We’re trying to get this closet project knocked out, but progress has been slowed by Snowmageddon 2014 in Atlanta.
People have stormed the stores; our supplies of bread and milk are gone; hope is dwindling. At least three inches have fallen already today.
I know what you’re thinking, and the answer is YES.
Despite the devastation, we will rebuild.
Though we have been struck with a blizzard of end-times proportions, yet we will rise like a phoenix from the ashes. These three inches will not kill our spirit and our community! We are the South.
Anyway, since we can’t use the tools outside and do more buildy things, I’m trying to get some other design decisions made, so I thought we could have a nice little chat about pretties!
You might remember the back wall of the closet will be mostly empty, except maybe a mirror (thanks for your suggestions in the last post!) or maybe a rail of some kind for belt or scarf storage. That wall will be the showstopper, the focus, the shazam of the closet.
It needs to be good. And girly. Because where else in your house can you get away with a large-scale floral wallpaper like THIS?!
That wallpaper makes me want to punch something because I cannot even process how good it is. The color is so rich. The pattern is KILLER. The price is out of the question.
But that’s what I’m talkin’ about when I tell you this thing is going to be uber-fem. Might as well hang a “no boys allowed” sign on the door.
Sorry. I just got distracted a little bit staring at that wallpaper. I want to do a whole room in it, with lots of whites, some kind of royal blue geometric fabric and little hints of lime green. It would probably kill me from the delight of it all.
Anyway, back to something within the realm of my budgetary possibilities. Here are a few wallpaper patterns I’ve fallen in love with…
This is actually a big ol’ mural. Check out how incredible in looks in this photo.
Because my closet needs a bird.
Soft and pretty:
Ultimately, I fell in love with that last one, the Watercolor Peony Wallpaper from Anthropologie. Look how pretty it looks installed. Then, even more ultimately, I looked at the price. It’s $148 for a roll. Ouch. That wall space is pretty tiny, so I could get away with only one roll, but it’s still a pretty hefty price for what it is.
So I started considering cheaper alternatives. Here are a few wallpapers I found with a similar feeling:
Neither of those was quite right, so then I started looking into fabrics. You can turn fabric into wallpaper with a little starch a la Michelle’s tutorial, so I knew if I could find the perfect fabric, I’d be in business. This was the best fabric option I found to duplicate the feel of the Watercolor Peony Wallpaper:
It was okay but not quite right either.
So thennnnn….
I thought about stenciling. Omigosh. I can’t believe I just allowed those words to escape from my poorly-manicured fingertips. After I stenciled the laundry room wall…
…I compared it to childbirth and swore a stenciled wall would never come out of my ladyparts happen in this house again.
But here I am, a year removed from the trauma and a year deep in the joy of having my stenciled wall-baby, and finding myself reconsidering it again. I found these guys:
…and thought maybe I could find some iridescent paints and sort of copy the feel of the Anthro wallpaper myself?
I don’t know. I don’t love any of those options as much as I love the wallpaper itself.
So that’s where I’m at. And since you guys basically completely rocked my face off with your helpfulness in the last post, I’m asking your opinions again! Which would you pick? What’s your fave? Should I go the DIY route or get a little splurgy and just get the real deal?
Hi, I'm Kelly. Glad you're here! This little blog is where I chronicle our efforts to fix up our beaten-down home on a tiny budget. We're not there yet, but here's a peek at the view along the way...
Girlfriend, you just paid off your WHOLE HOUSE. I think it’s time for a little splurge!! If you don’t go for exactly what you want, you’ll always remember that you passed up the *perfect* wallpaper each time you’re in that closet. Plus, you’ll get plenty of enjoyment out of it with all the time you’ll spend organizing your boots and jewelry and keeping the floor clean. 🙂
Oh girl, you’re so right! Think of all the hours it will take me to keep that floor clean!
although you could do an amazing job stenciling and it would look great… i second the splurge! it’s not so much of a splurge, but you would enjoy it and it could be a reward for all the times you scrimped and had to pass off on other things.
AGREE. You guys deserve a splurge, because we all know being so diligent with your cash flow for 5 years can’t have been all sprinkles and unicorns. Team Wallpaper!
#TeamWallpaperForVATW
Also – we could all just request samples of the Peony Wallpaper then send them to you. It could be DIY collage wallpaper!!!! 🙂
I, too, am obsessed with that peony wallpaper…I used it as iphone wallpaper to get my fix. I say you try and DIY something similar!! Then you can have those exact colors.
Also, snowmageddon is killing me. I was supposed to be at the Fabulous Fox enjoying Book of Mormon! Drat. Also, also, since there are always Atlanta people commenting, we should have a local get together (crafting party?) sometime!
