Finished the Collage Wallpapering

Wallpapering

 

The Water Closet (W.C.) is often located in its own separate room in France. The bathroom is where you shower or bath, and the W.C. is the toilet room. Therefore when you are in France and need to go to the bathroom, one must say, "Where is the toilet?" Because if you ask for the "Bathroom" chances are you will be taken to the room where there isn't one.

My niece and I wallpapered the "toilet" room. It is the smallest room in our home. 

Last Autumn, while in North Carolina visiting a friend I bought some wall paper samples in a recycling shop.  

I had never wall papered before, though thankfully my niece, knew the tricks of the trade, and offered to help me.

 

Wall papering collage

My goal was to take the taupe/beige wallpaper samples that I had creating a patchwork, or collage on three of the toilet room walls. Juliette papered, while I glued. Juliette had the tools, I had the crazy idea. We were a good team.

Right away what I thought would be a simple project turned out to be a very time consuming one. Juliette is a perfectionist, while I am a glue and go girl. Juliette calculated, measured, cut off the excess paper, matching seam to seam. While I would have simply over-lapped the layers.

I put the glue on the paper, told Juliette where I wanted it, Juliette then fixed it to the walls with precision. She had the hard part and did it with ease.

We got along. I quickly caught on that wallpapering is more math than I care for. Fortunately, Juliette had this fancy tool that made straight guidelines on the wall. It simplified calculating.

 

 

Wallpapering bathroom

The outcome is exactly what I hoped for! Unfortunately, the photos do not do it justice, though if you click on them, then enlarge, you can see more details. I added some old papers, which added a new twist to "writing on the walls", and gives one something to read when in there.

French Husband liked it too, teasingly he added, "Now everyone will know where we poop." Lovely thought on Valentine's isn't that!

Happy Valentine's !

What project are you up too?

 

Notes:

How to WallPaper Video.

WallPaper Tools.

What to do with excess wallpaper?

More creative ways to use wallpaper.

Vintage wallpaper samples on my brocante site.

And more fun ideas for wallpapering.



Comments

50 responses to “Finished the Collage Wallpapering”

  1. Recycling at its BEST! Love it!

  2. On that note, Happy Chocolate Day!
    : )
    Julie M.
    ps Your W.C. looks lovely. I’m currently working on organizing absolutely everything I own. Good times.

  3. Well done on the papering. Now I see how to do it and make it work, colour co-ordination is key. Love your soft tones and the way it all blends. Now fired with enthusiasm to use some of my own vintage papers etc to do up a wall. Hmmm might start someplace even smaller, the larder might do! Thanks for the inspiration.
    Karon

  4. jend’isère

    Vintage Parisian scenes in pink and grey wallpaper filled my American childhood bethroom. My mother’s creative choice decades before my move there. Oh, how I wish I kept a sample or took a photo. The hours I spent studying those bicycles, boulangeries and lamp posts I am now trying to visualize.

  5. Fantastic, professional-looking, visually lovely and interesting result! Can you and Juliette come over and paper my WC too please?

  6. It was well worth the sleepless night. I’m excited for you, I love the look. It’s going to be all the rage after today.

  7. Looks great!

  8. Ooooo…. I like it! Great job Corey!
    Happy Valentine’s Day XOXOXOXOXO Sheala

  9. Your WC looks gorgeous! Great job!
    We are celebrating Valentine’s Day at our cabin in the mountains. Sound romantic? Well, maybe, but our last renters said the toilet was clogged, so we are headed up to fix it.

  10. Love it, Corey! You will need to put a timer in there because people will want to spend so much time in there reading and looking at the wallpaper. 🙂

  11. Dear Corey, truly special and amazing. A project well done and very charming.

  12. What a wonderful decorating idea – a collage of wallpaper. Had I tried this, it would look like those tissue paper collages third graders make. Sigh. Happy Valentine’s Day.

  13. RebeccaNYC

    Beautiful! I did this one time, also in a WC with old Movie posters. Now you make me want to do it again only this time like yours! Beautiful beautiful beautiful!!!

  14. 🙂 I did that too in a toilet in Switzerland, with wallpaper I bought in Canada…. 🙂 We DO think alike…. Brings up fond memories and reminds me that in the old person I am getting to be there is still a young girl wanting to jump out of me…. 🙂
    Today, my 5 English guests left for Calais – and the house all of a sudden is quiet again, only disturbed by the hum-drum of the washing machine and tingled by the classical music on Radio France Musique! mmmmmh, lovely!

  15. Happy Valentine’s Day, love! Joyeux Saint Valentin, Corey…. Gros bisous

  16. Looks really very nice.
    I am knitting little red beret for myself.

  17. Corey….it is so fantastique and completely you, too. Happy Valentine’s day…FH is funny.

  18. Wow, it looks professional, the two of you make a great team. The colors are soothing as well. Happy Valentines you two.
    I have some reading to finish, nothing that exciting.

  19. Trying to think of the best way to reuse table legs found for free.
    The WC looks much better than I imagined. Great job Juliette and Corey!

  20. It’s lovely, Corey.
    I’m learning to silver smith!!! (That’s my project)

  21. Oh, I love it! You do have such great ideas, Corey, and such flair!
    My project lately is working on my St. Patrick’s harp concert. My fingers are tired from practicing jigs and reels and airs.
    But I did call my Mom a few weeks ago and said “Let’s sew!” Which means SHE sews while I stand around impatiently waiting for the thing to be done. She’ll be helping me sew new pillows and cushion covers for the wicker furniture on my porch. All aqua and chocolate brown damask. Lovely. Now if it would only get warm so I can sit out there!

