I love a good wallpaper and a wainscot! Nothing transforms a space more than adding wainscot! Here are the supplies you will need! 

Wainscot Supplies:
Plywood underlayment 4' x 8' sheets 1/8" thickness
Base trim  6"
Top trim  4"
Top cap trim  1" tapered
saw to cut trim and plywood
adhesive for plywood to drywall
Nail gun
Caulk
Sandpaper
Wood filler for nail holes/seams
Spacers for electrical outlets
Paint of choice

Okay lets take a look at the before picture below!

I thought wainscot would be the perfect way to freshen up the living room. I also had the idea to  cut off the bottom portion of the wallpaper and wrap around the column. I thought, no worries I can do all this in TWO days RIGHT?!?! Well you better believe I knocked this baby out lickity split two days, with my hubbies help cutting wood! First step was cutting the wallpaper off the bottom portion of the wall, so I could wrap the column with the excess! When I wallpapered before I stopped at the outside corner. I thought it would give a finished look if I could continue around column. Good thing peel and stick wallpaper is so WORKABLE. This wallpaper is Chains of Leaves from Coloray www.coloraydecor.com/search?q=chains%2Bof%2Bleaves. 

Okay next step. Attaching plywood. Lets talk about panel of plywood or no plywood panel! If you have FLAT walls you can get away with NOT using plywood as the base. I have textured walls and I wanted this wainscot to look really clean. To figure out how much plywood you need, measure wall and decide how tall you want your paneling. I bought two plywood boards that were 8' x 4'. I had them cut off 8" horizontally off the top so that the plywood would be at 40" high. Height is pure preference. 

Measure to cut for any outlets or areas that plywood would cover. I got lucky and only had to cut the end of one board...lucky me! Use a nail gun and some adhesive and slap that baby up!

Now that the plywood is all up it is time to do the trim. I like to start with the base. One long piece of base trim is ideal. I had to get two smaller pieces so it is always better to cut the trim at a angle so there is less of a noticeable gap. One MISTAKE I made with this wainscot was not laying both of the base boards together before I attached the first piece. There are ALWAYS irregularities with floors, walls, and trim boards from the store. We do our best on site to figure out the best way around these! Because I nailed the top board in first we had to lay the second one down NOT fitting together the best at the seam. Make sure to see how pieces fit together before attaching!

Next time to add the top rail. I like to get out a level and make sure it is straight before attaching. I find it easier to attach the base, and top rail first then cut the vertical boards to fit at the end. I feel it makes for more accurate cuts for the rails. 

Now it is time for the vertical rails. They are the same size as the top trim (3  1/2").  I placed the cut rails along the wall to get an idea for spacing. I did some rough math in my head. total length divided by number of rails. I then laid the rails out to make sure spaces was good. Here is another area where I made another MISTAKE! looking back I should have put the vertical rail over the seam! This way you cover the seam, which now you can notice up close. Let the seam determine your spacing. I will FOR SURE do that next time!!! Hoping I can save you the trouble! Learn from my mistakes! 

I found this project to move pretty fast. We finished the wainscot built in one saturday afternoon. I measured and installed and my hubby did the cuts! I saved painting for Sunday. All in all an amazing transformation for this space. Weekends are for WAINSCOT!!!

Okay here goes nothing! Im entering the One Room Challengewww.oneroomchallenge.com/orc-blog/ as a guest participant. For those who are like....whaaaaat the heck is the One Room Challenge ....well its a really cool way for designers to get creative within a super supportive community! In each round 20 design influencers are selected to take part of the challenge. The goal is to transform a space in six weeks!!! Thats right people...6 weeks! I will be for sure following all the selected designers along. As a guest participant we are joining just for the fun of the creative community!! We will be posting every Thursday our Progress. Simple and fun right.....said NO DESIGNER EVER!!!! Okay Im going to try to keep my girls bathroom refresh budget friendly and with only a little work involved. WHO ARE WE KiDDING...have you seen my girls bathroom below!!! It's going to need a big transformation. But IM positive I can do this with a little effort....small budget....big heart...and crazy FUN BANG!!! Follow me along on my journey!!

