Does anything say “I’m a 1980’s man” more than duck, golf and beer wallpaper? This wallpaper covered ev-er-y inch of wall surface in our office when we moved in. Honestly, I’m not even mad. I’m impressed.
As much as the duck, golf, beer trio is 80’s level fetch, it just wasn’t for us. We’re giving our office a major glow-up and I want you to come along for the transformation. In this post I’m going to give you a look into the “how” of our office makeover.
Wallpaper Removal
We started prepping the room by removing the wallpaper. I’m going to be honest. It was a little bit of torture because the wallpaper was original and it was very…plasticky. (That’s a word, right Barbie?)
We tried every method in the book but a steamer and a scraper tool worked best. I filled the steamer with water and held it near the wall to reactivate the glue and get it very warm. Once it was ready, I would go behind the steamer with the flat scraper tool to peel it off. The top, plastic layer was coming off separate so once that portion was done, I went back through with a wet sponge and scraped that glue layer off as well. Thankfully, the glue came off better than the top layer. Phew.
Drywall Repair
The process of removing the wallpaper absolutely destroyed the walls in certain areas, especially where the top boarder was. I repaired the walls by using ultra thin drywall compound that was well mixed. To apply the coats, I used a long, flat, stainless steel mudding tool/finishing tool and a mud pan. I am a beginner in this area, but I managed to do it and do it pretty well. Once the initial coat was on the major problem areas, dry and sanded, I did an additional skim coat to fix any imperfections and divots. I let it dry and then sanded again. Things got…messy.
Side note: I am thinking about writing a blog post specifically on this skimming process, so if you are interested, drop me a line in the comments!
Primer and Paint
We used a heavy duty primer over the skim coat to prep it for color. It is important to do this on walls that have had wallpaper on them for a long time. In part, because it helps with a more even finish over any remnants of glue – no matter how many times you cleaned it. But, it’s also important because most older homes that were new builds at the time when the wallpaper went up, which means that it’s very likely the wallpaper went right over the base coat on the wall. Translation, the walls weren’t protected by anything other than the wallpaper.
Oh, and I want to let you in on a little secret. Please sit down for this one. “Paint and primer in one” is a sham. I know, I know. It’s a lot to take in. I might start a support group for people processing this information, but please know I’m here for you. Don’t fall for it. When in doubt, prime!
Once the room was was properly primed, we wanted to paint with a bold, cozy and moody color, so we went with Sherwin Williams Roycroft Bottle Green (SW 2847). It’s so dreamy. We even painted the ceiling! It’s also a historical color. Enough said.
Furniture and Décor
In this planning post, I gave a few teasers on the furniture and decor. But incase you missed it, for this room, I’m mixing new with old and am sourcing for items very carefully. Everything in the room will have a purpose and a place. This room will also serve as a guest bedroom since it’s tucked away from the rest of the house and is on the first floor. Here are couple of items you’ll see in the final version of the room. You can see more about our plans here.
What questions do you have about our office makeover? What processes would you like to see blog posts about? I want to hear from you! Until next time, stay tuned for the big reveal. She’s going to be a beaut.
