I am popping in today to show one of my favorite before and afters- the cutest little powder room with peel-and-stick wallpaper! Seriously. I still can’t believe how this tiny room turned out. The peel-and-stick wallpaper steals the show and might be my favorite part of the renovation. You can see the entire house here.

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Where we began:

When we bought this property, it was VERY distressed. We had bought it sight unseen at an auction, and I remember feeling excited the first day we saw it because it could have been so much worse than it was! However, the smell was HORRIBLE! I aired this room for days before beginning, as I couldn’t handle the smell.

I don’t even want to talk about what we found in the sink. But I knew we could get a big “WOW” factor in this tiny space. We ditched the sink and medicine cabinet (we are using it as an Airbnb property, so we weren’t concerned with storage) and replaced the toilet because it was a mess, too.

Peel and Stick Wallpaper:

Once everything was out of the bathroom, I decided to use peel-and-stick wallpaper as it is durable (this little powder room will have lots of use), and I love the idea of switching it out easily. I Choose this pattern from Spoonflower. I love the bold pattern, and because we are close to Lake Michigan, it feels beach and coastal. Perfect for the Airbnb.

Installing Peel and Stick:

This was the first time I had used Peel and Stick Wallpaper. I followed the directions on the Spoonflower website, as I was a little nervous.

COLLECT YOUR MATERIALS:

Grab a friend to help! I was working in a pandemic, so I was on my own. But an extra pair of hands would be VERY helpful. You’ll also need a sharp utility knife and a squeegee.

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• Squeegee
• Utility Knife

PREPARE YOUR WALLPAPER:

Re-roll your wallpaper so the top is on the outside of the roll. -This was important. I tried to skip this and struggled, so I followed the directions and returned to it the next day.

The top of the roll has no white space, whereas the bottom has a narrow line of white and is printed with a barcode. Do not trim any part of the paper before hanging.

PREPARING YOUR WALL

Before applying any wallpaper, ensure your wall is smooth, clean, and dust-free. Patch any damaged areas of the wall, especially where sharp edges might pierce or tear the wallpaper. For best results, apply wallpaper to a surface that is a solid, light color.

YOU ARE READY START HANGING:

START IN A CORNER:

If you’re applying multiple rolls of wallpaper, hang them from left to right OR right to left to ensure a smooth design repeat. Start in the top corner of the room; if covering an entire room, choose an inconspicuous corner to begin since the repeat will not match up on the final seam.

APPLYING THE FIRST ROLL

Pick up the first roll and peel the paper backing carefully from the top of the roll. Fold the backing paper away from the adhesive and crease it, giving you a few inches of tack to begin your application. Unpeel it slowly as you go. Line up the wallpaper with the ceiling, ensuring it’s straight and even on the wall. Step back and check that the roll is straight and your patterns are level, then press against the wall. Peel and Stick wallpaper is repositionable, so if you need to adjust the placement, peel the paper off the wall slowly and reapply as necessary. Note: I did the first strip four times.

Once the top of the roll is in position, gently peel the paper backing down 5-10 inches (15-25 cm) at a time and smooth the wallpaper onto the wall, moving from the center outwards. If necessary, use the squeegee to move large air bubbles to the edge of the design, being careful not to scratch your design.

BEGIN OVERLAPPING

Pick up your second strip of wallpaper and apply it so that its edge overlaps the previous strip by approximately 3⁄4 inch, carefully visually matching the repeat. When aligning the paper, use a gentle touch to prevent stretching or warping. Do not trim the overlap; it guarantees that the wallpaper will repeat seamlessly. Repeat this step, overlapping each new roll over the previous one.

Once I got the hang of it, it took a couple of hours. But remember, I was alone.

TaDa!

I love how the Peel and Stick wallpaper turned out!

Finishing the Powder Room:

We found and installed the cutest little sink! Seriously, our Airbnb guests always comment on how cute it is!

After replacing the toilet, we changed the toilet paper holder to a white one and added a few accessories, including a mirror and stool.

“This room is tiny, but that wallpaper provides a huge”wow” moment. I absolutely adore the bold pattern.”This room is tiny, but that wallpaper provides a huge “wow” moment. I absolutely adore the bold pattern.

That’s all I have for today!

Related Posts you may like:

5 Tips for installing Traditional Wallpaper

Installing a wall mural in a bedroom

Coastal Accent Wall

Rope Accent Wall

Until next time,

-Libbie