My goals for girls bathroom refresh..
1.  Update walls with paint/wallpaper for the FUN!!
2.Better dirty clothes storage.
3.Refinish or new faucets.
4.New mirrors.
5.Bath toy strage solutions. 
6. Rework towel hanging/storage. 

These tiles have been on my list to get rid of forever!!! I don't have the budget or the time to re tile...so for now I think I will try my hand at stenciling. 

Towel storage is needing a little pick me up. The towel bar we have now is way too small...it doesn't fit all our towels...so we end up hanging on the curtain rod!!

As you can see I think I need a better alternative for dirty clothes storage. Now they just throw them on the first shelf.

The bath toys need a better storage solution! 

Okay y'all know Im obsessed with peel and stick wallpaper!!! I LOVE how it so easily can transform a space. Not only does it give a space a HUGE impact but it is SOOOOO easy to install! My husband and I transformed our living room into this super fun vibe in less than an hour!!! 

Here is the wall BEFORE we installed the paper. 

Can we talk about this amazing wallpaper from www.coloraydecor.com!!! I immediately fell in love once I saw this pattern! I love ALL the colors....ya know Im especially feeling the burnt orange and the rose pink. I thought this pattern would look perfect as a fun backdrop against my blue sofa!  This pattern called Chains of Leaves from Coloray Decor 

Here are the tools I use. A level, a pencil and a sharp utility knife. 

Coloray recommends the surface be clean, smooth. Wait at least 3 weeks to install paper after painting. I like to take off all the electrical outlet covers. They say to NOT install over a latex based coating. 

FIRST: Lay out all the pieces to ensure there are no defects and that the pattern matches up correctly. 

NEXT: I like to get my level and a pencil and draw a light vertical line showing the angle the first piece of paper should follow. Don't trust the wall to be level, most aren't, and you don't want to lay your fist piece at the wrong angle. The FIRST piece is the most important in my opinion. Once you get that first one down...the rest go pretty fast!

NEXT: You should stick wallpaper left to right in order. Pick up the first strip and peel back a few inches. You want to make sure that you alight with the ceiling and that it is level on ceiling and on the wall verticality. Once you have your placement, stick and use your hand or a flat soft tool to press paper onto the wall, Then un peel more paper and repeat this step. 

When you get to outlets and other areas you need to cut around, just take your time and do your best to cut out the areas you need. I usually start by poking the tip of the blade in where I need the cut to start. Use firm and even force when cutting. 
​

Make sure you grab a buddy to help you hang the paper, its really a two person job! 

I had been wanting to add a bit of fun to this wall that frames our master. We have these beautiful set of double wood doors I wanted to accent...and of course ties into the master as well. I was browsing through Rocky Mountain Decals and I was stopped by this GORG vintage floral peel and stick wallpaper. The style is MADELYN. Click Here For LINK! 

Here are the supplies you will need to get started. A ladder. A pencil. A level. A sharp box cutter. Something to help you get out the air bubbles. And don't forget your friend to help! 

I found this tool SUPER helpful for getting all the air bublbes out. I got this at Home depot...it is supposed to be used for Knockdown of wall texture. It is PERFECT for wallpaper smoothing because of the soft edge. I highly recommend using this! 

Here are the top tips from wallpaper company and Myself for Installation!!!

I TOTALLY LOVE how www.rockymountaindecals.com numbered their sheets...making it super easy to know what order to hang! Way to GO RMD!!!

So after my walls were super clean and dry I went to laying all my sheets flat. 

Now its time to put up the first sheet. The hardest part in my opinion. This is the piece that sets the rest of the layout. I got out my level and drew a line in pencil on the wall. Then I used it as a guide to help show me how my paper should lay. Walls are not level so go off the level and not the wall. You want to move left to right...from top to bottom...from lowest to highest number! Peel about a foot of the backing off...and start to sticking!!

Once you have the first sheet level...and hung on the top...use the tool to work from left to right and get all the air bubbles out as you gently stick the paper to the wall. 

