Lisa Congdon for Hygge & West is in my Kitchen!

wallpaper2

When I was a toddler, after my twin sister had moved into her own room, my mother set about the task of redecorating mine. I don’t recall having any part in the decision-making, but I do remember stumbling in on the progress one day. Furniture was pushed around and the matching dinosaur-themed curtains and bedding were waiting to be placed. I remember being particularly fascinated with the matching wallpaper, though—a small border that went just around the top of the room and matched everything else. The process—what with the paste and the trays of water and the scraps everywhere and my poor exhausted mother—made me feel very fancy and special. My brother’s room had been decorated similarly years earlier—a matching dinosaur motif—so I figured that everyone got a dinosaur-themed bedroom when they passed a certain threshold into kid-dom. Except my sister. She got flowers. But she was a girl, so there.

Unlike my brother’s more realistic earth-toned dinosaurs, mine were bubbly and cartoon-ish, rendered in bright blues and aquas. My comforter and curtains were reversible with coordinating stripes on the opposite side, but I liked everything to match—all dinos, all the time. This was the early-90s, and I knew what was up in the world of high-stylin’ toddler interiors.

I grew to love that dinosaur pattern with an intense, unhealthy fervor, thrown into sharp relief the day we moved out of the house about 4 years later. I knew vaguely of the new family moving in, who had two little blond boys and seemed nice enough, but when the news rolled in that my prized curtains and wallpaper border had been part of the sale, I was blinded to all reason and left with only hatred in my heart and resentment in my bones. I wanted my curtains. I wanted my wallpaper. And more than that, I did not want anyone else to have them.

I hoped these people would up and decide not to buy the house after all, or at the very least, lose their kids in the mall. Without their children, they would no longer want the dinosaurs around to remind them of what once was and might have been, and we could all go on our merry way. Them, childless, sad, and alone, and me with my dinos. The natural order of things.

But it did not come to pass, and moving day found me clinging to the bottom hems of my curtains, wailing in protest as I stared up at the wallpaper border and tried to devise a way to remove it. The disappointing thing about being seven years old is that your full bodyweight and all of your strength isn’t a very powerful match to your father’s, but as I was dragged away, I pledged that I would someday come back for them. Even if I was 37, I’d knock on the door and go take what was rightfully mine, and I’d put up my curtains and my wallpaper in my room and everything would be right in the world again.

What I failed to understand at the time was that a) I’d get over it, b) that wallpaper isn’t all that easy to remove, let alone reuse, and c) that as a future renter in NYC, wallpaper would continue to be one of those things I could only dream of.

Rolls

UNTIL NOW. We all know how much I love Lisa Congdon’s line of wallpaper at Hygge & West (also, everything else at Hygge & West, let’s be honest), so imagine my excitement when the folks at Hygge & West offered to let me sample their new line of removable wallpaper. You read that right. Removable! And, theoretically, reusable, which is pretty awesome too. Renters rejoice! I knew exactly where and how I would use it and which pattern I wanted—Lisa Congdon’s Triangles in the yellow/black colorway. This is so much better than cartoon dinosaurs, y’all.

before

This back wall of my kitchen has changed a lot over the past couple of years, from getting painted, the window getting salvaged wood moldings and a nice light-diffusing roller shade, and a new overhead pendant light. It’s a very small dining space, so a while ago we swapped out the round fake tulip-ish table and Eames chairs for this smaller set-up (the tabletop and legs are IKEA and the chairs are vintage Bertoia wire chairs). All of these things are huge improvements toward making this a (finally!) functional little dining space, but it was just feeling a little…dead. I debated painting just this back wall with a shot of bright color, but I thought a little graphic pattern (designed by one of my internet-friends, no less!) would be way better.

I was a little suspicious of the product, to be honest, but it’s pretty amazing. Each “tile” is about 2′ x 3′, which is the size of one full pattern repeat. They come in handy rolls with handy instructions on each one.

