I learned a thing or three about stripping wallpaper last week. Remember this photo? No?
Well, there's probably a reason. Maybe, like me, you're trying to block the image from your memory. Not that pink, blue, and brown floral on an age-yellowed background with oak chair rail which was badly installed in 8 foot sections where the seams didn't quite meet is entirely bad....
Oh heck, who am I kidding!? It was awful!
And, it was everywhere...every wall...floor to ceiling. At first, I thought that I'd strip the wallpaper, then, I decided to simply paint over it...with primer. I started to paint it. I got about 4 feet above the chair rail on the two largest walls then, in a fit of conscience, I decided that but couldn't go through with it.
So, with seven days until the moving truck arrived, last Saturday afternoon, I tore down the chair rail (and the yellowed plastic mini-blinds) and stripped the wallpaper. I'd love to tell you that I used the fabric softener and warm water method and that I stripped these walls without chemicals.... but that would be a lie.
Let me be completely honest: I was running out of time and I caved in and purchased concentrated wallpaper stripper which I applied with a garden sprayer.
Out of the love and respect that I have for every single one of you who reads this blog and for the fact that some of you may be having breakfast while you're reading this, I won't describe, in graphic detail, the icky yellowish stuff that ran off of the paper when I sprayed it with the solution....it still makes me a little queasy.
I learned that patience is a virtue when removing wallpaper. I also learned that patience is not an easy thing for me. This probably comes as no surprise to anyone except me, right?! Spray the paper with the solution and find something else to do for fifteen minutes or so. At first, I stood there...waiting..... thinking that maybe I could actually see the stuff working...
...nope.
The paper actually came down pretty easily....an entire trash bag full of it! Once the paper was removed, I thought that I'd just have to wash the glue from the walls and paint...
...nope. There were surprises behind the wallpaper...like this:
Two walls covered, floor to ceiling, with groups of four pieces of vintage double-stick tape which had been wallpapered over. I tried adhesive remover...it made the paint sticky too. I finally ended up scraping off each square with a single edged razor blade and sanding the walls. THEN I washed the walls...twice. Then, of course, they were too wet to prime and paint until the next day.
So, a coat of primer a coat of Ceiling White on the ceiling and two coats of Benjamin Moore Regal Select Flat which was color matched to Farrow and Ball "Borrowed Light" later, the room looks like this!
Let's compare, shall we?!
Whew! That's better...of course, I do still need to paint the trim...and the movers will be here in about 18 hours...there is that. But let's stick to happy thoughts.... like who WON the giveaway!!!
The lucky winners of the spots for Creatively Made Home {Home For The Holidays} are:
SavannahGranny and Kim Gibson!
Congratulations, ladies! Please send me a message with your contact information so that I can make sure that you get enrolled! If you didn't win, there's still time to buy your ticket over at Jennifer Rizzo's fabulous page!
I'm going to be away for a few days but will check in on the Serendipity Refined Facebook Page when I can. Hopefully, the phone company will figure out the tangled mess of wires on the floor in the basement and I'll be back with you soon!
Have a safe and happy Labor Day Weekend!
