1.05.2010

If walls could talk

what would they say?

Today, mine are saying things like fiasco, beautiful, barracks, exquisite.... and have pictures of a basilica, a beagle, a brig, a buffalo, and gothic architecture just to name a few.





'Why?', you ask.


I have a bit of a slow day today, so I finally decided to transform this hallway...





If you look to the left of the pocket door, you see the "temporary" fix we did a year and a half ago. We had to move the door over a little so the pocket door would have enough room to open. And... my arch nemesis, paneling, is all through this hallway. Painting it wasn't going to get the job done.

So, I stole an idea off my sister in law and wallpapered this hallway with the dictionary from above. I had originally purchased the paste in that pic on sale for around $3. I was pumped. At 8 this morning, I realized that paste on a foam roller/dispenser wasn't the best bet. So... Ellie and I trekked out in the 10 degree cold and bought this for less than $20 instead...


Note the "goes on pink" and the neon pink coming off the roller.

I think they were a bit excited about this when they packaged it. I was excited too. I thought "PERFECT, I'll be able to see where I have glue". I was tickled almost pink when I got home and started. It is tinted pink, I'll give them that. But, I am putting it on an off white wall and can't see any pink at all. But, so far, it seems to be great stuff! Good thing... I have at least a gallon of the 1.3 gallons left! It is also pretty thick stuff... another good thing. When I dumped the paint pan off the ladder, it landed face down. Luckily, the stuff was too think and I was too fast-- nothing got on the carpet!

I should add that this is my ONLY experience with "wallpaper". Before today, the only time I had dealt with it was watching my mom remove a border for us because I was 5 months pregnant and we needed to get the nursery together. So, my experience is a teensy bit nonexistent.




I used a paint roller and rolled glue on as I went. Then, if the edges looked rough, I put glue on my finger and rubbed it over the edge. It seemed like I was wallpapering, but also decoupaging at the same time. I didn't cut any pieces, I left the edges that came out of the book a bit rough. I like the character it added. The book lover, English major, English teacher in me cringed a little as I was ripping the cover off this book and ripped out the first 200+ pages. But, as a lover of words, I LOVE the direction the hallway is headed...

I LOVE the final product. I'm not sure how much more I'll do. I can't decide. Is the whole hall too much? Do I do parts of it? Which parts? I am disappointed in the pictures though. It looks SOOOO much cooler and better in person.



This pic makes the white space stand out more and makes it look more like a "grid" than it does in person.

Check out the place I was wanting to cover.....




















Now, we just need to rip up the carpet (hardwood floors underneath!!), figure out how much more to 'wallpaper', and paint the rest. I know, I did this in the exact wrong order, but ah well. And, no, my bathroom rug isn't that gross. It is the lighting. ((I went and checked after I saw these pics, haha))

I also have a REALLY cool idea that will tie the dictionary in across the steps too. It will go on one of these two walls....


This was taken before the wallpaper/book was done. You can still barely see the place I covered up on the right :)





PS~Regarding the words that my walls are saying now.... I realized too late that b@stard also made the cut.... oops.. I'm sure our future children will enjoy that. Once I saw it, I felt like a jr. high kid looking through the dictionary for bad words. I THINK this one is the only one that made it so far. :)

AN UPDATE from January 7, 2010---
In case you are wondering... this is not kitten proof :) I'll fix it by wiping it down with the paste, no big deal... yet. When I showed it to Sophie and asked her if she did it, she smacked it and wanted to bite it. I took that as an admission of guilt....



She's lucky she's so stinkin' cute!






I linked this post with Thrifty Home's Penny Pinching Party. 
And with Shabby Chic Cottage's Transformation Thursday.
And.... Thrifty Thursday @ Bloggeritaville.
And....at Fireflies and Jellybeans.
and.... Decor Mamma's Frugalicious Friday.
And..... Show and Tell Friday
And..... I made it without my hubby.
And....Poppies at Play 
And.... Funky Junk's Saturday Nite Special.... check out the button on the right to get there
And.... Room A Month
What can I say, my mom taught me to share :)

30 comments:

  1. Yay! It looks so good. It almost looks like a map of a city with blocks and buildings. I love walls that make people want to stop and look at them. Just think, you can cheat at scrabble and boggle with those walls! Very cool idea.

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  2. Hey, if kids are old (AND bored) enough to stand there and read the dictionary, I figure it's ok for them to learn the meaning behind those words... :P

    That really does look like a lot of fun!

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  3. I thought so too, Seth. Earlier while I was doing it, I thought "our kids are going to be so smart..." Yeah.. I'm sure they're going to stand in the hall and read a dictionary from 1974, haha.

