all these backwards…..trying to catch up! That paper looks just like the real thing.
I’m just curious as to how well it will stay on the walls in the bathroom….I suggested using this product to my hubby awhile back and that was his concern.
I keep catching up and reading and reading all your recent posts and can’t help but comment….what’s so crazy amazing about this wallpaper is that it LOOKS SO REAL!
I’m not kidding or exaggerating…..it’s wonderful!!!!
I think it’s great that your dad wants to help…..sooooo cute and sweet!!!
MANY blessings to you and I promise no more comments today,
Lana
Oh wow! I have considered beadboard for my dining room for a while now but this is my first introduction to this wallpaper. Seems easier than the real thing, but what do I know? I’ll just have to consider trying it to find out!
I am thinking of doing a wall from top to bottom. Any tips on how to match or fill in the seams?
Thanks!
Dee
Hi, Dee, as long as you just match your seams around the wall, you shouldn’t have a problem. There is no need to fill in anything, since paint will also go in the gaps as you are painting it.
Where do I buy beadboard wallpaper?
I know you’re super busy with a huge blog, but I hope you can help me with a few questions. I’ve looked everywhere online for answers so I’m getting desperate. When I looked at beadboard wallpaper on the roll, I could make dents in it because of the foamish texture. Do those dents come out? Is it less foamish if I paint it? I have kidlets and I dread the thought of going to all the work of putting this up and then having a bunch of divets in the wall because the wall is so squishy. (I know if my resourceful kidlets discovered they could make divets–which they will–they will have a field day!)
Yes I would like to know about divets also. We just bought 3 rolls for wainscot in our bedroom, but the roll has some blemishes on the end and all the wall samples in the store had nail marks. This would be a huge problem for us with our boxer dogs.
please let me know asap if possible, because we are in the middle of renovating the room and we have decisions to make. I was wondering if a water spritz or a hair dryer would get the divets out? Also thought of using oil based high gloss paint after a primer coat to make it more durable. ???
if nail marks easily show, it will be cheaper in the long run for us to go with real beadboard I think.
thanks!
Ladies, it will dent if there is a lot of wear and tear on it, like wild kids. Around my house, it is not a problem, but just be aware that it IS paper and it will dent. Painting helps with durability but if you have lots of kids and dogs, I might not recommend this one.
Can you put this wallpaper on laminate kitchen cupboards? I want to put beadboard on the ends of my cheapo cabinets.
Sally, I think it would work fine. Prime them first and then put on the wallpaper & it should totally stick fine.