For the love of Wallpaper

It seems as if I find myself vacillating between the memories of the old house and the future visions of the farmhouse.

Yesterday's post about the nook reflected my need to revisit what I had already created.  I needed to go back and review the details.

The farmhouse house is so very different.  I feel like I want to wallpaper everything!

The ceilings are taller, the walls longer and the overall size is begging for a little intimacy.  Each room would love some individuality.

I'll just ask, why such adversity to such a great design medium?  At the mere mention of the word "wallpaper" people begin to wrinkle their nose, create lines in their forehead and of course the old stories of "when I had to remove the wallpaper from my house..." begin.

I've been there.  The little blue house was a fan of wallpaper when I first moved in.  I, however, was not a fan at the time.  I spent hours peeling, scraping, lifting and moistening layer upon layer of wallpaper in that house.  Removing the paper off of plaster walls no less.  I get the wallpaper condendrum, the love/hate relationship.

Here's the thing, though.  Paint is easy.  A well decorated home can't always be easy.  Don't get me wrong, I love paint too.  It will one day get it's glory and individual blog post.  To be fair wallpaper needed to get some recognition.

Wallpaper is a bit more complex than its paint accomplice.  There are patterns to match (or not) and colors to coordinate.  Inevitably there's the "who is going to put this stuff up?" question after you've already purchased the rolls from a company in the Netherlands and paid a hefty shipping cost.

That would be me.  I searched high and low and found the wallpaper I was looking for.  In the Netherlands.  Fortunately they ship to the states and when I received my package I was giddy with excitement.

The company is called Room Seven.

Room Seven focuses predominantly on children's bedding, clothing and accessories.  They partnered with  Coordonne in order to create wonderful wallpaper.  They have the most delightful and exquisite combinations of prints and colors.  While they are intended for children, I believe their wallpaper to be perfect for any space.

I don't intend on covering every inch of every wall but I am beginning to select a few areas in the farmhouse that have peaked my interest.  I am sticking with the Room Seven patterns throughout because I believe they are diverse enough to add interest, yet they create a flow from top to bottom.

 

I have a thing for this yellow.  I love the golden tone.  It's bright, but not too bright and presents a stellar backdrop for virtually everything.  

I immediately fell in love with this pattern.  It appears to me to have a playful sophistication that can be dressed up or dressed down.  The current plan is to hang this in the dining room.

Moving on I found a floral pattern to add to the foyer.  I can't express to you how much I love floral patterns on paper or fabric.  I've tried to look for patterns with simpler lines, geometric flow but the floral patterns get me every time.  I'm particularly drawn to the smaller floral designs, however, this pattern struck me.  The colors are vibrant, yet against the antiqued white background they become elegant blossoms.

The bright floral landscape is perfect for the foyer.   It's warm and inviting and I believe it will be a wonderful place to begin the story of our home as you walk through the front door.

I had originally decided to only wallpaper the upstairs.  The dining room and foyer were just add-on. 

I love my french provencial dressers in my bedroom.  They were my parents and not long after being passed along to me I painted them.  My mum was hesitant to pass them along at first because she loves natural wood.  I love paint.  She knew the outcome and held out as long as she could.

I believe the outcome was worth it.

Due to my affinity for the dressers, I really wanted to try to stay with my previous color scheme.  I cam across this pattern.

 

Out of all the wallpaper I've selected this is my boldest choice.  The majority of the colors, accessories and furniture in the bedroom are soft.  Based on the overall softness of the room, I believe this pattern can be pulled off.  In the evening, when the lights are illuminated it looks a bit breathtaking.  That's when I knew it would work in the bedroom.

For the spare bedroom I decided to be a bit repetitive.  

 

I couldn't help myself! I love this pattern and while I love the yellow, the blue is dreamy.  Perfect for a spare bedroom.  I'm sure there is some kind of rule to not papering the same pattern in a different room, even if it's a different color.  I don't care, I've never followed the rules.

The last pattern I selected was for Ava's room.  Ava is 11 and cares very much about what her space feels and looks like.  There are days when I highly desire a daughter who says "I don't really care about what it looks like. Pick out whatever you want."  I have to quickly remind myself that I have nurtured Ava's love for design and overall passion for art.  I have to allow her to have her own artistic identity.  

Within means.  Therefore Ava and I compromised on a more modern pattern for her room.  She is very interested in clean lines and structure, the opposite of her mum.  She loved the polka dot pattern.  We're a polka dot loving family.  While this paper takes on a different look I believe it will play well with the others.

The only area I have formally hung is the foyer.  I was confident with my selection for that area and when it was completed I loved it even more.

I hung the foyer over the girls spring break from school and we had a brief stay in Wisconsin.  I haven't been back to the house since.

I'm glad to have had the chance to recoup because here are the things I'm certain of when it comes to wallpaper.

1. Have your checkbook ready 
2. Have plenty of time available 
3. Have a replenished liquor cabinet

Regardless of what kind of wallpaper you are doing you are going to end up investing some money.  It just isn't cheap.  Nor should it be.  It's truly as if you are hanging a work of art so you need to be confident about what you are putting up.  You need to know you're going to love it tomorrow as much as you would today.  I can never do things the simple way.  I'm always looking for that unique, one of a kind.  Room Seven would be quite affordable for me if I lived, lets say, in the Netherlands.  But, alas, I do not.  Therefore, for the love of the paper, I will continue to save and buy each room as I can.  That's commitment.

Hanging wallpaper is a time consuming and detail oriented task.  Do not take shortcuts.  I highly considered hiring out due to the cost of the paper.  I didn't want to screw it up!  What I found was that if I took my time I was able to hang the paper quite well and most importantly to my liking.  I'm a type A.  I may have found a new career.

Give wallpaper a chance.  You might just like it.