03 April 2012

Wallpaper Border, Begone!

When we first moved into this house 20 years ago, it came with plenty of wallpaper and borders. But as if there weren't already enough, we added EVEN MORE borders to the few untouched rooms. Borders were all the rage at the time, but now I'm done with them. DONE. If I ever, EVER get the urge to put up fruity or flowered wallpaper again, someone needs to stop me. Please make a note of it.

We've tackled most of the wallpaper removal projects, but the one I've been putting off is our home office. For several years now, I've wanted to do something with this space, which doubles as my crafting/work room, but I couldn't justify it since I'm really the only one who sees it. Sure, the space is relatively functional and organized, but it feels disjointed and hodgepodge. After a good deal of thought, I've finally concluded that for as much time as I spend working in this room, it really needs to be a better reflection of my style and work habits.

Last year we got rid of the very outdated ceiling fan and I began replacing my plastic storage bins with Target cubes. Now I'm moving ahead with the bigger projects -- the walls and floors. The room features a forest green paisley border which we hung shortly after moving in. The carpet and paint are both original to the house -- yep, you read that right -- ORIGINAL. It's time for a serious update.
 The only good thing about this particular wallpaper border is that we used sizing under it. Unfortunately, most of the wallpaper in other rooms was adhered by the builder directly to the drywall, meaning it will NEVER come off. Because it was sized, I managed to take down this particular border in about six hours.
I sprayed it with warm water, let it soak in for a bit, then began peeling it off. Compared to other wallpaper we've tried to remove, it was a breeze.


Seeing the room without the border -- as bad as it looks right now -- makes me unbelievably excited because this is just the start of what I hope will be a low-budget but great transformation.

My next task will be to paint the walls a warm caramel color, the same color we used in my daughter's bathroom last summer. After that, I'll be replacing the carpet with some type of hard surface which will be more practical for the space. Before that can happen, I'll be removing everything from the room and being very, VERY selective about what comes back in.
Stay tuned for updates on this project -- and hopefully photos of more than just a corner of the room!

2 comments:

Sharon W. said...

Go, Janet, Go!!! This is going to be a great room for you to work in. I will be waiting for more posts on your progress.

Heather said...

I can't wait to see what you do with it! Our extra bedroom doubles as my craft room. It's VERY early 90's with it's burgundy & green wallpaper on one wall, mauve carpet, and burgundy bifold doors...horrendous! I haven't been able to justify the money & hassle to redo it just yet, but I really want to!