Wallpaper or Paint

But, First Wallpaper

Wallpaper. It’s back! Thank God it’s peel and stick! There are so many choices for wallpaper and I love so many of the wallpaper patterns they offer now. When I was younger I used to love flipping through those heavy wallpaper books with the handles. They had a smell of glue and plastic. Remember those? Are you on the wallpaper trend?

Thinking back, I remember picking out my bedroom wallpaper. It was called Dusty Rose and had a beautiful rosy pink background with simple white and pink flowers. My sister had more of a retro checked pattern with random pastel hearts. Today, I’m on the wallpaper hunt for an accent wall in our bedroom. Are you on the wallpaper trend?

Wallpaper can be so tricky though and it’s a scary choice. I’ve chosen wallpaper before and thought how perfect it will look only to be so disappointed. I’ve even papered a whole wall before left it up for a day and took it down. All of that work for nothing. Have you ever forced yourself to like something, but it just doesn’t work? I’m guilty!

What I’ve learned

When thinking about adding wallpaper, it’s important to really think about the room that it is going in and where it’s going in that room. How busy is the room that is being papered? Will the paper be visually appealing, or too busy for the eyes. Do you plan on adding a lot of decor to the space allowing the paper to be a subtle backdrop, or do you add minimal decor and let the wallpaper be center stage? These are important things to think about.

I’m the perfect wallpaper putter upper! Ha! Don’t look too closely, the wallpaper is not perfect! Meaning the edge does not line up perfectly with the moulding.

In my living room, I have a black and white herringbone paper. It works on the two accent walls where I have placed it because I allow it to truly be the art and I keep the decor minimal. You can tell pictures where the wallpaper is overwhelming with the lighting and additional decor. I am not going to pick apart people’s style because your home is what you like and you should make it that way. What is too much for one person, might be too sparse for another. Am I right?

But if you’re looking for some guidance don’t forget the tips above that I follow.

Are You On Team Paint?

My husband doesn’t like any of the wallpaper that I posted above. He says it’s way too busy for him and he doesn’t like anything too busy. He is a chill out give me some peace and calm kind of guy when it comes to being home and relaxing. I think it all comes down to personality. I am more high energy, attention deficit brain (I am diagnosed, I can say that). He is quiet. So, it makes sense when he says that he likes paint over paper. What do you like? Are you team wallpaper, team paint, or both?

Paint In All The Places

I love the paint that has been used here by bowl full of lemons. I'm not a huge fan of chippy anymore, but ho-hum. The color of the wall is neutral and just my style. 

Why I Love Paint

Paint is forgiving. It’s classic. It is less expensive than wallpaper, in my opinion and so versatile. Oddly enough, I love painting in barefeet and start painting around 7:00 p.m. on a Saturday night near the end of a vacation. I have no idea why I do this, but it tends to be my trend. Ha!

Paint adds so much charccter to a room and can either be the main conversation of a room, or you can add other textured and layered elements to a room. Either way, it tends to do it’s job. But, soemtimes paint doesn’t work as planned.

Why I Hate Paint

Have you ever chosen a color in the store, had it mixed right away because your impatient, like me. All to crack it open and say, “Hmmm….this doesn’t look like what I picked out but it’s close enough.” You carry on and even though you know it’s the wrong color in the back of your mind you. decide to paint the whole wall anyway just to hate it?

If you answered yes, then I’m in great company. Cookie Monster blue ways happened to me once when I ordered Newport Blue. Pea Green happened to me when I ordered a dark hunter green ( for something long ago…don’t ask). The point is I hate it because let’s face it, painting is work. Work can be hard. Painting makes my eyes and hands swell. I hate taping things off, standing on ladders, and all the rest.

Paint Can Pack A Punch

99.9% of the time it looks beautiful when it’s done and that makes me happy. I may have paint all over me and inside every wrinkle and crack God blessed me with, but in the end it’s worth it, but wallpaper is too. So which one will I pick? No idea, but stay tuned!