Wallpaper1

The best way I have of describing them is that they’re basically enormous vinyl stickers that look and act like wallpaper. The adhesive is made of 100% voodoo. It clings really well to the walls, but peels off easily and doesn’t leave any residue behind or damage the paint. The panels are very hearty and can be stuck down and removed multiple times (I moved the first panel a few times, just to get the positioning perfect) without compromising the strength of the adhesive or stretching/tearing the panel. It’s very cool.

The instructions suggested starting with the first panel at eye level, but I opted to start from the ceiling because it resulted in fewer cuts, and using entire panels was easier and more efficient. You can’t see the seams at all until you’re standing less than a foot away and looking for them, so it didn’t really matter where they fell.

process

This wall was a little extra-tricky because NOTHING about it is level or square, so I found it was easier to rough-cut the partial-panels (leaving about an inch of excess), stick them to the wall with the seams aligning, then remove the excess with an X-acto knife. Because of the huge window, the only full panels used were that vertical strip in the second process shot—everything else had to be cut down to size either at the edges of the moldings or at the corners of the wall. I just moved across the wall from right to left, ending in the opposite corner.

It takes a little concentration to get the seams to align and get everything looking snazzy and perfect, but the whole thing was pretty easy and painless and only took a few hours. It’s the sort of job that might be easier/faster with two people, but I did it myself because I got it* like that.

*zero patience, need for instant gratification, inability to work with others

after2

OH HEY LOOK AT THAT. Pattern-y goodness forever and ever. I LOVE it. Like, more than I thought I would, more than I thought I could. I’ve never wallpapered anything before in my life, and I’m really thrilled with how this turned out. It makes the kitchen!

One thing I wasn’t really anticipating is that it makes our narrow kitchen (it’s only 7.5 feet wide) feel wider and more spacious, somehow. It also totally makes the dining area feel defined and like a real space instead of kind of an afterthought, like it did before. So exciting.

I know the baseboards still aren’t caulked and painted. I am aware. I am garbage. BUT LOOK, WALLPAPER!

hallview2

I love reaching the end of our crazy long hallway and getting a little glimpse of this bright, happy pattern in the kitchen. I finally love how the kitchen is looking, even if it isn’t completely finished yet.

And hey, if you like this removable wallpaper idea, you might love what’s coming up next on the bloggy! (hint: rhymes with miveaway.)

This post is in partnership with Hygge & West.

About Daniel Kanter

Hi, I'm Daniel, and I love houses! I'm a serial renovator, DIY-er, and dog-cuddler based in Kingston, New York. Follow along as I bring my 1865 Greek Revival back to life and tackle my 30s to varying degrees of success. Welcome!

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86 Comments

  1. 4.22.13

    Woweee!!!! Nailed it! The reusable part is what grabbed my attention – I would love to be able to hang up this stuff and take it with me when I go. Looking forward to the giveaway!

  2. 4.22.13

    Looks awesome!

  3. 4.22.13
    Jill said:

    “The adhesive is made of 100% voodoo: The Daniel Kanter Story.” Bam, autobiography title. You’re welcome.

  4. 4.22.13
    Jaimie said:

    I’m so jealous! I love that wallpaper. If I didn’t have textured walls in my house, I’d totally get some removable wallpaper. Regular wallpaper, no, because I’m fickle and there’s no way I’d want to go through the effort to remove it later.

  5. 4.22.13

    This looks awesome. Wallpapering is so difficult. I’s so impressed.
    I didn’t realize Hygge & West made removable wallpaper. So in it!
    Thanks for sharing!
    xo Quinn

    • 4.22.13
      Daniel said:

      Thanks, Quinn! Hygge & West only launched the removable tiles about two weeks ago, so that might be why you didn’t realize! I’ve never used regular wallpaper before, but this really wasn’t difficult at all. Just peel-n-stick!

  6. 4.22.13
    annie said:

    gimme. gimme. gimme. otomi in cream or taupe. gim. me.

