Easy wallpaper panel

The idea of using wallpaper in panels is not new, but it really can add impact without committing to wallpaper.  This technique came in handy when I did this bathroom a couple of years ago.

I fell in love with this Osborne & Little wallpaper from the moment I laid eyes on it.  But of course it wasn’t cheap, Osborne & Little and cheap are usually not used in the same sentence.  So to save money and still be able to use the wallpaper,  I framed it with a contrasting orange molding to make it pop.  I got the impact I was looking for, saved some major dough and still added depth, texture and color to the walls

But you don’t always have to attach the wallpaper to the walls like I did here.  Putting it on foam core boards from a craft store works just as well for a non-committal application. It is a great option for a renter to bring in color on their walls when they can’t use paint.

Another great idea is to use using foam insulator boards from Home Depot, like Shannon from The New England Southerner  did for her high rise rental

As I have mentioned before,  I am helping a friend with the design of her new hair salon and she is on a tight budget.  She has an esthetician room that needs some sound absorbing art on the walls and asked me for some suggestions.  I thought that this idea of wallpaper or fabric on a foam board would be a perfect solution for her room.

I remembered that I had found this double roll of Candice Olsen wallpaper at a thrift store for $5 a while back.  I was shocked to see it there, but you never know what you are going to find there sometimes.  It is similar to this one,  a pearl background and beaded raised design

and as luck would have it

I had some 2′ x 4′ acoustical tiles laying around.  I thought it would be a perfect combination for making wallpaper panels for the room.  So I made her 4 of them to hang in the room.

I used spray adhesive on both the back of the wallpaper and the acoustical panel since the wallpaper was thick and the acoustical ceiling tile has those crevices in the.  I just wrapped the corners to the back side of the panel

It was a really quick project.  The same application can be used with fabric if you don’t have any wallpaper laying around.  Like Diane from In My Own Style did for her hallway

I am having the handy man at the salon {aka her Dad} install a similar molding treatment like I did in the pink bathroom using some white MDF molding.  It is going to be a big impact for the room, yet very budget friendly. But since the handyman happens to have a real day job, it might be a week or two before I can show you how they look installed on the wall. And when he does, I will be taking pictures to show you how it turned out.  Anyone else ever used fabric or wallpaper panels? I’d love to hear!