Repeat this process all the way to the floor. Use your razor to cut off the excess paper. Start with your second paper. Make sure it is still level...use a guideline if needed. Continue the same process as the first sheet. Move from left to right until you are done with all your sheets. 

Sometimes the paper has a slight gap in the seams...I just give the paper a little tug as I lay it over the previous sheet so that it fits perfectly with pattern AND ensures it covers the wall as well!

I thought this wallpaper project was super fun and easy. I did this in a few hours ALL by myself! I think it added a huge impact to this space! Now go out there and WALLPAPER something!!!!

Whats going down my wallpaper loving friends!!! I am beyond excited to have finally finished my guest room renovation....and boy what a reno it WAS!!! But let's be honest...this room is all about the WOW and the WOW is the AMAZING wallpaper by Coloray Decor.  I had such a success story with my cactus peel and stick wallpaper for the girls room...I was eager to work with the same wallpaper company again! You guys.....no joke....this paper is legit easy to install....and adds that WOW feature to any space. Im going to share all the deets on how to install....so YOU too can bring the WOW!!

So let's start with a little before picture shall we....and let me say....I for SURE had my work cut out for me...am I right...or am I right?!?!?!

So ya see what I was working with here....NOT much! I knew I wanted to do DIY wainscot board and batten....and I had my eye on this bold fun pattern "Vintage Floral Art" from Coloray Decor I knew I wanted something bold, oversized, and moody dark....to work with all my stark white. I fell in love with this pattern the minute I laid eyes on it. It was a bit of a process working back and forth with Natalia (who is freaking awesome by the way). Because I was only doing the upper portion of the wall....AND...wrapping it around to cover two continuous wall was a good design challenge. I was originally thinking I would just do two of the same full images on either wall.....BUT genius Natalia came up with a few options of how we could wrap the paper around the two walls in one continuous pattern!!! Annnnnnnnnnd BOY am I glad she came up with these options because this made the patter sooooooo much more stunning. We worked back and forth for a few weeks tweaking and trying new things until one day I received this mock-up and was STOKED....I knew we had found the ONE! 

Once I placed the order I was pleasantly surprised to receive it like a week later....they are ON IT with shipping...so don't let buying all the way overseas worry you! The wallpaper comes in rolled sections packages in a tube. I suggest unrolling the pieces as soon as you receive them and lay them out on the floor to inspect for any problem areas...and to make sure the prints match up to each other on all the pieces. I labeled mine on the back so that when it came time to install it made for MUCH easier organization....and we are ALL about THAT...am I right?!?!?

I prepared my wall by applying a skim coat to make the surface smooth.....(my walls are heavily textured)..and I didn't want to see any bumps through the paper. You can hire your local painter to do this for you...I personally paid mine $100 bucks for two walls. If you have recently painted your walls I would recommend waiting a few weeks to ensure that the walls are really dry before installing wallpaper. Here are all the tools I used. I did wrap a cloth around the spatula and secured with tape...so that when using on the wallpaper to smooth....it wouldn't leave any marks!!!

The GOOD news is this wallpaper is actually VERY VERY easy to install. And that is what makes me so hyped on this product you guys!!! So I started with the right corner of the walls....you can start on whatever side....that doesn't matter. .(with the cactus room I started on the left). You want to have a friend....or in my case....a VERY sweet and pretty fun installation BUD...my HUBBY!!!  You want to start with one corner and make sure it lines up on the side of the wall and also at the top of the wall next to the ceiling. This part is a bit tricky....and honestly just do your best and don't overthink it....the wallpaper is very forgiving and you can easily carefully pull back off the wall and start your corner again something is off the first go around. You peel the backing from the top portion....being careful to only peel a bit at a time as you work. You wan to use the little white tool (covered with a cloth) to help smooth out any bubbles....I worked at an angle from top to bottom and left to right. Being carful to work a little at a time you repeat this process over and over until the entire piece is on the wall. 