  7. 4.22.13
    Samantha said:

    If I was not a broke-ass college kid, I would have those stickers EVERYWHERE. WALLPAPER! For everyone! It looks lovely in your kitchen!

  8. 4.22.13
    Nicole B said:

    Oh my goodness. I LOVE IT! Your kitchen is looking amazing! I must say I am quite jealous of this AND your last post about the rubber floors – I feel as if my tiles are the same as yours were. Ugly white with DARK grout (I will not venture like you did and try to discover its original color) that shows every bit of dark and hair (I have long hair and it sheds EVERYWHERE). But my kitchen is far too big to get away with anything like that! I would need 3 rolls to span the width of my kitchen (22′ x 20′ roughly – which is pretty unheard of for Astoria) and there would be too many seams, plus $$$. Instead I will just be jealous of all the glory that is your kitchen and not look down at my own floors in my apartment.

    Again, it looks GREAT!

    • 4.22.13
      Daniel said:

      OMG, your kitchen is enormous! That’s crazy! Hopefully you at least have a lot of storage to make up for the lousy floor?

      Thank you!

  9. 4.22.13
    Kirk said:

    Lookin’ good! Tiles seem much easier than full rolls. I used a similar removable wallpaper in rolls and spent two days swearing, sweating, and crying trying to get it lined up correctly around my counter/shelving/cabinets.

  10. 4.22.13

    Daniel, this looks amazing! You have such a great eye.

  11. 4.22.13
    jo said:

    This looks fab! Hm. I have an Ikea Pax wardrobe with dark glass sliding doors that I would love to brighten up with this. Do you think it could work on glass?

    • 4.22.13
      Daniel said:

      I think it would stick to basically anything that is fairly smooth! Christiana (one of the owners of Hygge & West) even covered her fridge!

      The only problem you might have is the color of the glass, though. I don’t know if this holds true for regular wallpaper, but the removable stickers are slightly translucent, so the underlying color might tint the background of the paper, if that makes sense. In this case, my wall was already white, but I wouldn’t have wanted to paper directly over a dark wall. If you’re worried about that, it’s possible you’d be better off just buying regular wallpaper and just mounting them on the glass with double-sided tape, or gluing them to chipboard panels and mounting those with velcro or something.

  12. 4.22.13
    Kim said:

    Gah, how do you not have a “Pin It!” button?! Must.pin.now. :)

  13. 4.22.13
    Hannah said:

    How many rolls did you use? If this hadn’t been a sponsored project, would you have done it anyway? It just seems like such an investment for a not-that-big wall in a rental, but I love the end result. Consider me torn!!

    • 4.22.13
      Daniel said:

      I used 12 rolls, but I have a fair amount of off-cut leftover that I’m hoarding for future projects.

      If I had enough money to purchase it, I would absolutely have gone for it! It’s not super cheap, but it’s a major “feature” in the room now, in the same way a great piece of art of furniture would be. I look at it more like that than I do like just painting a wall or something.

      If you’re really asking about whether I, personally, at this moment, with my bank account, would have purchased it, then the answer is probably not right now, we would have had to save for a while. That has nothing to with how much I think the product is worth or anything, it’s really just a reflection of my own personal financial situation. I legitimately do think this is a good product from a great company, and there are plenty of people who can and will buy it, and plenty of applications that could cut down on the number of tiles required. As with ANYTHING people put in their homes, they just have to weigh the financial investment against their own means and how much they’ll enjoy/use whatever they’re looking at buying, and those numbers are going to be different for everyone!

  14. 4.22.13
    Jack said:

    If this didn’t look good, you could say it was Hygge-ous! Luckily the wall looks great, as well as the new table and chair combinatio, so you won’t have to!

  15. 4.22.13
    Kate said:

    Oh my goodness, this looks fantastic! I’m glad that there is a market out there for apartment-dwellers who don’t want to feel confined by it. This really has the wheels turning… :)

  16. 4.22.13
    jennifer said:

    YES! I am so excited about this my boyfriend thinks I’m crazy but whatever. I am totally using this in the… across from the front door (entryway? i guess, that just seems a little too grand for what it is. which is a wall.) Ahem. Anyway, YAY!