    Miss Mustard Seed, it does look a bit like an old city map. (I love seeing those on walls too). I'm excited about this hallway now :) It is just outdated and needs a bit of tlc.

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  4. Love that you did that!!!!
    Because you'r covering paneling that isn't so appealling (sorry), you were right not taking the time to "size the walls first, otherwise ALWAYS coat the walls with sizing. Otherwise, when a change is desired the cursing won't only be on paper!
    Thanks for sharing!
    annie g

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  5. Haha, Thanks Annie!
    I know nothing about wallpaper. I have heard of sizing.. but I only know it is a wallpaper term.

    And, there is nothing that can be said about the paneling that will offend me! It is in this hallway, the stairwell, the living room and the hallway downstairs. I despise it.

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  6. LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!! Did I mention I LOVE this!

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  7. Thanks, Becca! I am REALLY happy with how it turned out. And really, the photos don't do it justice. It really does look a lot better in person!

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  8. A very cool effect. This might be a nice idea for a bathroom, too. Since you're sitting...

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  9. Very cool idea! Kids will be educated! Smile!
    Thanks, friend, for linking up to Thrifty Thursday on Tales from Bloggeritaville! Great thrifty treasure!

    Leigh
    Tales from Bloggeritaville
    www.lbratina.blogspot.com

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  10. Shannon,

    I saw your comment on Twice Remembered. You probably saw mine as well -- questions about the process and if it will stand the test of time. So glad you posted and gave me the opportunity to pop over and read your post. Very clever and creative idea. (Out of the hundreds of thousands of words that will be on your wall, no doubt your children will discover the ONE you wish they didn't!) I'm a new blogger and enjoyed looking through yours. I will be returning!
    Happy New Year.

    Deborah

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  11. That is certainly one of the most creative wall treatments I've seen. You are a very clever decorator. I don't think I would do the whole wall -- the uniqueness of this treatment will show more if just done to a small area. I think it's pretty near perfect!

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  12. Thanks!!
    I can't take full credit for this one though. My sister in law found it in a book and did it to her hall first :)

    It's great to think of ideas like this, but it is just as important to know who to borrow them from :)

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  13. This is SO COOL! Wow, I know it was a lot of work but oh so worth it! It looks simply amazing! Wonderful job and thank you so much for sharing it!

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  14. Very creative... I totally love it!
    as for your update, That is why I don't have a cat! : )

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  15. yes, love it...Am planning to do back-splash similarly, but with an old recipe book pages. LOVE IT. I am coming from Transformation Thursday, Lezlee

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  16. Fawnda- I'm a sucker for animals. Every time one of them messes something up (which seems to be a weekly occurance) his response "You can't have anything nice with cats...." :)

    Prior-
    If I did a backsplash I'd make sure and put some type of clear coat over it... We are splashy around the sink :)

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  17. What a great idea!
    Love your pretty kitty too. One of my fave kitties of all time was a muted orange tiger.
    Kathy

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  18. I would have never thought of that! I wish my walls could make me smarter. I'm still laughing about the cat! Thanks for linking to Poppies at Play!

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  19. I like it alot. I did a chair with all dictionary pages decopaged on it then I stenciled the word "SEAT" on the seat of the chair.
    Got and idea for the big wall you see as you go down the stairs..to make it mesh but not exactly the same- more of a focal point. How about you find a page you particularly like then copy it on a transparancy. Borrow an overhead from school and then use paint or a sharpee and put it on the wall blown up to a larger print..it would tie in and also be a big focal. Can't wait to see what else you do..I love it.
    tammy

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  20. That's is a really neat idea. Good thing you can fix it. Your kitty is just to cute..

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  21. Now THAT is outside the box! Love it! My surroundings are no longer safe as is.. ponder..

    Thanks for linking up to SNS!

    FJ Donna

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  22. Love your hallway. I have an old dictionary and a new bottle of mod podge. My wood and flat surfaces are running. I will find the perfect surface. Soon.

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  23. I'd love to see it in person, I hate the way cameras pick up the white space, but it looks like a great idea.

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  24. That is way too cool! So unique. I love it.

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  25. What a great idea. I'm featuring you tomorrow at my Penny Pinching Party.

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  26. I've seen this done with old music sheets before, but I love the dictionary idea! Your kitty is too cute, by the way.

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  27. Great to meet you on Saturday. What a neat project! And who could be mad at such a cute kitty? I have four myself, and they are the reason I can't have much upholstery on horizontal surfaces in my house. The things we put up with for the love of our pets!

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  28. Would love this for an accent wall in a library.

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