  22. It’s fabulous, love it. My favorite part and what I think makes it all “Corey” is that you added the old papers. I noticed right away and smiled. Yep, lovely.

  23. Can’t wait to use that loo. Happy Valentine’s Day Corey A.

  24. Projects, you ask? All I have is projects!
    There are computer files chock-a-block with Portuguese poems and essays waiting to be translated someday, books that Lusophone authors have given me (no doubt in hopes that I’ll choose them next)…
    Then there’s the novel I began working on translating last year that I’ve about 1/3 completed in first draft, which I aim to complete with my collaborators in 2011.

  25. Just Love It!!!! I do the same for backgrounds on my painting and for my jewelry shots. I might have to do a wall or two in my bathroom too.

  26. That turned out beautiful! If one can say that about a toilet room…..My sister and I wall papered a hallway once….that was a grueling experience- never again. Taking it off a few years later was even worse. Projects I have too many in my head but have not jumped in to get them done.

  27. Michelle M in KY

    Corey…
    The toilet room looks spectacular. Never would I have thought to use different types of wallpapers and those notes just make it all the more delightful…a real conversation piece. It looks fantabulous and really made the picture behind the toilet pop. Thanks for such inspiring ideas. Have a great week.

  28. Corey, I love it! What a great idea. Adding “writing” created a wonderful effect. My current project is going through the house and reorganizing the “mess”, deleting things that are no longer needed so I can once again enjoy the space! It’s a pain in the neck but worth it in the long run.

  29. What a fun, creative idea. I love it. I would love sitting in there and read the writing on the wall. Creative projects, hummmm? I made a Valentine cake this weekend and cut glass to make a glass house that would capture my glass heart. I guess I have hearts on my mind right now. Happy Valentine’s Day to you.

  30. The two of you make a good team! Wallpaper is one of those things that I like in theory more than reality. I love the look of having it in some rooms, but when I want to make a change, I want to make it NOW and wouldn’t have the patience for stripping and all the rest that goes into preparing for new paint or paper (makes me tired just thinking about it). Lucky you to have an expert at hand to help 🙂
    Happy Valentine’s Day to you and yours.

  31. WC is lovley. I too have a WC here in northern Ca. Perhaps my next project shall be borrowing your idea.
    I am currently finishing quilts my mother and grandmother started when they were expecting. And re-doing an old Chandalier to hang over my Baby Grand Piano. wish me luck with that one.
    I hope you have a most wonderful Valentines day.

  32. What a fantastic look, and so eco-friendly of you! You should turn this in to Apartment Therapy, they are always looking for ideas for recycling, on the Green area of their site. I know they would love it, as I do!
    Happy Valentine’s Day!

  33. Creative and original.
    This is genius!

  34. I love what you did with your walls! Believe it or not I am in the process of taking off bathroom wallpaper so I can paint the walls. I may rethink that:)
    Happy Valentine’s Day to you too.

  35. So neat! I love the idea of having something to read in there….
    Happy Heart’s Day!

  36. It looks really good. I could use someone like your niece around here!

  37. The place where you poo looks great!
    I have a new project myself and what inspired it is an interesting story.
    http://thewriteaboutloveproject.com/about/
    Hope your Valentine’s Day has been lovely.

  38. Hey Corey, I like it!
    Wishing you and your hubby a very Happy Valentine’s Day!

  39. Denise Solsrud

    haha,isn’t that just like a guy to say that? but, i love it. now you have bathroom were people like me love to go and think and shop. i like bathrooms with character and yours certainly has it. Bestest,Denise

  40. I love it, very unique!!
    my project – starting on a new embroidery for a cushion cover – angels from the Rafaello’s Sistine Madonna.

  41. It looks fabulous…though I think you need to change the lighting fixture; replace the globe with a chandelier. Just a thought 🙂
    Tomorrow I am joining some girlfriends at a workshop to try out Annie Sloan (artist & author from the UK) paints called Chalk Paint. Should be fun…I’m going to refinish/paint a little kidney-shaped vanity stool. Love to paint; hate to wallpaper…lol!

  42. Denise Moulun-Pasek

    It’s gorgeous! Bravo to you both! Nothing like a little project to get the blood circulating. This little gem is a work of art.

  43. It is fabulous – I love the colors. I remember when you bought the wallpaper! Remember how heavy it was to carry around?
    My new project is to make more of my romantic altered bottles. I’m on number 25, sigh…..

  44. Lovely. Simply lovely.

  45. yes, Cheryl, I think with a chandelier it will look even more fabulous! add a couple of books on french antique/decor there and I would never want to leave that loo 🙂

  46. Does packing count as a project? If so, that’s mine. Your toilet looks great!

  47. Yes, that is on the to do list. I have a light fixture, just need to put it up.
    Good observation!

  48. Hi Corey, Your WC looks fabulous…..thanks for sharing your project

  49. omgosh! What a wonderful idea – and so beautifully done up. I love it. It’s good to have those mathematical friends in time of need.

  50. What a coincidence, this is exactly what I did over the past two weeks in my craft room. I used old sheet music. I have to say, your toilet room looks beautiful!!!! I’m itching to do more too!

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