A snowed-in craft party?! Just say the word. I’m THERE.
For such a small wall, I say go for the real deal. 🙂
Go for the wallpaper splurge. I don’t think you’ll ever be satisfied with your own painting efforts or the colors otherwise.
I love the anthropology wallpaper, and the second stencil. But for such an awesome “you” space, I say splurge!!!
Love the idea of a floral in your closet! Maybe try stenciling fabric or paper and then install it .. then you don’t have to worry about the tricky edges! The anthro paper is pretty fabulous though ..
I’d definitely look more into the fabric. I think there’s a lot more options than people realize. One of my favorite websites is fabric.com. You can use the search function to search for a specific type of pattern, or colors you’re looking for and it narrows it down for you and gives you coordinating fabrics. If you’re concerned about the lack of shimmer, once the fabric is on the wall, you can always go over it with either opalescent (or pearl-ized) craft paint in strategic places or do an over-all misting using an opalescent spray paint. Just a thought! Keep us posted on what you decide!
I’ve been trying to convince Nick to let me stencil on of our wallpaper designated spaces just to save money. I mean why not if I don’t like it or want to give up from the awfulness of it all then no biggie right?
I do love that anthro wallpaper. I was looking at the blazing poppies one http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/home-wallpaper/963194.jsp?cm_sp=Grid-_-963194-_-Large_17 Our space is so large. I just hate to calculate the wallpaper cost!
You crack me up… Snowmageddon!!
I love love the Anthropologie one, but it seems to me better suited for a little girls room or nursery. I didn’t think too much about the first Waverly one but when I clicked on the install pic, I am in love with it. So pretty. Anyway, my 2 cents. 😉
SPLURGE! Every time you look at it it will make you happy. Sometimes a substitute just won’t do. Don’t you love southerners and snow! As someone said, to heck with bread and milk- what we need is wine and chocolate!
Wine and chocolate, YES PLEASE. I’ve been doing this 30-day elimination diet, and I get to start adding fun things back in after one more day. Wine and chocolate will be the FIRST new foods I add. 🙂
Although I do love the wallpaper, I’m cheap enough to say- ARE YOU CRAY CRAY? If it was a feature wall in a prominent part of your house, then maybe I wouldn’t have used caps. But not for the closet. I understand what people are saying about deserving a splurge after the mortgage pay off, but that’s a lot of cash money. That’s like a mini bathroom makeover hanging on your closet wall. Sorry to be Debbie Downer, but my question to myself is always this- will this add to my peace or take away from it? A purchase like that would definitely NOT be adding to my peace. I’d have small shards of bitterness and resentment stab my heart every time I entered the closet.
But for real. I’d search out every last possible option before I went for the wallpaper. Even though it is spectacular.
IT’S TIME TO SPLURGE! and you can get the one you love love love for a 1/3 of the price on e-bay! I sure hope you read this now, because they only have 4 rolls left!
Have you checked Spoonflower? They have wallpaper now too! Lots of goodness. And yes, I die over that Designer Guild paper!
xo~Jill
Gosh, I could get lost for hours in spoonflower. Totally forgot about their wallpaper selection. Thanks!
I love most wallpaper but didn’t like the Asian feel of the 1st 2, LOVE the peony one.
If you try to do the cornstarch method with fabric, bear in mind that they tell you not to starch quilts with spray starch because it is a food item & it will attract bugs that will eat your quilt. Would cornstarch do that to the fabric wall too?
Why not put in porcelain knobs that match the wallpaper to hold jewelry.
Interesting! I have no idea about the bugs but that idea definitely worries me. I’ve been on the hunt for some fun knobs and I have a few little DIY ideas that I’m hoping will work out.
I’m not a floral kinda girl, or a wallpaper girl, for that matter. But out of all the options you shared, the Anthropologie paper is the best.
The thrifty part of me cringes at the pricetag. So, my idea for you is to check eBay for Anthropologie gift cards….you can typically buy gift cards with random remaining balances for less than the actual balance. I’ve never looked for Anthropologie, but I would bet there are some. It’s not a huge savings, but at least you wouldn’t be paying full price!
Definitely splurge! Love love love that wallpaper x38362681991652!
I love/hate snowmageddon.. My husband had to stay with a friend in Roswell because the roads were too bad to get home.. But my daughter had a blast with her first snow experience! 🙂
Wow, hope your husband got home okay! Things got crazy out there!
Snowmageddon has hit Acworth also. Love your post today since all us GA girls are snowed in….. Can not wait to see what you decide on the closet wall. Is it crazy that I am so excited about your closet??? Keep posting schools are closed all over the ATL area…..
