Stripping wallpaper fun

Parent Cafe
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<p>Sure! I’m a convert to Graham ceramic paint because of the way it cleans. But that wouldn’t be important in a bedroom. I still use the color chips from Benjamin Moore for the Graham paint. I don’t recall the exact color, but I do know that the Restoration Hardware paint color named “Latte” is just about exactly the color I used. (Or else it would not have occurred to me to use that description.)</p>

<p>Here’s the story behind my allegiance to ceramic paint:</p>

<p>A few years ago I painted our kitchen and the adjoining eating, lounging area with a flat ceramic paint. Less than a week after I was finished, I was drinking coffee in that room when our rambunctious puppy got hold of the table cloth, and tried to run off with it. A full cup of steaming coffee flew against the freshly painted wall. I wiped down the wall (remember, this is FLAT finish paint) and there was not a mark.</p>

<p>Convert for life.</p>

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<p>I’m back at it again today. The hot vinegar water method is working quite well (thanks bulletandpima!). I’m using a paintbrush to apply it, being sure to get the paper quite wet. Then I let it sit for a minute or so, then scrape with the scraper. It will not come off in one nice strip, but it’s coming off fairly easily in small pieces. I’ve been cleaning up the excess adhesive with a plastic kitchen scrubber (for nonstick pans), and that works pretty well without removing the wall texture.</p>

<p>Deep brick color, hmm. Someone else suggested paprika. A friend of mine suggested paprika as well. I’m a bit (a lot) leery of painting red because I know it takes 3-4 coats for good coverage. I think I’ll drag H down to the paint store today and have him take a look at some of the Devine paint colors.</p>

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<p>One thing that helps is to use a tinted primer. (And, of course, after wallpaper, primer is essential) I have the primer tinted to 50% of the finish-paint formula. This can result in some odd-colored primer, but it does help with the coverage. 2 coats of the finish paint, carefully applied, should do the trick.</p>

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<p>I don’t know if this one has gone national yet, but in the northwest there is a brand called “Devine” that really is devine. It’s pricey, but the colors are fabulous and the concept behind the paint works really well up here in dark gray soggy land (something about no gray tones at all in any of the paint, yadda yadda yadda…). Whatever, it seems to have helped in keeping our house a little brighter even in areas of using darker colors-go figure. It’s also extremely painter friendly and the finish has been easy maintenance so far.</p>

<p>The “latte” color mentioned above is just about what we have in our kitchen/eating/family area. I think it looks very nice with the white woodwork (we have natural cherry cabinets). In the Devine brand this color is called “Ash” - which doesn’t really describe it well as I think “latte” everytime I see it. It has turned out to be a great choice; soothing, more character than the traditional neutral colors but still allows for lots of color options with furnishings and accessories. Dang, should use it in my master bedroom.</p>

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<p>Isn’t this more fun than worrying about our kid? (I mean for those of us sitting at home opining–not the actual workers!)</p>

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<p>What can I say I am CHEAP… and I also have vinegar in my house. What does a gallon of vinegar cost about $1 compared to $10 for the stripper, plus the vinegar seems to remove the glue residue left behind. </p>

<p>OREGON…leave it on a little longer, and make sure the water is hot (close to boiling, wear the gloves so you don’t burn yourself…basically that’s how hot it should be, lukewarm water will only give you tiny pieces.</p>

<p>I will say I am cheap becaue I splurge on the paint effects. Right now we are moving to our new home, so I am painting and sprucing the old and getting the new to my dream colors (owned 5 homes in the last 13 years b/c of DH’s job and now we are finally sitting put…YEAH :)</p>

<p>I have 9 ft ceilings in my current and 10 on my new. Ceramic in old and brazilian cherry in new. To reduce the height I chose to put a chair rail in and do 2 colors. </p>

<p>As far as colors I love the terra cotta colors, but feel (Realtor opinion) that it will make the bathroom look smaller, the darker the color the smaller the room will look visually. I have also heard clients go love the color for dining room but not a bathroom (anything in dark brown/rust tones while looking at a toilet is typically offsetting to the buyer…think about it)</p>

<p>My new favorite paint trick that I get compliments on all the time is pick yor color and go into the specialty aisle (where the stencils, faux paints are) they have a small packet called granite ($5). You pour 1/2 the packet in for1 gallon and all of the sudden there is a gold shimmer…can’t see it unles the light hits just right. If you have gold faucets and towl bars it looks dynamic.</p>

<p>My other trick that I use is to buy the weathered crackling $12 (you can add the granite, but only in the last process when you apply the overcoat paint) You purchased a darker color as your base, apply the crackling, and then chose a lighter color—add granite here. The crackling is faint and gives a great texture to the walls.</p>

<p>It is also easier than marbling…I have done that, but to do it properly you will spend days and days…but if you get the process down, you will laugh because people will run their hands across it looking for the seam…they always go I can’t believe this isn’'t wallpaper</p>

