Under the Faux Mirror/Window

Kelly Condie Thompson
by Kelly Condie Thompson
12 Materials
$35
10 Hours
Medium

I decided to move the table and lamp out of the entry way and it just seemed so empty there. It needed something. Have you ever felt that way about about a space in your home? So, my mind started whirling. I love chair rail and wall treatments that are below it, so I decided to make my own. Out came my trusty roll (of rapidly diminishing textured wallpaper). I think the reason that I like it so much is that it is self divided into sections that can be applicable to so many applications. I have used it in a previous house to make faux molded boxes under actual molded chair rail and it turned out so well, besides the faux window/mirror. It has classic patterns that can even be colored to appear different. Oh whatever am I going to do when it runs out? (This part must be read with a Scarlet O'Hara voice from Gone with the Wind.) "Well, I'll not think about that now. There's always tomorrow..."

This will be used horizontally on the wall as the chair rail.

These will be used to make a pattern under the chair rail, running vertically. Can you tell where they came from on the upper picture? Now you can see how versatile this particular wallpaper can be?

I even took a small bit from the roll to make an endcap to the chair rail. I only wanted the chair rail to go to the endpoint of the entryway. This was where the wall turned the corner and became the living room. So, I put the chair rail to just the point where the wall was flat, (just before the corner rounded) and put a small piece over the end of the chair rail to cap it and make it look like I had ended it on purpose.

This is from the other side of the entry way with the endcap on it.

These are the tools that I used to put the wallpaper up. I put glue on each strip of wallpaper and "booked" it to keep it moist as I applied it. This also help the strip to not have a mind of its own and start to run away with you. It only allows for how much YOU want to paste up WHEN you want to put it up. The sponge helps to smooth the wallpaper and adhere it to the wall without it grabbing the texture of the wall too tightly to punch little holes in your wallpaper. I use the putty knife to line up the edge for cutting on the baseboard and the new razor blades for cutting it off precisely. I used a light push on the roller to make sure the edges stuck as tightly as they could to my textured walls without mangling the wall paper, too. I might mention here that I had used a yardstick to base against the baseboard and measure up exactly where I wanted the chair rail to go. Using a light touch on the pencil, I drew a line on the wall for me to follow where I needed to put my vertical strips and my chair rail all the way around the entry. Then, covered it with the paper so it would not show.

I tried to space things as evenly as I could. I formed a pattern of three together (ribbon, texture, ribbon). Then plain ribbon. Next, three with spaces (ribbon, texture, ribbon). Then plain ribbon. And Repeat the sequence starting with the three together (ribbon, texture, ribbon) and so forth. Because the walls were the same on both sides, it worked out perfectly.

I was really wanting to go into the space between - where my craft room is, the bathroom and the closet - it has the brown only rug on the floor. But, I ran out of ribbon pieces and had to put endcaps on the chair rail that turned the corners into the space. It is OK though. This way the treatment is ONLY in the entry way. I was really surprised how large the entry way was when I did all this. And, this treatment made it LOOK even larger. I really like how it turned out and it went with the faux mirror/window perfectly.

So, in the end, I painted the tacks in the faux mirror/window white with a special paint that was just for metal. It matched exactly. And, of course the treatment matched the faux mirror/window because it was made with the same wallpaper. It looks like a custom job.

I have a small picture of an colorful stylized Initial of our last name on the space in the wall that is opposite the faux window/mirror. Again. It needed something. The entryway is much less crowded now. And, I like how it turned out. Hope you do, too. And, that this project gives you some ideas of what can done with your walls in your own home. (By the way, to get the extra wallpaper paste off of the wall, dilute some liquid fabric softener in a spray bottle, 3/1 - after your wallpaper has cured for a few days on the wall. Spray the wall and wallpaper and gently wash the wall with a soft sponge. Let dry and the residue from the glue should come off the first time. If not, repeat. It smells divine and is a quick trick to clean your flat painted walls.) And, I cannot stress how valuable knee pads are for this project, especially if you are working on tile. You will thank me for this one tip alone, I promise!

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  • Dawn Dawn on Jan 27, 2019

    What is " booking" the wallpaper mean?

  • Tweety Tweety on Feb 01, 2019

    Could you please reveal the name of that particular wallpaper and the brand? Pretty please!?! 😊

  • Crystal McKinley Crystal McKinley on Mar 23, 2020

    Do you have a blog about your faux window? I didn’t want to ask a question if it had already been asked, I didn’t find it if has so...?

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