Palm Fronds

Our new apartment is great, but I am itching to paint, wallpaper, blow out a wall! We’ve been here a year and I have behaved myself so far. It’s a rental, so whatever we do, we have to undo before we leave. So, the only stuff on the walls right now is artwork…

This is the casita at Frank Sinatra’s old house in Palm Springs. I took this picture a few years ago, with every intention of wallpapering a room in Rye with some form of palm frond wallpaper. Didn’t happen, so this itch has not been scratched.

It was just a matter of time before ye olde palm fronds popped up! I found this wallpaper online. It comes in a bunch of fabulous colors and is a modern take on the palm leaf.

Our guest bathroom is neutral, but fine. I had so much “white” stuff leftover from staging our Rye house; shower curtains, towels, bath mats ~ I used it in both the guest and master bathrooms here. The lack of color started to get to me. I also wanted our company and guests, post-Covid, to walk into this bathroom and think it was FUN.

Guest bath again – big blank wall across from the shower curtain. You can see where this is going.

I thought I ordered the peel & stick version of this wallpaper, but wasn’t paying attention and ordered regular. Ok, non-returnable. I figured peel & stick could be easily taken off when we leave this apartment. Regular wallpaper with the thick paste, not so much.

Plan B. I decided to use 3M spray adhesive instead of wallpaper paste so I could take it down easily. I hope the shower steam doesn’t do that instead! I am also wallpapering the bathroom on my own and, no, I have never wallpapered before.

The actual step-by-step of my process is not pretty, so I’m not going to show you. I found out quickly that wallpapering is a lot harder than it looks. It took me forever! Matching up the pattern….. OMG. Measuring and cutting out this one square for the outlet – so I didn’t disrupt a contiguous piece of wallpaper – almost broke me.

Did it!

I love how this small amount of wallpaper brightens up the room so much. It reflects off the mirror over the sink…

…and the mirror in the “apartment grade” medicine cabinet.

I put two French Posters on the big wall across from the shower. I love these two posters side-by-side and also love the mash-up of the different greens.

Even with the bathroom door shut, it looks cute!

I wish I had done this while the girls were living with us during peak Covid, but now they have something to look forward to when they come to visit. Master bathroom, next!

the wry home