I like the monochromatic stencil treatment. Yes, I know you’re in love with the splashy color of the others, but remember there will be a lot of color in your clothes. You might find that too much color makes your clothes look drab. After all, you are planning to live in this closet, so why make it look like a box of crayons grew up in your closet? That and I’m pretty cheap myself and I honestly prefer he simpler look of the stencil from Etsy.
Love. Love. Love. It is unreasonable how much I am looking forward to seeing your completed closet! Check out Spoonflower. I believe it is an English company. They’ll make wallpaper, gift wrap or fabric out of art that has been submitted to them, so they have a huge selection. The best part is, you can upload your own art. I’m not sure exactly how to articulate how awesome that website is.
Go forth and splurge!! It will make you so happy 🙂
Spluge and thank Ebay!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-ROLL-OF-ANTHROPOLGIE-WATERCOLOR-PEONY-WALLPAPER-20545554-FLORAL-FLOWERS-/251397021535?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a886e1f5f
I absolutely love floral, anything and everything! I have to reign back my natural tendencies for my hubby’s sake!
We’re having a blizzard in NC, too. How can we ever survive? We’re about at 2 inches now and I have 4 gallons of milk so we’re good. Have fun in the snow!
Hello Kelly, I am in SC waiting for our Snowmageddon , praying we don’t lose power. Now to the important stuff, the closet! I too am redoing my closet and am trying to decide wallpaper or stencil. I have never done an area that large and I am dreading it , but all the wallpaper I like is just way over my budget. For you I say , if you really love it, get it. Life is short . For me if I spent that much , it would remind me every day . So do what makes YOU happy. Stay warm!
I will tell you I think you’re nuts for even considering stenciling another wall, but you’re also apparently way more patient a human being than I am!
I found this wallpaper option that I thought was sort of up your alley and the price was great, too! http://www.grahambrown.com/us/product/17869/isabelle
And I don’t know if you’d be willing to do black as a background, but this one is pretty fantastic, too: http://www.grahambrown.com/us/product/59030/shantung
Good luck! Seems like a really fun project!
I like the idea of the stencil, but if it’s torture, go for the real deal. You said it yourself, you know what you like, just go with it. Also, it was -24 windchill here today. I will take your 3 inches of snow.
The wallpaper Christine suggested is insanely georgous! And I’m not even a wallpaper girl. That one may have changed me forever…
http://www.grahambrown.com/us/product/17869/isabelle
Is this your first experience with wallpaper? If so, are you familiar with the pricing? Wallpaper is very tricky. It is priced by the ROLL but sold by the DOUBLE ROLL. So, what’s priced to you at $148/roll will actually cost you $296 for the “roll” that you buy.
Now, having said that, I have not purchased wallpaper in more than ten years, so perhaps they have changed the way they do things, but you might want to check it out to be sure. No one likes a surprise at the cash register. 😉
I love wallpaper and have hung rolls and rolls of it. Wish I could have it in my current home.
I must be the voice of reason. That is not a splurge, that is highway robbery. You could fly my daughter there to hand paint your first choice for the same price including airfare. She will bring her snow boots.
There’s nothing wrong with splurging every now and then! I myself am getting ready to splurge on a $160 painted sign on Etsy!
I’d go for the splurge – it’s obviously what you really want and I have a feeling you’d do the stencil and always be thinking about the paper still. And stenciling is a BITCH!
oh i love these!!!! i can’t wait to see what you do- i shared on instagram the paper we chose for my friend’s home and it is awesome and floral and fun and comes in other colors! you should check it out.
This is tough because I’m cheap but also love pretty. I have trouble with stenciling because I really feel that it never looks quite as crisp and professional as I’d like. Maybe I’m just really bad at stenciling? But it is also a closest of which you spend like 10 minutes in each day so long story short. I vote less expensive wallpaper or pretty fabric. (My burlap is still going strong!)
Hey, thought I’d weigh in on this, just for fun. I like the splurge paper, but I LOVE the next one better! The colors are crisper and cleaner, but then again, I prefer cool shades over warm peachy shades any day! It does seem like a lot of money for one roll of paper, and I’m all for splurging, occasionally, but here’s my idea: paint one wall a pretty pink, the other wall a beautiful blue, then use those two colors, plus a gentle green and use the Japanese Peony stencil to stencil the pattern wall. I know, I’m crazy, but that’s what I would do (I will note that I plan on painting a mural in my son’s room on one wall, then create a whole barn-surrounded-by-fields-fence-sky in my daughter’s room, so I wasn’t kidding when I said I’m crazy).
There, that’s my input. Happy decision making, lol.