  17. 4.22.13
    Mom said:

    OMG. How to traumatize your child, leave their wallpaper border and drapes for the new owners. It sounds like Daniel is still bitter about it and honestly, I think he might not ever get over it. Terrible parents that we are…..

    • 4.22.13
      kelly w said:

      But what I want to know is, are there photos of the dino-feast?

    • 4.23.13
      Daniel said:

      I was trying really hard to find one, but I couldn’t!! I know I have photos, but none of them are digital yet. Maybe someday!

  18. 4.22.13
    Grace said:

    I seriously can’t handle what an overall amazing transformation you guys have done in a rental. It’s mind blowing. I’m still fighting my landlord to let me remove the gold glitter grout she SPONGE PAINTED onto ONE bathroom wall in my apartment. Ah, to be Mekko and Linus and live in such a cute space ;)

    Grace

    • 4.23.13
      Daniel said:

      Thank you, Grace! I still can’t believe that gold glitter grout!! Insanity! You’re welcome here anytime you need a break from it. :)

    • 4.23.13
      Mom said:

      Now that you’ve asked you have a problem. Sometimes it’s better to do it first and ask for forgiveness afterwards, if there is complaint. Asking first is almost always going to get you a “no”.

  19. 4.22.13
    frances said:

    stupendous!!! another ingredient that makes the whole kitchen come together.

  20. 4.22.13
    LP said:

    “The adhesive is made of 100% voodoo.” you are my favorite writer

    the kitchen looks terrific!

  21. 4.22.13
    mia0909 said:

    your light looks so much better with the wall paper :)
    if you don’t mind me asking? where is your round table now? and the Eames chairs that were with it?… and when did you get those Bertoia chairs?

    • 4.23.13
      Daniel said:

      Both the table and chairs are in our “off-site storage,” which is just code for my childhood bedroom at my parents’ house! *shame* But I didn’t want to get rid of them and my room had some space, so…I’m a hoarder.

      I’ve had one of the Bertoias for a while (you can read about that here!), and the other one was a more recent acquisition from the amazing thrifty goddess that is Maya!

  22. 4.22.13
    Sherri said:

    Love it! Forgive me for not investigating deeper on the H&W site at the moment, but do we think the removable tiles would work in a bathroom, or would the steam loosen the tiles?
    Love them though. One of my fave patterns.

    • 4.23.13
      Daniel said:

      I don’t know! I don’t see why it would be too different from regular wallpaper, but if the website doesn’t say anything, I’d contact Hygge & West and just ask. Sorry I can’t be more helpful there!

  23. 4.22.13
    Arin said:

    Awesome!

  24. 4.22.13
    Cyd said:

    Love! I’ve been wanting to bite the bullet and try out their removable wallpaper on the wall behind our bed, but I love knowing you’re thrilled with the quality and how it turned out. Might just need to make the leap!

  25. 4.22.13
    JW said:

    I come here for design, but I see you are a twin. I have 6 month old boy/ girl twins. So I’m curious to know- what was the best/worst part about growing up with a sibling the same age? I’m trying to not make my kiddos too dysfunctional. Even this young, they have completely different personalities, it’s been a wild ride in the best way, I can’t imagine having them at different times now.

    • 4.23.13
      Daniel said:

      Aw, twins! Twins are the best.

      I guess the best part of having a twin (this is a tough question to answer, because I don’t know what it’s like not to have one!) was that we both always had a built-in friend and confidant. My sister and I were (and are!) VERY close, and we were really good at entertaining ourselves when we were kids. We had our own language as infants and everything! But that type of companionship—literally always having somebody around who is at the same developmental stage—I think is very influential to the way that twins, specifically, develop as kids. What looks like play is really a set of formative socialization experiences, and I think that leads twins to be more perceptive about other people, more empathetic, and more emotionally intelligent than their peers when they enter school or engage in other early social activities (team sports, gymnastics, whatever kids do these days!).

