It's been quite a while since I've hung wallpaper (most recent reno projects involved stripping wallpaper, not hanging it). In fact, besides a few borders, it's probably been more than a decade since I've papered anything. Generally, we're not big wallpaper fans - stripping it from walls that have been improperly prepped has left me less than fond of the stuff. However, there is a time and a place for wallpaper and, in this case, we both had a vision for the breezeway that included a vintage-ish wallpaper. The hanging of said wallpaper was greatly complicated by my knee issues (still waiting for a diagnosis) but a knee brace, frequent breaks and ice, and spreading this out over a couple of weeks helped a lot. It was also an easier job because I didn't have to hang the paper floor to ceiling, which greatly reduced the size of the sheets I was hanging. Wainscoting will cover the bottom half of the walls in the breezeway - it's ordered but hasn't arrived yet.
Apparently, we're not alone in our general apathy towards wallpaper - most stores do not carry wallpaper books anymore, and the only place I could find my favorite wall sizing was on Amazon. Home Depot doesn't even carry wallpaper hanging supplies - only the chemicals to strip it, which I found absolutely ludicrous. (And, completely off topic, but a quick tip - cheap fabric softener is the best stripping agent for old wallpaper - it penetrates, softens the glue and allows it to be easily pulled or scraped right off the wall - much safer and way better smelling than chemical strippers). That made collecting all of the necessary supplies a bit more complicated than it has been for other projects.
First I primed and sized the walls - here's the bare walls of the breezeway:
The first two strips up by the front door went up really quickly and easily:
Steady progress turning the corner and over the doorway.
Down the hall:
Over the archway:
And, around a couple of corners to finish the job:
One more project is now checked off of my list!
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