When you are ready for the next piece I like to  make sure that it overlaps the first piece a bit on the side so that there are not any gaps in the wallpaper. You keep repeating this process with each new piece until you reach the end. If there is excess on the bottom or the last side...you can easily trim with a razor blade. I had a few gaps in between the wall and the paper...and I just filled it in with black paint....no biggie. 

I mean look at how amazing this room came out! I still can't believe I am done....I am ready to PARTY....and when I say party....I mean NAP!!!  Im a huge fan of this product and what possibilities there are with so many RAD peel and stick wallpaper patterns. NOW get out there and WALLPAPER!!!! 

Peace Out until next time my friends!

OMG guys I can't believe it...I actually finished another room!!! I knew designing this room for the little girls would be challenging...(see the wallpaper install disaster on previous post)...but despite the challenges this room turned out to be a total gem...and a fantastic project! Come take a closer look!

It all started with the idea of a shared room for the little girls, ages 4 and 2 (cutest ages EVER)!  So naturally..it was design board time. I seriously love design boards sooooo much! They are an invaluable source to really make sure all the ideas in my head...really work once all placed together.

I knew I wanted to try wallpaper on an accent wall. There are so many RAD wallpapers out right now!   When I heard about peel and stick...I was like... say WHAT?!?!  I just had cactus on my mind...like cactus obsessed!  I found the best peel and stick wallpaper...that legit was so easy to install (see previous blog for wallpaper installation)...and was the perfect "WOW" accent I was looking for!  I got this peel and stick wallpaper from www.coloray.com. This was the first design element I choose for this room. The floors were already a white wood look laminate. I painted the room a white to replace the old army green. We already had the white Ikea dresser and one toddler bed. My shopping list included a second bed, a nightstand, a rug, artwork, and a new light fixture. Boom....bam....and we are off!!! 

The accent wallpaper wall turned out AMAZING! And I would one hundred percent do it again. I LOVE how the feature wall really allowed for everything else in the room to be minimalistic...and still provide a show stopping space! And I am ALL ABOUT cutting down on the clutter and really only having what we need. Everyone always asks me "where are all the toys"?  I have a drawer in the dresser for play dresses and some toys....then I LOVE LOVE LOVE baskets for books and other small toys. This way you don't see the clutter around...and it makes for super easy clean up...WIN...WIN!!!

How adorable is this little print I picked up from goldieandfawnco! I mean I saw this....and legit...it was just perfect for this space! Its a super fun saying we use around here now...when the girls start getting a lil cray cray...I remind them that we "pick flowers not fights"! They think its super cute! I admit I was kinda nervous about hammering that nail into the wallpaper...but I really liked the idea of a print sitting on top...so in the end...I decided to go for it. And Im super stoked I did...because the print adds a depth and interest to the room...and honestly if I removed the nail...you would NOT even see the hole!

Let talk pillows! So if your anything like me....you have a raging obsession with pillows!  I always like having lots of options on hand...because there are times that you think you have the perfect ones...then...when it comes time to style...something just is off. So I always have extras of everything on hand to play around with. I had a few pillows that I liked...but literally a few days before install I found the perfect pair that literally made my vision complete. I LOVE It when that happens. What you see in your mind you actually find in the store...and it works just as you had hoped. This was a pillow miracle in my eyes!!! ​

I love using vintage pieces throughout my home...it adds a great story and character to any space. These books were passed down to my husband from his mother. They are old Nancy Drew books...and we have a set of 5 which I just adore! I read all the Nancy Drew books and I can't wait for my girls to read them too. How special to have a vintage set from their grandmother!

Originally I had planned to use the existing Ikea dresser....but when I no longer had space in our Master for my dresser...I knew it would be perfect for girls space. This dresser was my fathers parents. They sure don't make pieces like this anymore....super solid...dovetail joints...and has wheels on the bottom....genius!!! It sill smells exactly like my grandparents to this day....and Im so lucky to be able to pass this on to my girls! 

