We’re through week five of the One Room Challenge, and this blog post is technically a double update because I left you hanging last week without one! Truthfully, we’ve gotten a lot off of our to-do list, but a lot of that work has been behind the scenes work that doesn’t translate to a pretty Instagram-worthy picture. I say that, of course, knowing that this wallpaper is 1000% Insta-worthy. I am beyond thrilled with the choice, and am so excited we started installing it this week!
But let’s back up a bit. At our last update, we had beadboard installed and finished painting. Since then, we’ve begun work on refinishing the vanity (painting it black, building new doors and drawer fronts, and choosing hardware), ordered faucets, ordered vanity lights, and just today, finally received two (unbroken) mirrors.
But tile talk is for the next few blog posts. This week, it’s all about wallpaper. And cabinets. Actually, let’s start with the cabinets. A new vanity wasn’t in the budget, so we’re working with what we have and refinishing it for a more custom look. First, we removed the doors and drawers and sanded down the cabinet base. Then we wiped it down with a tack rag, and primed. We wiped it down again, and then painted the base two coats of black paint (Black Magic by Sherwin Williams.)
Robert also built the new drawer fronts and cabinet doors this week. It was important to me that the drawers have a shaker style finish to flow better with the rest of our cabinetry in the home. I also just think it looks more high-end. At one point, we were considering using leftover beadboard for the cabinet door inserts, but upon seeing a template, it was just too much beadboard. So we went with a standard flat insert instead.
To create the shaker doors and drawer fronts, we cut the poplar 1×3’s and 1×2’s to size with a miter saw and ripped a ¼” groove out of the middle on the table saw. We used a 3/16” birch panel for the middle insert. All of the wood is readily available at your local big box store.
This process to make the fronts and doors took a little time not only to cut to size but each component needed to be sanded, dry fit, and assembled with wood glue. We filled the seams with wood filler and sanded with a 220 grit sand paper so it could be prepped for primer. The fronts now need to be primed and painted before being installed; it should all happen this next week!
The most exciting part of our progress, though, has been the wallpaper installation! I’d say we’re about halfway (or more) through, and this gorgeous McGee & Company paper was worth every penny. The paper comes unpasted, so you’ll need wallpaper paste. Here’s what you need to install wallpaper:
- Wallpaper paste
- Wallpaper brush
- Roller
- A straight edge (we used a framing square)
- Razor blades
- Box cutter/sharp scissors
- Level (we purchased a laser level for this project!)
- (Most of these basics can be purchased in an all-in-one package like this.)
To begin wallpapering, we used a level to get a straight line for your starting piece. We chose to start in a corner, but depending on your pattern, you can also start in the middle of your wall. Fortunately, our walls were straight and level, so installation has gone pretty smoothly. I’m not going to turn this update into a “how to install wallpaper” post, but after we’re all done hanging the paper, I may just write one of those too. In the meantime, I’m just hoping we get this paper up before the end of week 6!
Also on our to-do list for week 6: finish the cabinets, demo the countertop (templating for the new ones happens next week!!), demo the current linoleum floors (Hallelujah!) , and finalize our penny tile pattern so we can begin installing it (double Hallelujah!). We’ll really be cranking up the pace here to finish this space before the reveal in three (!!!) weeks!
Be sure to follow along on Instagram too; that’s where the “fun stuff” really happens!
To check out the rest of the participants in this Fall’s One Room Challenge, click here.
Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 & 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8
This is looking SO good, what a transformation so far!
Thank you, Nicole! So glad you’re liking it!