Kylha
I’m one of the non splurgers. You MUST check out fabric.com – so many (much cheaper) options! Also love that first stencil (are you sure it’s really a stencil?) and you can get just the colors you want. My frugal two cents. 😉
Well, if you do find a fabric you love, I tooooootally recommend starching the fabric on the walls. Wallpaper is great, and maybe it’s easier to put up than stenciling, but it’s still a pain to put up and – oh boy – a pain to take down!! If you buy a can of spray starch from Walmart (for less than a dollar) you could probably cover the entire wall. You just have to drench the wall in the starch and then put the fabric on like wallpaper. It is seriously the best!! It’s actually….wait for it…fun!! I starched my wall in my college dorm and it held wonderfully and looked great! To take it off i just sponged it with a little water and pulled it right off! If you can find a fabric you love, I definitely suggest this method!
As a wife and mom of 2, so very little is actually 100% yours. THIS WALL COULD BE IT. I say go for the gold with the wallpaper…. what’s the point of DIY-ing your butt off if not to be able to splurge on the things you totally love.
Ooo, go check out this girly girlness! Here’s something soft:
https://www.fabric.com/buy/bs-978/amy-butler-midwest-modern-ii-fresh-poppies-ivory
Something ultra girl:
https://www.fabric.com/buy/0320162/lucky-girl-jill-pink?cm_vc=756b1813-cbc1-43b3-84bd-29889bf8fb7b
and something wallpapery with luscious colors:
https://www.fabric.com/buy/ep-667/michael-miller-secret-garden-party-dress-sprout
Okay, I’ll stop now, but go have a brouse around while you wait for the snow to melt.
Ooh SO pretty! I’ve loved that Michael Miller one for a long time! I actually bought it for our office and my husband said it was too girly. 🙂 haha. http://viewalongway.wpengine.com/2012/02/the-office-design-plan-that-didnt-happen/
Oh, that looks so “you” in the navy! Might be a bit dark for the closet, but you’ll have to work it in the house somewhere, someday!
I think the general consensus is the real deal. And I agree! Go with something you’ll love! Your paycheck is a mortgage fatter!! I say splurge! You love it so much, and I don’t think you’ll be as happy with any of the other ones.
Oh Kelly, I need to stop telling you how much I adore you and your blog because I don’t want to sound like a total creeper! Anywho, as far as the wallpaper, the one with the bird is my favorite. I think I like the fact that it also includes a geometric pattern. I am kind of geometrically obsessed right now. But, I totally agree you should rock it out with another stencil! Your stenciled laundry room wall is what led me to your blog and I still love it just as much now as when I first saw it on Pinterest. It’s amazing! I know you can do it again in your closet. It will be worth the pain!
Oh, and I am also in the South and we have been “hit” with a whopping 2 inches of snow. Life has stopped entirely. No one has school tomorrow {including my girls’ 4 hour morning preschool} and I am working at home so I don’t have drive in the “terrible” weather to my office. Gotta love the south!
At first I thought “splurge”, but that might be the reason we don’t have our house paid off! Decide just what it is about the wallpaper that attracts you. The soft peachy pinks? The greens? The white lines? The… find out what it is. Can you get that with stencil and color choices? If so, you can save a bundle. If not, you just might have to bite the bullet and buy the wallpaper.
I think you should wait until you find something you really love. I haven’t heard you say anything about this space that sounds like, “I just want to go the safe route.” More like, “I want this to be uniquely, fantastically me — caution to the wind!!” Buy the one that you really love.
I LOVE the Anthropologie wallpaper! It’s almost like investing in large scale art, so the price might not be that crazy, right?
But if the cost just doesn’t feel right I think you could pull off something equally beautifully with a stencil.
Here is another option for you that is totally cheap and comes in absolutely lovely designs and feminine colors: paper napkins. Just peel off the colored layer from the backing layers and “mod podge” to the wall. (hint: to peel napkins apart, take a bit of tape, put it on your jeans to make it a little less tacky, then stick on a corner of the GOOD side of the napkin. Lets you hold onto the napkin and peel the other layer/layers off).
Or tissue paper. Or gift wrap. You don’t necessarily have to do the whole wall, just the middle strip—-put some lovely molding along the vertical edges if you like. Or look at Hollanders.com’s website at the absolutely gorgeous art papers they carry—-even the priciest ones would be less than your chosen wallpaper.
Plus,with any of these you can cover the collection of shoe boxes you have and make them part of your focal beauticiousness.
Girrrrrrl…it’s time to splurge on what you really want! You just paid off your house!!!! It’s a small space, and one wall…go for the gold, lady!
My initial reaction was to join the “splurge” train, and even though I don’t “know” you, I know you… you won’t. You’ll find something that you’ll decide is good enough, and then you’ll try to convince yourself every time you see it that it’s perfect, but that Anthro stuff will be in the back of your head ALL. THE. TIME. I say keep looking! You’ll find what’s fab and affordable and that will make you giggle and feel all warm and fuzzy every time you see it!
