The writing's on the wall(paper) when it comes to adding individuality and unique style to your home.
Whether it's a fabulous feature wall or a captivating design detail, wallpaper is an effortless and affordable way to add something special to any space.
Paper vs paint
"Wallpaper can introduce a world of pattern, texture and dimension," says Resene expert Rebecca Long.
"Resene supplies a variety of wallpapers to suit every style of home - from sleek and modern right through to classic and decorative, and from the likes of Aspiring Walls, Farrow & Ball, Florence Broadhurst and Khroma, as well as wall panels and wall murals," says Rebecca.
"Resene is bringing back the artistry of traditional handcrafted wallpaper with the Mason Handcrafted wallpaper collection. The classic patterns are screen printed locally in Wellington and can be customised to suit your desired colour way by using Resene Paint," she says.
"Resene also produces their own Habitat Wallpaper range and has bought back the classic, Mason Handcrafted Wallpapers."
And if a fully wallpapered room feels like a lot, tap into your inner interior designer by getting clever with just a touch of papered print. Here are two top DIYs from the talented Fleur Thorpe.
Get ensconced: How to create a wall sconce with wallpaper
You will need:
- Scrap wood
- Paper
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Jig saw
- Drill and screws
- Resene Quick Dry
- Paintbrush
- Resene testpots in your choice of paint colour (Fleur used Resene Toffee and Resene Magma metallic)
- Wallpaper (Fleur used Resene Wallpaper Collection 2008-147-02)
- PVA Glue
- For this project you will need some scrap wood. If you want to make two sconces, start by cutting two bits of wood 34cm long – this is the main backboard, and two bits at 9cm x 9cm – this is the shelf.
- To make a rounded top, cut a piece of paper to the same width as your backboard, fold it in half and use scissors to cut out an arch. Unfold your piece of paper, lay it flat on your backboard, and use a pencil to trace around the arch onto the wood.
- Use a jig or band saw to cut out the arch shape, and use a drill to make a hole for hanging the sconce in the centre near the top of the arch.
- Apply Resene Quick Dry to prime the outside edges of the backboard.
- Lightly sand the primer once dry, and then apply one coat of Resene Toffee, followed by two coats of Resene Magma metallic, allowing for each coat to dry before applying the next. Resene Toffee works as a base for the Resene Magma and means that the Resene Magma has a more intense colour. When the paint is dry, drill two holes 10cm up from the bottom of the backboard. This will be for attaching the shelf. It's a good idea to countersink these holes at the back so that the sconce will sit flush to the wall without the screws sticking out.
- Place your backboards on the back of your Resene wallpaper and use a pencil to trace around the outside edge. Use scissors to cut the shape out.
- Use PVA glue to stick the wallpaper to the front of your backboard. Make sure you smear the glue out with your finger, particularly around the edges.
- For the shelf, round off the front two corners and cut out two supports. As with the backboard, prime these with Resene Quick Dry, lightly sand, then apply one coat of Resene Toffee and two coats of Resene Magma.
- Glue these in place and drill two screws into the shelf from the back.
- For hanging, you can either punch a hole through the wallpaper and use a long nail, or leave the wallpaper hiding the hole and use a shorter nail for a more seamless look.
Top tip: If you can't find just the right wallpaper design for your sconces, you can paint on your own design freehand or using a stencil with Resene testpots.
Step out in style: How to create a statement staircase
You will need:
- Wallpaper, 1m samples (Fleur used a different one for each stair)
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Scissors
- PVA glue
- Measure the width and height of your stair risers with a tape measure.
- Using a pencil and ruler, mark the measurements out on the back of the wallpaper and use scissors to cut the wallpaper out.
- Using PVA glue, run a bead of glue around the edge of the paper and smear this out with your finger.
- Glue into place on each of the stair risers.
Top tip: Select wallpaper samples that have a print and would look good side on / hung horizontally. This means you can cut the paper lengthwise and therefore have fewer joins than if you cut it across the width of the paper (as the stairs are wider than the width of wallpaper).
When you first get your wallpaper samples, roll them up the opposite way, secure them with a rubber band and leave them like that for a day or so. This will help them to flatten out and they will be much easier to work with.
This article was created for Resene.
