Bedroom Makeover Update: Wallpapered Accent Wall

I am almost finished the makeover of my bedroom. Today I am sharing the wallpaper accent wall that I think has made all the changes I have made so far in the room come together, plus my tips on the best way to cut wallpaper.

I like grasscloth wallpaper, but not the price tag. It is classic and the pattern subtle, not trendy or overwhelming. In my previous house I hung textured vinyl grasscloth in my kitchen.

When we moved to the lake house I hung textured Anaglypta wallpaper to cover up a damaged wall in the dining area of the  kitchen. I have even painted faux grasscloth in the hallway of darkness.

This is how I left you in my last post about my bedroom makeover.  See the long wall with windows that border the bed?  It has now become an accent wall that I created using fake grasscloth wallpaper.

See end of post for the resources for the items I used in this bedroom.

I normally like white walls, but the room has a dark corner no matter how much the sun shines in so I envisioned a classic grasscloth wallpaper on the walls in a blue color. After hanging the first piece, I knew I was going to like it.

With each added section of wallpaper, I kept stepping back to view how it looked. This is the view I was most smitten with since it is the part of the room that can be seen from the foyer of my house.

The wall paint color is Bastille Blue from Glidden. You can read my post about it here: Bedroom Color Inspiration.

When I hung the last piece of wallpaper and stepped back I knew my decision to add the accent wall was right. The room actually looks bigger and brighter now!

I could not be happier with this vinyl version of fake grasscloth. Doesn’t it look like it has texture?  It doesn’t, it’s smooth. See resources at the end of the post.

It was not hard or time consuming to hang wallpaper on the wall to accent it since it was only one wall. Pre-pasted wallpaper with no pattern to line up made the process go quickly. :-)

The day before, I did roll on wall primer/sizing and let it dry before hanging the wallpaper. This step helps with adhesion and when it is time to remove, will allow the paper to come off much easier.

Here is a shot showing the partial wall that divides the bed area with the painted brick walled area that was once a porch.

Now with the painted brick and new flooring, the two areas blend together which was one of the reasons I started the makeover in the first place.

It took me 3 hours to hang the wallpaper. Perfect job for a weekend. I set up a folding table in my foyer as a surface to cut and wet the paper to prepare it for hanging.

Hanging wallpaper isn’t hard. I am not sharing a full tutorial on how to hang it since there are literally hundreds online that are much better than I could ever produce,  but I do have two wallpaper hanging tips that will help you achieve pro results.

How To Create an Accent Wall in a Room With Wallpaper

Figure out what wall in the room is the most prominent. In my case it was the bed wall.  The wall you choose could also be a niche in a wall or a wall that has an architectural feature on it.

If you are unsure, you can try painting it first to see how using a different color only on one wall makes the room look. If you don’t like it you can simply repaint it.

What is the Best Tool To Cut Excess Wallpaper Once It is Hung

There are all sorts of wallpaper cutting tools available to use. I like to keep it simple with a straight-edge and use this Multi-Purpose Straight Edge Tool Paint Guide . It is my go-to along with a snap-off blade utility knife.

How to Trim Excess Wallpaper Using the Straight Edge Tool and Knife

• Never use a dull or old blade to cut wallpaper: You need to cut the paper with a very sharp blade so having the ease of snapping the used blades off makes the process easier. I snap a blade off after a few cuts, the sharper the blade the smoother the cut.  You can buy these snap-off utility knives at the dollar store, so if you use every blade in the knife there is no big expense involved.

• After placing the straight edge against the molding, ceiling or corner, always run the knife on the outside edge of the straight edge. This way the knife is not right up against the wall where you could mess up the wallpaper as you cut.

• Cut the wallpaper like this photo shows:  On the outside edge of the straight edge.

• Never use a knife alone to cut excess wallpaper. Always use a straight edge of some sort. It could be a thin ruler or yardstick, anything that has a long straight edge.

• Every time I make a cut, I have to remind myself….cut on outside edge of straight-edge. Cutting on the inside like this photo shows will ding the wallpaper that you took time and effort to hang.

Should Wallpaper Be Wet or Dry When Trimming Around Moldings, Corners or Ceilings

Don’t cut wet wallpaper – wait until it dries a little or you risk creating a ragged edge.  To create a smooth straight cut, let the paper dry, but not all the way or it will begin to stick. I wait about 15 minutes and then cut with the metal paint edging tool and  snap-off blade utility knife.

Now I have all the decorative elements in the room added, even my husband’s desk in the room that painted used the Liberty Blue Fusion Mineral Paint.