Oh, come on! Go ahead and splurge. Sometimes you’ve just gotta do it. Didn’t you just pay off your house? That took tremendous discipline and sacrifice. I say you deserve the wallpaper you want.
Love all the wallpaper. I don’t know what’s worse though. Stenciling or wallpapering. I kinda hate doing both 😉
Splurge, baby!!!! I’m with the “you just paid off your whole house!” camp! You deserve it! 🙂
You may have looked here already, but I love a bunch of the floral prints here:
http://www.fabricguru.com/c-floral-vine-drapery-prints
and here are a couple I thought would look really nice:
http://www.fabricguru.com/p-fabric-by-the-yard/consuela-printed-cotton-drapery-persimmon-5
http://www.fabricguru.com/p-fabric-by-the-yard/printed-cotton-drapery-special-red
http://www.fabricguru.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=801051
Idk. I hope this helps. And with a small space, I think it is ok to spend a LITTLE extra for something you will really LOVE for a long time.
Nope, I can’t see spending that kind of money on wallpaper for the closet…sorry. I do like the first alternative you had (with the suitcases) and the last (if you decide to stencil). You do crack me up with your writing…kind of a young version of Erma Bombeck (now I’m aging myself)!
Have you checked out the HGTV line of wallpaper through Sherwin Williams? I can’t quite remember from when I was looking into wallpaper, but I think it was more reasonable than $150 a roll. I believe they have similar patterns to what you are
looking for.
SPLURGE. Eat beans for a month. Worth it.
I would say go for the splurge and get the peony wallpaper! It’s a huge statement making piece, you aren’t using a ton of it…annnnd YOU’RE DEBT FREEEE! 🙂 You had to live like no one else, now you can live like no one else, right?
I am considering stenciling our dining room wall…but everyone who does it has sworn against it, so I am scared! :O
SPLURGE!!! Go with what you love. You can pinch pennies in other places.
Splurge! There’s a lot of value in the ton less time it’ll take you to put up the wallpaper than to stencil the wall…
Wallpaper – the first one. Consider it an “I paid off my house treat.” You deserve it!
I’m serious when I say we are closet twins in a similar mind space! I stenciled our closet using a floral pattern (that post is scheduled for tomorrow – see the mind meld thing?!). I must say I’m loving the peony stencil, you are hilarious about the idea of stenciling again though, hahaha! I guess it is kind of like having a baby, you’re considering going through that trauma again. 🙂 That said, I love that anthropologie wallpaper. LOVE IT. You’re only doing one little bitty wall, you won’t miss that money a bit and you can splurge a little with no house payment, right? (I can rationalize ANYTHING). The fabric would be my next choice, that’s pretty too. Dang, I’m no help. Hope you’re digging out from snowmageddon. xoxo, Sharon
giant floral DOES sound a little scary. but you made it look so good! i cant wait to see what you choose. personally, i would choose the stencil so you can just paint over it when you want a change but…
Ok, since no one else went here, I will: “As God is my witness, as God is my witness they’re not going to lick me. I’m going to live through this and when it’s all over, I’ll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I’ll never be hungry again.” Please tell me you shook your fist at the sky and recited this while outside.
No advice on the wallpaper, except go big or go home. Like, BIG. And bold. Because why not?
I don’t think I could bring myself to spend the money! The last stencil was really pretty and you could definetly make it look like the wall paper. I also think you could keep looking at fabric options-there’s bound to be one out there that’s a closer match. (Selfishly, I hope you go stencil route-I’m planning to add a stencil to my craft room and I’d love to read your “lessons learned from my second stenciling” post before I do it! Lol)
Wallpaper is difficult to install perfectly and a pain to remove when you are sick of it. Plus when things are pricey I end up feeling “married” to the decision and keep a look I get tired of for a lot longer because I sunk extra money in. You will probably not find stenciling as difficult now that you’ve already tackled it and I agree that you could get a very close match to the wallpaper, maybe even more customized to your accessories and taste.
I’ve always loved that anthro paper, it would be perfect in there! I know it’s hard to justify the cost though, but it sure is pretty! I feel the same way about stenciling!
I say splurge on the wallpaper! I’m doing the same paper in our bedroom on the wall behind our bed, and I’ll need two rolls, ouch! BUT I know I won’t be as happy with anything else so I’m going for it!
I just LOVE the peony wall paper from Anthropologie. Like, super LOVE!!! 🙂
I’m actually really loving the nina campbell one… AND THATS SAYING A LOT.