I always put hooks up in kiddos rooms! You can find super cute ones...that become a super fun accent piece, while also being really functional! I use the hooks for hanging clothes, headbands, and purses! When Im tidying up in here...clothes that are on the floor go on the hooks...books go on the shelf on wall or in a basket...and toys go in the basket or bottom drawer of dresser. The dreamcatcher on the hook is a treasure from my travels to Talum, Mexico when I was five months pregnant with my youngest. It is suppose to trap bad dreams and only let the good ones in. I hung it over the crib of my youngest....and now it has followed her into her new shared room! This is a vintage stool I bought years ago...and it has made its way throughout my kiddos rooms...and it has been repainted many a time...yall know how that goes!!! We use it in this room now so that they can reach up to their clothes in the closet and to the books on their shelf! 

So I looooove styling shelves! I think its super fun....to me its like a little puzzle to solve!  More vintage books from their grandmother...more Nancy Drew...and Heidi! I love a good handmade doll...and how stinking cute is this bohemian llama doll from Little Peach Handmade! Im a huge fan of hanging garland in the kiddos rooms! It is a super easy and fun way to add color and personality to the space. You can easy switch it out depending on season or mood! I snagged this sweet lil wool ball garland from a fair trade shop in Sonoma wine country during a recent visit to see my bestie! (girls weekend...what what)

So I also love this little medallion rug from Overstock.com. I knew I needed to stay away from white...it needed to be earthy to ground all the white in the room. I had been gushing over this one for a while...so when I decided on the wallpaper this rug instantly popped in my head! Ive been really happy with it so far. It was pretty rough when it first came...and I was worried about it not being very comfortable for the girls. But it has become really soft over a short period...so Im super stoked that we can keep it in the space! 

All in all this room has been incredible! The girls love it so much...and they are doing really well sharing. This room encouraged me to make new design decisions and has given me so much peace pouring my creative juices into this project. These sweet girls are the fuel to my design fire...and this room is a reflection of that! Thank you all for coming on this journey with me. It has been exhilarating...and Im only just getting started! Peace. Love. Cactus. 

Peel and stick wallpaper got me feelin like....all sorts of crazy!!! Literally it was the easiest and also the most stressful project. Weird right....how can you feel such opposite ways about the same thing...I know its crazy. I knew I wanted to do wallpaper on the little girls room....I mean so cute all the different patterns they have now. And of course when I heard of peel and stick wallpaper....I was like.....SAY WHAT?!?!?!  No brainer.  I wanted cactus wallpaper...because lets be honest...who is NOT obsessed with cactus right now. I found one I loved from Coloray www.coloraydecor.com (they have the BEST patterns)...but once I started the design board....I knew the pattern just wasn't working. That is one reason why I LOVE design boards. SUCH a GREAT way to really see what you have in your mind...and if its really going to work....or just not look right. So when I saw the other print in my board....I knew THIS was the one!!! 

The wallpaper came super fast, and it was just as stunning in person as it looked online. I was covering one wall of the bedroom...and it came in three separate sheets. Each sheet lines up with the other. Make sure to take the time to unroll each sheet and check for errors.  I marked the back of each sheet so that I would remembered the order. I marked the wall where the edge of the sheets would be to create a guideline, using a level. I pressed too hard with my pencil and ended up getting really smudgy during install, so make it a light mark or use tape. I started with the top left corner, taking care to try to line it up to the vertical guidelinel.  It was a bit tricky...and you for sure need two people. But we were able to get it.  We uses a plastic flat tool to work from top to bottom and from center out to the sides to get all the air bubbles out. Be careful to not use too much pressure as you don't want to mark up the wallpaper. I found that if you keep the paper backing on until you are ready to smooth down it makes it way easier...have your partner pull the paper out a bit away from the wall , and then use the tool to smooth on wall it works better then letting it fall closer to the wall...less slack. 

Once the first one was done...I feel like the second piece was super easy! I used a metal straight edge and a snap knife to cut the excess off the bottom. I also recommend after it's installed, going over it with a soft towel to help smooth out any little kinks. Overall, I think that the process was super simple and it was really easy to get it up. It makes a huge statement in the room, and Im thankful that I was able to do it myself (well...and of course my friend)! Sooooo Im super impressed and will for sure be ordering more peel and stick wallpaper!! Check out how cool it turned out!!!

