2 In DIY/ Interiors

How to Install Wallpaper + Playroom Kick-Off

Playroom Progress! Learn how to install wallpaper the easy way by pasting the wall, not the paper. Plus take away ideas for customizing ‘big box’ furniture!

room with white walls, oak floors, wallpaper installation tools, black stepstool, large level, dark wood trim, radiator

I’ve been working feverishly behind the scenes on the play room, and I’m excited to share where we’re at so far! You may remember we freshened the upstairs with paint last year when our tenant moved out, and now we’re adding functionality (& fun!) to the den, a small space just off our family room, turning it into a play space for the kids.

This is a robust blog post packed with details on the playroom design direction, as well as a full tutorial on how to install unpasted wallpaper. Towards the bottom of the post, you’ll find ideas for modifying inexpensive furniture for a custom look.

mood board for play room, book shelves, silhouettes of kids, harlequin rug, striped wallpaper

Here’s a look at the playroom’s design direction. Last summer I stenciled a harlequin rug for this room, and it’s definitely sticking around. We’re also adding a subtle stripe wallcovering to the window wall. Since this is a small space where we have a large bold pattern on the floor and lots of colorful toys on their way, we’re keeping the wallpaper accent wall (eye level pattern) subtle.

In terms of toy storage, we’re bringing in two low-slung bookcases, and I’m painting them a pretty Swedish blue color. I like low-slung, open bookcases because the kids can help themselves as they’re playing, and from what I’m reading, this autonomy builds confidence and independence among our little ones. We also have a closet around the corner in the family room where more toys will be stored and swapped in/out overtime.

roll of striped wallpaper, tape measure, black pencil on natural oak floor

How to Install Unpasted Wallpaper

So let’s dive into the wallpaper installation! A few years back I taught an in-person wallpaper crash course, and the general consensus was that people were pretty timid of wallpapering themselves. Today I want to thoroughly break down the process, so you’ll feel as confident as can be tackling that wallpaper install!

Materials:

Drop Cloth
Measuring Tape
Long Level
Pencil
Scissors
Mohair Blend Paint Roller (1/4” nap)
Handy Paint Tray + Liner
2” Paint Brush
Clear, Strippable Wallpaper Adhesive such as Roman Pro 880
Plastic Smoothing Tool
Metal Straight Edge
Craft Knife with Several Extra Blades
Handy Paint Cup with Warm Water + Sponge

Note: This application method applies to non-woven, unpasted wallpaper.

white walls, woman wearing striped shirt drawing plumb line with large level, dark wood window,

Prep your wall by wiping it clean with a dry cloth to remove dirt + dust. Remove electrical covers. If walls have cracks or divots, fill them in with filler, sand down and seal with a wallpaper primer.

Draw a starting guideline (also known as a plumb line) for your first drop of wallpaper to ensure that it’s hung straight. If your wallpaper is 20” wide, you’ll measure 19” to the right of your starting corner and draw your plumb line. Use a long level to draw the vertical pencil line the entire height of the wall.

cutting wallpaper strips with scissors, striped wallpaper roll sitting on natural oak wood floor

Cut your strips. Measure the height of your wall (excluding base and crown moldings). Add 3 inches to the height measurement for trimming at the top and bottom. Cut strips lining up the pattern repeat (if necessary).

Pro Tip: My trick for quick, straight cuts across the roll is to fold the strip back on itself and make a crisp crease with your fingernail. Then use one blade of your scissor to slice along the crease.

paint brush standing upright on magnetic Handy paint tray, red paint tray with wallpaper adhesive, striped wallpaper roll, dark wood trim, drop cloth, striped wall

white painted walls, dark wood trim, cream radiator, woman wearing striped shirt applying wallpaper adhesive with roller extender, dropcloth on floor, red paint tray

Apply paste. For wallpapers with dimensionally-stable backings (meaning they won’t stretch when wet with adhesive), apply paste directly to the wall for a faster and easier installation. Use a paint brush to apply paste at corners, ceiling crests and base trim, and a roller for the rest of the wall.

I find the Handy Paint Tray super useful when switching back and forth between a paint roller and brush while applying adhesive. The tray has an ingenious magnetic strip that holds your paint brush securely upright, so it doesn’t end up falling into the adhesive or out of the tray. It also has sturdy handles at either end making it easy to pick up and move around.

smoothing striped wallpaper with smoothing tool, dark trim window, white painted walls, hanging wallpaper

Position your first strip so the right edge aligns with your plumb line, and there’s excess paper at the top and bottom for trimming. Use a plastic scraper to smooth air bubbles down and out from behind the paper.

Butt join additional strips to one another so they’re tightly seamed. No overlapping. When matching a repeat, match the strips at eye level, sliding it up or down until you find a perfect match.

Trim excess paper at the top and bottom of the strip using a metal straight edge and craft knife. Change your blade after every other cut to prevent tearing.

subtle striped wallpaper, dark wood trim, cream radiator, grey blue origami star

Wipe off excess paste on the face of the paper with a warm damp sponge. I use the Handy Paint Cup to hold my rinsing water. The handle makes it super convenient to carry along as I wipe down the wall.

Finally, open up a window to ensure proper drying.

tonal stripe wallpaper, blue bookshelves, harlequin gold and white rug, silhouette pictures in black frames, white painted wall, handy roller cup, woman in denim sitting on shelves

Customizing ‘Big Box’ Bookshelves

With the wallpaper up, let’s turn our focus to the toy shelves. I searched high and low on Marketplace and Craigslist for a secondhand or vintage low shelf for toy storage, but I couldn’t find anything with 3 shelves + traditional styling, so I ended up buying two bookcases and butting them up next to one another to create the look of one long shelf.

Because the bookcase tops overhang the sides by 1 inch, I used a skill saw to chop off that extra 1 inch on one end of each shelf so that they sit flush next to one another.

skil saw cutting white shelf overhang with long level

white bookshelves, white painted walls, natural oak floors, dark walnut wood trim

white bookshelves being painted blue handy roller cup, woman with long braid painting with orange handled roller,

Then I began the process of painting the shelves. If you’re looking for a thorough tutorial on how to paint furniture, I’ve laid out the entire process in my no-fuss guide to painting wood furniture. (Seriously, it has everything!)

I used the same process on these shelves with one exception. Since the shelves are a combination of veneer and melamine, I needed to prime the shelves with a bonding agent first (I used Ultra Grip.) to ensure the paint would adhere.

handy roller cup, mini roller, white walls, black and white striped shirt, black coverall

Once primed, I decanted my paint into the Handy Roller Cup / Liner I like the Roller Cup for this project because it holds an entire pint of paint and has a roller grid to work with a mini roller. The handle makes it easy to carry along as I paint, and the legs give it a sturdy footing. Having the ability to carry paint with me and apply it with a roller makes the process go SO much faster.

blue bookshelves detail, fusion mineral paint seaside blue

white walls, blue toy shelves, yellow and white diamond rug, dark wood trim, natural oak floors, mother kneeling holding daughter, handy paint roller cup

The paint I used on the shelves is Seaside from Fusion Mineral Paint. It’s the perfect Swedish blue hue to draw out the blue from the subtle stripe wallpaper. I used 1 pint total on the shelves.

So that’s where we’re at in the play room! As always, thank you for joining us on our design journey, and I hope you’ll stay tuned as we continue to make strides in here.

This post is sponsored by Handy Products. I’ve used their paint vessels on paint jobs and crafts for years and have come to rely on the convenience and ingenuity they bring to a variety of projects. Handy Products are designed here in Minnesota and made in the USA. Thank you for supporting brands I truly love and personally use.