I’m not a floral person. My limit with floral are the flowers I buy at the grocery store to remind myself that there *IS* life outside of this polar vortex that I’ve been dealing with for the last 3 weeks. I’m half tempted to teach the dog to go potty in the toilet just so I don’t have to go back outside and I can continue to hide under my covers until the temperature reaches above 0*.
Woah rambles, Yeah— I like the Nina print. Or something equally graphic/ repetitive..
J.
Don’t go through childbirth…errr, stenciling again! Not that it isn’t lovely in your laundry room, but I would really like to wallpaper something and I need you to do it first and then post a tutorial! ;). If you love girly, swirly wallpaper/fabric, you must check out Thibault products….G-orgeous and they appear to be right up your ally with their girlish loveliness! Can not wait to see what you decide.
I have the peony wallpaper in my home. If you sign up for anthropologie rewards you get 10% off coupon for your birthday. I needed a couple rolls of the paper so I used my sisters coupon since my bday was months away (I supposed you could fib if you have no conscience). The paper is definitely worth it and gorgeous in person. It is very think and I found it a little hard to work with.
Thanks for the tip on the coupon! I didn’t realize that. Good to know it was tough to work with. I tend to think it’ll take me 10 minutes to do any one project, then get annoyed with confronted with reality. 🙂
I love the first one you found and the bird one. I think it is the vibrant colors. A little splurge here and there is good – just think about where else you would want to splurge if you didn’t splurge on the wallpaper. I think the last stencil option would be doable – but also how much time do you want to be without a closet. Gotta way all the pros and cons. Good luck. Can’t wait to see what you decide.
As a Minnesotan who hasn’t seen her lawn since last fall and can run full speed across an icy parking lot without falling, I find your commentary pretty funny. My kids were waiting for the bus yesterday and the temp was -15. Anyway, follow your girl Ashley over at Domestic Imperfection (who just splurged on the chairs she really loves)and go with the one you love. Have you ever gone for the one you loved and then regretted it? Probably not. Or have you gone with a similar second and wished you had just gone with the first? I have, only a couple times… ’cause then I learned my lesson.
Instead of stenciling, could you stamp the wall? There are so many great floral stamps out there, and it would be waaaaaay easier than a multilayer stencil.
I like the Japanese Peony stencil and I do think your closet needs a bird. Whichever you pick though, your closet will be super pretty and lovely.
Oh my gosh, I love the Amrapali Peony Wallpaper. It is so you. Just go for it. It is perfect and you know it in your heart of hearts. You won’t really find anything that makes your heart skip a beat like that paper as evident by what you posted, and be honest with yourself, how many hours did you spend looking after you found the perfect paper; even if you were staying in because of a snowstorm.
Wow. Wherever you’ve been looking at wallpapers, I think it must be the new wallpaper heaven-for-women. I need to go there.
I say get the real deal. Don’t stencil. It’s a small wall, and it’s just for you. While I’m usually a minimalist/frugalist, sometimes you just have to splurge. How about this: pin a picture somewhere where you’ll see it every day and if you still like it in a month, buy it. That’s how I test myself for true commitment (it worked with my husband–jk).
Oh man, that first one is amazing. $300?! Is it printed with opium? I’d keep searching for something with all those colors in it. The last few times I only needed a roll or 2 of wallpaper, I got it off ebay from someone who had an extra roll from a project. It takes awhile to search for the perfect thing, but it’s worth a shot. Also, habitat restore has a bunch for $1 a roll. (Most of it is hideous, but you might just find the perfect thing.)
It doesn’t seem to me you would be debt free if you splurged all the time. I think you already know which direction you want to go. I guess the biggest question is how long would you feel you needed to stick with any of those patterns to get your $$$ worth? The $150 one if you felt like redoing the wall in 5 years would you have gotten your $$ worth?
Have you looked at spoon flower already? Wallpaper is $60 a roll and you can dehin it yourself or use one of their AMAZIng designs.
I think wall paper is SO beautiful. I love all the choices you found. But I have such a hard time committing to wallpaper since it is so difficult to remove. I know stenciling is a major PITA, but when you change your mind, all it takes is a coat of paint over it. I’m pro stencil!
You are a mom with two small children and no mortgage. You deserve to spend $150 on yourself and save the hours of stenciling. Live it up lady!! 🙂
You should totally go for it. The paper + a sparkly chandy would BLOW MINDS. Also, you probably need a pretty space to hide in when the kids get loco.
Gotta agree…that Anthropologie wallpaper is the best of the bunch (I like it better than the out of the question expensive one, even)….do it!
GET THE WALLPAPER! I fell in love with it when I saw it, OMG it is absolutely beyond words….I live in Norfolk, so I am with you about the snow. Good luck!
