Hey friends! Today I’m going to tell you all about our experience installing wallpaper over a stairwell. As you can see it turned out GORGEOUS!
Our “before” was pretty boring. Since finishing our basement I’ve felt like I needed to do something about the wide open space above the stairwell. The after is exactly what it needed. Subtle, not overpowering, but beautiful.
I went with this “Cradled in Clouds” mural from Photowall. The process of ordering was super simple and it arrived quickly. I ordered about 4 inches wider and longer than what I needed to allow for error. The total came in just under $100. For total transparency I want to share that Photowall gifted this paper to me in order to share it here! Thankfully it was a great experience and I’m happy to share it with you! I’d order from them again in a heartbeat even if I was paying full price!
Going into this project I wasn’t sure how I’d hang the wallpaper over the stairs because the top point is sixteen feet from the floor. Of course I ordered it anyways… Once it arrived I sent a text to my dad asking him to help me hang it! Thankfully he was up for the challenge.
My dad is the king of getting ladders situated in tricky situations, so this was a breeze for him. All we had to do was use some sturdy boards to build a block that raised the lower stair height to be the same as the higher stair. For security we used a few long screws to hold the boards together so that they wouldn’t shift. Then we rested our extension ladder on the boards. We made sure to put towels over the part of the ladder that was resting against the wall so that we didn’t scratch the drywall.
Supplies:
I’ve wallpapered tons, so thankfully I had all of the supplies on hand. I didn’t even need to buy paste because Photowall includes the powder to mix the paste with your order! It was super simple to mix right in my paint tray! Here are the supplies I used:
- Paint Tray
- Paint Roller
- Scissors
- Wallpaper Smoothing Tool
- Wallpaper Sponge
- Paintbrush
- Sharp Utility Knife
Installation:
We started out by rolling paste onto the wall. We only rolled in where the first section of paper would cover so that it didn’t dry out. Then we pasted each section as we went.
I LOVE working with paper and paste because it’s got a lot of flexibility and working time. We made sure that it was level and then used the smoother to work out the excess paste and to secure it.
Then we added the next two pieces, butting the seams up against each other without overlapping.
Once it was all installed it was easy to trim the excess with a sharp blade. Then all we had to do was scrub the excess paste off with a damp sponge. We probably rinsed it out ten times to ensure that we weren’t spreading any paste onto the mural.
Now when we walk down to the basement, we’re greeted by this awesome mural! If you’ve ever considered installing wallpaper over a stairwell it’s really not as tough as it sounds. As long as you ensure you have a stable base for your ladder it’s not much different than wallpapering any wall! Honestly, it was almost easier because while my dad worked the top of the paper I could hold and help with the bottom. Photowall has graciously offered a coupon code for 25% off of any of their products until August 27th! Just use the code brightgreendoor25. I’m already scheming where my next wallpaper project will be and I plan to order the paper from them!
To see my other wallpapering posts head here:
Wallpaper Sources Throughout my Home
Loved this idea of wallpapering the stairwell…. sent it to my son. You have so many great ideas on your website.
This is stunning Jess!