Small Wall, Big Statement

I have a confession. I love to make BIG statements in small rooms. I think it's so fun to play around and take chances in spaces like this, and small powder rooms are the perfect place to do it. Tiny spaces like these often get forgotten, but let's not forget the little people, people! One of my recent DIYs took place in our powder room, and I'm kind of crazy about it. I'm talking about #wallpaper, and if you want a quick and easy way to spice up a space, then THIS. IS. IT.

Now, there are different kinds of wallpaper, and different levels of difficulty that come along with the different options. But let's be real: we all know that I prefer the easiest option. And to be totally honest, I didn't even realize that this type existed until recently. Basically, the "wallpaper people" got smart and decided to make their product WAY easier to use. Enter, peel and stick wallpaper. Yessiree. You read that correctly. IT'S A GIANT STICKER. That means no glue, no mess. So basically, this stuff is right up my alley.

So, imagine it's just a normal Thursday at our home, and per usual, I had to run to Target for something or another. I came across this shiplap-looking peel and stick wallpaper, and by the time my husband was done with work that day, I had given our powder room a little makeover. It's that easy. Of course, all I did was cover one small wall, but again, that's part of the allure of changing up a small space. Small spaces can mean small projects, and small projects like this can be quite quick and easy. You might remember some other #diy surprises for my husband (oh, hey there), and he isn't always crazy about them (woopsies), but he was pretty happy with this guy, and so am I.

A Few Tips

As I mentioned, this stuff is super easy to work with, and peels off the wall pretty well if you make a mistake. Still, I found a few helpful tips while I was using it that might help you too, especially if you are a first-timer.

1. Mind the Pattern.

Depending on the pattern that you choose, you will obviously want to line up the patterns between rows. I found it most helpful to lay the rolls out on the floor before I applied them to the wall. This gives you an idea of what fits with what, and will also help you determine exactly how many rolls you'll need for your space.

2. Not All Walls Are Created Equal

One (and by "one", I mean me) might easily assume that lining the paper up with the top of the wall will provide you with a straight line up for the wall. And that assumption would be FALSE. Call me crazy, but it seems to me that when building walls, the people who build them would make sure that they are level. But apparently that's not the case, because our walls are definitely not level. However, I'm certainly not an expert in this department, and our house hasn't fallen over yet, so I'm sure it's fine. But, when hanging wallpaper, make sure that the paper is level, or you will end up with gaps between the rows later. This was especially important in my case, because the pattern of wallpaper that I chose happened to feature horizontal lines. So, I made sure that those lines were level when hanging. A few checks and rechecks throughout the process kept me on track.

3. Smooth like butter

If you are familiar with the regular process of applying wallpaper, you may remember how easy it is to get a glue bubble or a bump during application. Unfortunately, just because we aren't using glue here doesn't mean that the bumps and bubbles are absent. It can be pretty easy to get a little air bubble here and there, so I just recommend smoothing it out very well throughout the project. I used my hands most of the time, but there are specific tools (called wallpaper smoothing tools) that you can get to assist you in the process. Whatever smoothing method you use, don't be shy. Better to take more time with it than be staring at a big air bubble on your wall every time you go to use the bathroom.

Well, there you have it folks. Other than that, the whole idea of peel and stick wallpaper is pretty straight forward, so go ahead and give it a whirl! Small little powder room makeover that makes a big statement: not too bad for a day's work.