Another suggestion I have is WallPops…they have all kinds of BIG floral mural stuff and it is very reasonably priced.
When I first saw you talking about jewelry storage and a mirror in your closet all I could think about is how you could make a concealed jewelry cabinet and use a mirror for the face of it. Here’s where I first saw one, then I googled them and found all types of ideas. I made one for my bedroom and my necklaces have never looked so pretty as they do hanging in their pretty cabinet. (I actually didn’t inset mine into the wall it sticks out a little, but you can make it with something as small as a 1×2 for the sides and there’s still plenty of room to hang the jewelry in there.
hhttp://oldtownhome.com/2013/2/11/The-Family-Jewels-Building-a-Concealed-Jewelry-Cabinet/index.aspxow you should make an custom
Have you thought about fabric? Amy Butler Midwest Modern Fresh Poppies is similar to your other choices. https://www.fabric.com/buy/bi-033/amy-butler-midwest-modern-fresh-poppies-fuchsia I used this fabric in a Bookcase Revamp I did http://southernarchitectress.blogspot.com/2013/12/bookcase-revamp.html
Oooh they are all lovely but the Peony stencil from Etsy really sang to me. You could use 2 colours of peonies, Mauve and say, Hot Pink? (I must say here that I HATE wallpaper of any kind, after having to remove it from a bathroom CEILING in our old renovator’s dream!) What colour will your robe’s flooring be?! I cannot wait to see the before & afters on this project. Snowmageddon sounds sooo exciting to me – it’s in the high 30s Celsius here and we are off to the beach tomorrow!
Splurge! It’s $148, it will be almost instant gratification, when you install it VS. Stenciling again!!!
You deserve it, it will be one of those things that you later regret and then you will try to find it again and it will be discontinued never to be seen again, so sad…
Love the first one, but the Anthropolgie one is so pretty a little easier on the eyes with all those items of clothing nearby. I also like the Eijffinger Wallpaper -Flamenco, they both are fabulous, Good Luck, try to stay warm, I’m in Michigan, Polar Vortex weather here!
I LOVE your blog. Three reasons, especially, and they are made even more perfect by working together: 1) Your beautiful style-sense/gift for design; 2) Your hilariously irreverent and approachable writing style (you crack me up but you’re not trying too hard to do so, like many bloggers do; that is, you are funny and hip in a natural, sincere way that makes me wish we were friends in real life); and 3) the way you have both of these gifts AND are a believer/someone whose faith and beliefs I can get behind — you are a beautiful blend of edgy, tasteful, and spiritual — and it’s very refreshing. Thank you!
Oh I say GO FOR IT!! You’ve been so disciplined it’s time to just do it! Get the one you LOVE! Stenciling is a good option too. heh heh…I won a stencil last year and I have yet to use it!! I had such big plans for it too. Maybe someday. 😉
I’m sure it will be great no matter which you choose Kelly!
xo
Nancy
I agree with PP’s you need to get exactly what you want, and seriously, $300 or $150 for something you LOVE is so worth it!! A piece of advice for you… Don’t let your desire to finish the closet influence the wall paper choice. If you can’t afford the wall paper you want in the timeframe you want to get the closet finished in, put off finishing the closet and SAVE until you have the money to spend on the wall paper you love. Sometimes I think we set unrealistic expectations and limit ourselves because of them – who cares if it takes a couple more weeks to finish your dream closet? In my opinion it is totally worth it to wait and get what you love rather than settling and possibly being unhappy with the result in the end… and perhaps spending more money in the long run because you settled for “it works, and I like it” rather than “it’s perfect!!!”
Love Amrapali Peony and love your home. eBay is your friend. Deisgner Guild in cheaper in the UK and many of these guys ship internationally. One alternative on the fabric starched idea might be this-
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Designer-Guild-Madame-Butterfly-Peony-/181313109459
If it were me, I would order a cushion in Amrapali from these next people- they might let you choose the pattern placement. I’d paint the wall a favorite shade color matched from the fabric. Then get a blown up glicee from Sarah Hollander Botanicals, also below. You might even find a vintage lucite bench via eBay for the cushion. Best part is they can all be used elsewhere in the house if you decide on a change later.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DESIGNERS-GUILD-FABRIC-CUSHION-COVER-IN-AMRAPALI-LINEN-PEONY-/251328798262
http://www.aestheticoiseau.com/2014/01/sarah-hollander-botanicals.html
Dude, now you’ve got me wanting to floral wallpaper the walk-in closet in our soon to be house (it’s a short sale, which means we’re waiting…and waiting…and waiting…). That would be SO CUTE. But unfortunately I know my husband would never stand for it. 🙁 He despises florals and we have an agreement that I will keep florals out of our master suite. Sad day. But maybe some other kind of print? I’ll have to bend his ear about that…hmmm…
Oh, and I wanted to say thank you. 🙂 Since stumbling across your blog via Pinterest I’ve read several of your posts and you have been so helpful. Not just in practical stuff but with the idea that I should do what I love in my home, just because I LOVE it and not for any other ding-dang reason. It’s my house and if I’m going to put the time and the money and the blood sweat and tears into decorating it, it should make my heart leap for joy when I walk into it.