So you might be saying....Melanie....that all sounds amazing...what was so stressful about that?!?! Well I left out just one little mishap....that unfortunately turned into....literally the most stress I have felt on a home project in a loooong while. You know that moment when you see all your visions...all your work...and your time...all your money....just go right down the drain before your very eyes. The stress level was too the max...and it was funny how quickly it went from moving right along....to like a TOTAL and utter DISASTER!!  

It all started to go downhill when I decided I wanted to un-peel and start over (we were about 3/4 of the way done with the last sheet (typical huh....so close to being done). How hard could it be...right....just un-peel what we have...re-align....and put back on?!?!? Easy enough. We got it stuck to the left and the ceiling perfect!!! Then in an instant when we moved positions...it happened....it STUCK TO ITSELF!!!! So as a section of about two inches is stuck together....we think oh shoot...and start adjusting and pulling apart. But it is SUPER sticky and it is actually really hard to un-pull. I think...uh oh...this isn't good...because I feel like if I pull too hard it is going to ruin the paper....but I have to pull hard to even get it un-stuck a little bit. Then It happened....it went downhill fast...every time we move to try to pull it apart, a new section becomes stuck. It happened within like two minutes that it went BAD to WORSE and literally the whole piece was stuck to itself in various areas. The largest one being about 6"....right in the middle. We literally had to just step back and were like......OMG.....how are we ever going to get this unstuck???? I wish I would have taken a picture....because it was SO bad....It literally looked like a crumpled up bubblegum wrapper. It was over in my head....DONE! All the work I had done, and all the progress I had made...in my mind...went right down the drain. My hopes of getting the room done were shattered....I was in a complete and utter panic!!!!!

This toddler room got me feelin like........a dang superhero!!! My three littles are all obsessed with Super Heros! They run around screaming "to the rescue"!!! I LOVE that my girls are thinking, and feeling like little super heroes! Want to know what else makes me happy?!?! Ummm....ACTUALLY finishing a room in my house!!! This is the first room that I have been able to completely renovate. And let me tell you....that makes ME feel like a freakin super hero....and this room was my little RESCUE!! Its hard enough to get any one task done in a day in my household....you have a run a VERY tight ship with so many little ones....or Im not joking...they will literally suck your momentum and motivation right out you you....like for real...no joke!!! So actually finding the time and being patient with the process...has been a truly inspiring little challenge in itself! The room inspiration was my baby turning 2....and her transition from babyhood to toddlerhood. Of course she is THRILLED about becoming older...and I just cry myself to sleep thinking of being alone in a house when all the noise and craziness is gone...dramatic tear!  So I figured I was either going to get left behind in baby dust.....or I could embrace her new found independence and focus a little more on myself and my passions!

​Ok....lets talk about that super dope print!!! The Buffalo....I mean the minute I saw this print....I knew I HAD to have it. I think that the Buffalo print really helped bring the toddler back into the space. I think the curtains and rug are so stunning and elegant and the bed a bit of whimsy....the Buffalo print really added that bit of childlike element I needed. I struggled a bit with the wall behind the vintage rocker. I had some things up on the wall and it just wasn't working. So I thought on it a bit and tried something different with the tapestry....once I hung that....I knew I had it! It was the extra balance I was needing visually for the space. Plus....who doesn't love a good tapestry....right?!?! The white dresser belonged to my Grandmother.....It still to this day smells like her....its just unreal! Its the coolest piece. It has a secret compartment on top that has vanity lights and secret jewelry storage. They really don't make furniture like they used to....let me tell ya. The rocking chair was my dads grandparents probably used in the early 1900's. It was passed down to my dads mom, my dad, and now to me. I have used it for all three of my girls.....and it is just still so cool....with its leather insert seat and the detail of the wood. I LOVE to incorporate older pieces that have a story.!!  It brings the good style vibes!!! 

​