I’ve been contemplating wallpaper patterns for my girls’ room.
The cost of the paper alone (I would hang it myself) is making me think outside the box a little and reminded me of this project featured on HGTV done by the Rethink Design Studio (found via Full House).
All you need is a stencil and a sharpie. I love that they went with gold! Genius!
I think one of these Whitewall & Co. stencils would really do the trick, but what I’m really itching to try is a recreation of this beautiful wallpaper in Lisa Fine’s Paris apartment.
via Lonny
I think I could maybe pull off something like this free hand with black, gold and green (maybe navy?) sharpies? It would be a fun project and the best part is that if I mess up – I just use a little wall paint to touch things up.
I have been contemplating this exact project in my home as well. Looks like it would be fun and easy. Let us know! –Gretchen O.
The result looks wonderful but I don't have a steady hand! [even with stencils] Would love to see the results if you experiment with this though!
I would love to see you try this out and your right, if it doesn't work you can always paint over it- definitely worth a try! I so wish wallpaper wasn't quite so pricey. I have plans to wallpaper a lot and hate thinking about how much it is going to cost.
I am in the exact same boat!! I have been searching for wallpaper for my guest bath–I only need to paper 3' above the 6'wainscotting and yet it still is going to cost $500+ (unfortunatley my faves are super pricey)I have even thought about using fabric(although not the best idea in a bathroom). I have also been contemplating just 'painting' my wallpaper…decisions, decisions
–shannonberreydesigns
You would do an amazing jog, you must try it!! Janell
Great idea! I stenciled imperial trellis onto drapes in my guest room then painted within the lines. You can see the project in progress here:
http://www.timelesspaper.com/blog/?p=1815
and here:
http://www.timelesspaper.com/blog/?p=1783
Also, I can create any stencil design you'd like. Here is an example in my shop here:
http://timelesspaper.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=34_136&products_id=295
Looks like a really fun idea! Hust an FYI if you've never tried to paint over sharpie it loves to bleed through light colored paint, so be prepared for multiple coats to cover up mistakes.
I learned that one the hard way…
Oh yes! Please try it! This would be such a great DIY. The cost of wallpaper is somewhat prohibitive, isn't it?!? But this is such a great alternative. I especially love your thoughts about freehanding the Paris-apt wallpaper!
I have to second the "bleed through" comment. Very, very hard to cover up….
Oh why yes pls. try it and report.
Have you seen this project?:
http://www.dykast.us/scraplog/the-curse-of-the-dreaded-long-hallway-and-what-i-did-about-it
I was so inspired that I ended up trying something similar out in my front entry. I drew vertical lines in pencil with a 5' level and then free-handed them over in gold paint pen and added designs with the pen on top of that. It really was easy! And fun!
I am happy to share photos if you are interested. I get a lot of compliments on it – people first think it is actually wallpaper (which was my first choice but I couldn't afford it) and then are excited to learn I did it myself!
Either way, I say go for it! The paint pen is a bit hard to cover up, but nothing a few coats of wall paint won't remedy.
Would love to see the process and results!
Has your new sofa arrived yet? I'm seriously thinking about this option for our great room, because of all the good reviews. It's time to take the brave step . . .
Wow, that bedroom is lovely. I love the large scale of the stencils. What a soothing space.
Cheers, Alcira
thenerochronicles.blogspot.com
DO IT!!!!!
Definitely!
You can even try some free hand landscaping or anything else.
It's so easy to undo, if you don't like it. Just paint over it.
My children, when they were young were free to paint wathever they wanted on the walls of THEIR rooms. Even their friends always had a blast with it.
That is genius! I love it!
i loved reading your comments about design with kids in mind at 6th street design school. i love you easygoing approach–you are so right. when you have children, you need to realize that things are going to get broken/drawn on/barfed on/or stained in some other way, and you just gotta "roll with the punches".
i loved you closing quote that nothing is more important than you relationship with your child.
:)
and love the sharpie wallpaper too.
wouldn't it be great if we could channel all of our kids creative energy and get them to make some fabulous wallpaper for us?
I love this idea and I would hope it would be easier with a marker instead of a brush but I don't know. I would like to try this in my hallway. Great post:)
Amy R.
I would never do it. It's totally a cute DIY idea – but when we moved into our house, my girls' room was COVERED with sharpie graffiti from the previous tenant. It took at least 6 coats and then some touch-ups to finally cover it up. I would finish a coat – think it had finally gone away, and then 30 minutes later it had bled through the topcoat. And I used the high quality, blocks everything primer and paint in a coral pink.
you read my mind. OR solved my DIY issue. I think I may give a sharpie a go as well
If anyone can pull this off you can! Can't wait to see the results!
I can't wait to see your before & after on this! If anyone can pull it off, it's you :)
and it could be done in stages-
with days off to rest the arms-
john in nc
You could also possibly skip the paint and keep some lemon extract and paper towels on hand. Cut in with that while fresh and as long as you have a semi gloss/gloss backgound it should wipe clean off!
Gorgeous! Love your blog by the way. This is my first time commenting although I read it all the time! The sharpie idea is fantastic, who would of thought?? I may need to try that somewhere is my house.
http://www.frommylivingroom.blogspot.com
I am always for any DIY decorating idea especially when it saves money, but there is no way on earth I would attempt this! I am completely in awe of you ladies that have done this and made it look so cute! I did see someone on HGTV who made a really cool "faux" bulletin board using this technique. She made cute little frames for drawings, family pics etc. I cant wait to see the finished product.
A friend of mine did this in her daughter's room and it came out unbelievable. She painted the walls the palest lavender gray and then used silver sharpie to draw the outline of a harlequin pattern on the walls. It looks great! Good luck, you can make it happen.
What a great idea! I love the wall paper in that apartment. Go for it.
The very thought of this project intimidates me! I fear my ideas would be out of my wobbly little hand's reach…
But I can't stop drooling over it.
Another one who has to say be careful with the sharpies! You absolutely cannot just paint a coat of white over it.
We had sharpie from the previous owners in one of our bedrooms. We painted it a medium brown, with the high quality/primer paint, did 3 coats, and it's still peeking through!
Perhaps the metallic ones bleed less, but the dark sharpies are a nightmare!
Love the idea though!
Jenny — thanks to one of your posts forever ago about Whitewall & Co, I stenciled the wall behind my bed in my itty bitty studio apartment: http://aplaceforthedetails.blogspot.com/2010/04/boy-oh-boy-this-was-tedious-project-but.html I LOVE IT! Many thanks to you for such wonderful inspiration!
So fun! I would love to be brave enough to try this! I'd be constantly touching up though ;-)
Gorgeous! Love your blog by the way. This is my first time commenting although I read it all the time!
Very pretty indeed! But I'm afraid I'll have to agree with Callie—painting over sharpie is a nightmare! I've had two different roommates that drew on their wall with sharpies and paint markers,and paint never covered the markings–it kept bleeding through (even with Kilz!). They both had to eventually scrub the layers of paint off with Comet. Maybe practice on a separate board before you decide to do you're whole wall (especially if you're renting!).