Therefore, the first order of business once the house is ours is to paint the kitchen cabinets white and the kitchen walls red. 🙂 Because I love it. And I don’t care what anyone else thinks.
Why don’t you find a friend who also needs a small amount and split the cost? I would totally do it if you were my friend because that wallpaper is AWESOME!!!
Splurge! Once your heart settles on that one spectacular something, nothing else feels right.
I vote you try the fabric turned wallpaper route!
The pattern of the fourth picture is great 🙂 I also wallpaper at home and I love her
Kelly.
The Anthro wallpaper is a beauty. Have you checkout Wallpaperdirect? They are pretty reasonable and good quality. I just did my powder room with their wallpaper.
http://whatsurhomestory.com/how-to-hang-wallpaper/
I’m weighing in a little late, but here goes: as much as I would be entertained by and love your blogs on stenciling another wall, my heart has compassion. I fell partial to the “Eijffinger Wallpaper Flamenco” – maybe because of the way those awesome, masculine pieces of luggage were stacked and juxtaposed next to it, but it is really pretty. Sigh.
So glad to know that you guys are surviving the snow apocalypse down south! We are too (barely) in the midwest! It’s cray cray I tell you! I’m so glad I found your blog! Your wall paper choices are awesome! I will be praying for you if you go forth with stenciling!
Spoonflower. It’s not the cheapest, but it’s awesome and not $148/roll.
I love your BOLD style. Those flowers are da boldest.
LOVE the anthro wallpaper!
Hello Kelly!
So, I’m all over your blog this morning and now I’m running late for church…I was already running a little late but now a lot late!
I love it and plan on coming back this afternoon and really reading this project especially since I have always had a thing for large print wallpaper, and then the pinning can begin and my pinner friends will see the light on the big prints (also thinking of pinning the wall pinwheels in my guest room, hows that for entertainment? Also the word PIN is all in this paragraph.)
Quick question on blogging, (I’m setting mine up in wordpress and there are so many themes I seem to be stuck) I’m liking the simplicity of yours just wondered what you used?
Oh and I was driving one of those school buses north of ATL during Snowmagedon (or the Snowpocolypse – I never settled on a preferred name!)
Keep those ideas coming!
Love-
~Angie~
Goodness me, your wallpaper choices are so so good. Do you know I’m currently considering that Designer’s Guild kill-me-right-in-the-face wallpaper for the backs of my kitchen shelving right now? Indeed I am. And did you know that Nina Campbell Paradiso wallpaper was actually one of my ‘finalists’ for my dressing room? And did you know that the Nina Campbell Fairfield was one I was considering for my office?? Oh yes. See? Great minds baby!
Right, that wasn’t the question, though was it? No. I have to say, I agree with the other peeps who said you should splurge. It’s only a small space so you’d likely only need one roll. I am all about saving the pennies but I always try to splurge on at least ONE thing in a room – it has a tendency to elevate EVERYTHING else (even the Ikea hacks, DIY stuff, all of it) and suddenly the room looks – dare I say it – POSH. Honestly, you guys have done so incredibly well with your finances, I think it’s time you say, ‘Ya know what? Screw it. This time it’s all about ME.’. Get the one you want and every day you look at it, you’ll be all, ‘OH YEAH, I PAID OFF MY MORTGAGE SO I CAN HAVE THAT. I ROCK.’
xxx
I have always loved that Anthro wallpaper, and stumbled on this at Spoonflower and thought of this post! Similar colors/feel: http://www.spoonflower.com/wallpaper/443661
Though when you love something that much it is amazing how much happiness it can bring, so sometimes it’s worth the Anthro splurge. I just put up a huge gallery wall in my living room and it makes me smile every time I walk in the room!
Omg. You gotta check out diy self adhesive wallpaper. So cheap n easy to use n reuse!!! I went nuts on them. Mostly from Korea cost 10 times less. So so easy. I know am too late but u will def be using them after u discover these.
Kelly,
Eeek, I just came across your closet remodel from last year & am in love! Mostly the wallpaper!!! Great find!!! I am so happy that you were able to get it for a discounted price, but I’m soooo sad that I can’t find it discounted anywhere! You wouldn’t happen to have any left over or know where I can find some? 😉