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<p>The Devine paint sounds brilliant - kind of like the light bulbs for folks with sunlighte deficit problems. Will defnitely look into that stuff. </p>

<p>I like the concept of latte for our master bedroom with white trim and window treatment. Only other thought would be rich a rich caramel color. </p>

<p>And moving this home decor a bit further - any suggestions for best way to achieve total darkness in a bedroom at night when the window treatments are white wood blinds? They let in lots of street light and interfere with sleep. I hate to take them down because I like the clean look and they were sort of expensive. They have a medium sort of sconce on top. My tentative plan is to add a simple white pleated drape over them. I’ve actually never had drapes before - always shutters or blinds. I’m worried how the top will look. Should the curtain rod be well above the wood blinds? Someone told me good old JC Penny’s is the best place to get drapes.</p>

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<p>Penney’s does have a good (and pricey) drape selection. </p>

<p>2" wood blinds are very common around here. For you I would suggest getting blackout-lined drapes and hang them on the circle hangars on a rod. When you need total darkness they will be easy to pull to the center.</p>

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<p>Thanks, MaryTN - Exactly what I was planning. Didn’t know Penney’s was considered pricey. </p>

<p>(Apologies for highjacking thread a bit.)</p>

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<p>I actually buy rods from…WAL-MART, they are cheaper than Target, Lowes, and anyone else, but the exact same styles. </p>

<p>If this is a home that you plan on staying in for a while, I would go to a fabric store. The fabrics for upholstery/curtains are cheaper than buying the curtains with the black out, they also hang nicer. Typically they are in a 60" width, with the thought of 84" length you need 5 yds. At the cost of 10 a yd, ot would cost 50, plus the seamstress, I took them to a seamstress to have them hemmed and pinch pleated, $25. Thus, in the end I got beautiful drapes for $75… At even Target the best you can get them for is 30-35 a piece and you need 2 panels at least, usually 4 b/c they are 30" wide…equals $120.</p>

<p>I also have sheers in coordinating color tied back and you can release them at night and pull back in the morning…I need light in my house during the day otherwise I can’t get motivated</p>

<p>Just My Opinion…now toss in a circular filing cabinet. :eek:</p>

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<p>Blackout linings on the curtains sound easiest, unless your blinds are mounted on the window frame instead of inside it. If the latter you could buy and inexpensive blackout shade that would roll under your blinds.</p>

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<p>Benjamin Moore carries a ‘quick’ Venetian Plaster product that is (allegedly) quite simple and achieves a true Venetian plaster look without all the time consuming steps and heavy duty burnishing. My local guy has been trying to convince me to tackle this project in one of my bathrooms where I know the paper installer did not size the drywall and where I know I will end up with rough unpaintable surfaces after I remove the paper.</p>

<p>If you do end up with walls that need a little texture, this is one idea that may be worth considering. Something you can do on your own without hiring a drywaller. (A friend of mine did her powder room with this VP technique and used a variety of artificial leaves and fern fronds to create impressions in the plaster before she applied the final color wash. It was stunning. She is sooo creative. Sigh.)</p>

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<p>My experience with venetian plasters is that they should not be expposed to water uless they are coated with a sealing product. Maybe this newer version is different, but I wanted to raise the point!</p>

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<p>I think we are outed - CC moms are closet Martha Stewarts.</p>

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<p>((shhhhhhhh))</p>

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<p>We have mostly paint and faux paint (decorative finishes) in my home but we are planning to wallpaper my college daughter’s room (also getting rid of kiddie furniture so it can double as a guest room while she is awayat school) with a gorgeous damask pattern (much cheaper than faux painting). Is there anything that I can do to prep the walls to make wallpaper easier to remove “someday”?</p>

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<p>Come on-admit it. Who subscribed to “Living”? Face it, Martha really does know a thing or two.</p>

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<p>Anyone who can go to jail and make gourmet meals out of vending machine stuff and dandelions deserves every dime she ever made</p>

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<p>seiclan-
priming and sizing are the products/techniques you want to ask about at the paint store!</p>

<p>The sizing is not strictly necessary if the walls are completely sealed with primer and/or paint. But I find that it makes hanging the wall paper easier, as it allows the paper to slide into place.</p>

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<p>seiclan, back in the old days, the procedure was one coat of flat oil, often tinted to close or exact match of the wallpaper, particularly if it was a paper that had deep color backgrounds. This would help prevent any wall from being seen at the seams, ceiling or baseboard line should the paper shrink (even minimally) as it dried. Over the primer, I always sized to increase the paste tack, and aid in removal down the road.</p>

<p>Most people stay away from oil paints, so if you use a latex primer, I suggest an enamel undercoater as opposed to a primer/sealer. The enamel undercoater dries to a harder finish, similar to the hardness of a flat oil. If you can find it, Muralo 563 latex e/u is an excellent product. It’s the choice of many pros, and is a quality product from one of the pioneers of the latex paint industry. Unfortunately, the company does not mass market the Muralo name, and is usually unfamiliar to homeowners, weekend warriors and neophytes.</p>