BayouHome | NOD TO NOSTALGIA | Paint Project

Wallpaper never went out of style, just out of taste. Thanks to a resurgence, perfectly patterned walls combine timeless design with new beginnings.

IMAGES BY KELLY MOORE CLARK

We asked interior designer, Jan Strickland, about her inspiration for this wonderfully wallpapered room.

BAYOULIFE: What inpired you to make such a bold choice for this room?
JAN: When the homeowner first came to me for the project, she said she wanted something colorful, floral and bold for her daughter’s bedroom.

BAYOULIFE: Can you tell us some of your favorite places to source wallpaper?
JAN: This wallpaper was purchased from Anthropologie, which is one of my go-to wallpaper sources.

BAYOULIFE: What are your favorite rooms to use wallpaper?
JAN: I love to use wallpaper in any space a client wants to make a bold and unique statement. Children’s rooms are fun but so are smaller spaces like laundry rooms and bathrooms/powder room.

BAYOULIFE: DIY or professionally install? What is your advice?
JAN: I always choose to allow professionals to do the work. Hanging wallpaper is an art form. It needs to be done properly to achieve the ultimate designer look.

PAINT PROJECT

Monroe Mayor Friday Ellis and First Lady Ashley Ellis used quarantine time to update their foyer with a hand-painted design mimicking wallpaper. We talked to Ashley about her inspiration and steps she took to achieve this look.

BAYOULIFE: What inspired you to create your own wallpaper?
ASHLEY: I wish I had thought “let’s make our own wallpaper” which sounds very intentional, but I was really just looking for an interesting way to add some life to my foyer without tearing out existing wallpaper just to get started . But first things first, we completed this project in the third week of quarantine. We had been so busy with the campaign that it was a welcome change of pace, and like most people during the quarantine, we had experienced just enough time off to think it would be fun to start a new project. Of course, I had already cleaned out and organized my closet, so it MUST be time to put Friday to work, too! I’ve always loved the look of wallpaper, especially in small spaces like a foyer or powder room and Pinterest was a huge inspiration for this project.

BAYOULIFE: Did you use a stencil or freehand?
ASHLEY: It wasn’t stenciled. I am not very good at working with boundaries or even coloring in the lines for that matter! It was definitely a freehand project. We practiced our brush strokes using a couple of different brushes on a sheet of plain white paper. Friday’s strokes were much thicker, and mine were thin and more consistent. We liked one of the 1” angled brushes, so of course we went with that for the final project. I highly recommend hanging the samples on the wall to decide which color works best. When painting such small strokes, I think you should use a bright, more saturated color otherwise it just looks black. I knew I didn’t want a light color, so we went with a vibrant blue/green color that reminds me of the beautiful colors of a peacock feather (Behr – Antigua). I have always loved that color, but I could never muster up the courage to paint it over an entire room.

BAYOULIFE: What did you have to do to get the walls ready for this application?
ASHLEY: When we moved in years ago, we needed a fresh start, so I asked the painters to paint over the existing wallpaper for a quick fix. I couldn’t stomach the idea of wallpapering over wallpaper. Of course you could do it, but I was worried the new paper wouldn’t adhere properly. I also didn’t want to take down the existing wallpaper because I wasn’t interested in starting a major project. Spending a fortune on wallpaper wasn’t in the cards either, especially if it may not adhere properly. The next best option was to paint the wall to look like high-end wallpaper.