      Even though we were really close, we’re also extremely different personality-wise, and have totally different interests and intellectual/academic strengths. I think that probably helped us get along, though…I think competitiveness between twins can be stronger than between regular siblings, so it helped that we weren’t always competing about the same stuff. I think the more you can diversify your twins’ activities, the better. Of course, let them follow their passions and all that, but for example, my sister and I both played soccer as kids, and she was really good and athletic and I was a total mess and hated every second of it! I think if my parents could do it all again, they probably would have let me quit soccer a lot sooner (and do something I actually liked instead, like art classes)—not only because I was miserable, but because my sister being extra good at it made me feel really crappy about my own abilities. That said, I do think it’s good to let twins do stuff together, to the extent that they want to. My school had a policy that twins couldn’t be in the same class, and while that was fine, I think my sister and I both functioned better socially as a unit than we did apart—we were more at ease, and more confident with each other at arm’s length. When you’re little and you’re used to having that security of your twin around, it can be very jarring and difficult to be forced to separate. I think it’s totally OK to let twins be as close as they want to be as kids—eventually they’ll mature and feel more confident going solo, but I think there’s a lot of misplaced anxiety in society, generally, about what’s “healthy” and “normal” when it comes to trying to keep twins separate and independent. I don’t think there’s any need to force that!

      OK, I’m shutting up now. Congratulations on your little twinsies and have fun with them!

    • 4.27.13
      JW said:

      Thanks Daniel!
      So insightful, and I agree with your point, it would be hard to point out what it’s like to be a twin when you don’t know anything else. I have folks ask me what it’s like to have twins, or be pregnant with twins- and these are my first so I don’t really know what parts are different or more work.
      As for school, I read a little bit before they were born, and had heard some schools still have that policy, which feels archaic to me. I’m sure it depends on the set of twins. My husband is a teacher, so we plan he can fight to keep them in the same room if need be.

  26. 4.22.13
    Gregg said:

    I’ll be the third or fourth person to say this but “The adhesive is made of 100% voodoo.” is classic.

  27. 4.22.13
    rena said:

    eeeeesh! we just had Christiana hang that pattern (the traditional roll, with gold) at Makeshift this weekend. it’s the best! your kitchen looks so good.

    • 4.23.13
      Daniel said:

      Thanks, Rena! I know, I saw the wall at Makeshift——it looks amazing!

  28. 4.23.13
    kory said:

    this kitchen is turning into pure awesomeness!

  29. 4.23.13
    Jenifer said:

    Would you like to come to NZ and do up our rental cottage? Because, I’m too busy running my business and reading your blog and trying to be a mom to actually do any awesomesauce home improvements.

    Please? Pretty please?

    • 4.23.13
      Daniel said:

      OK!

    • 4.25.13
      Jenifer said:

      Sweet!

  30. 4.23.13

    WOW!!!! I haven’t commented on here for many years as since you became so popular man… well deserved by the way, I just thought my ponsy comments would get lost admist the hundreds you received. You once commented on my other blog about my kitchen reno and my new bed but that will be a distant memory now :( I have stalked you on here since your humble beginnings and I’ve quietly watched you grow into the fine young man you are now with your cutesy little family… and yes it’s all going a bit weird now… move on quick *ahem*…

    This wallpaper has brought me out of the shadows to comment once again just because I bloody well can… This has made me kinda excited and now I want to have some!!!!!! It would be well good in my sons bedroom.

    Cheerio
    x

    • 4.23.13
      Daniel said:

      Aw, thank you Cat! I’m glad to know about your new blog (and shop!)! Congrats!

  31. 4.23.13
    Kate said:

    No committment wallpaper! What a concept! Am going to have to check out the other pattens too! Also…very similar to socks posted in previous post, no?

  32. 4.23.13

    Wow…that looks amaze…I just purchased 3 rolls of removable wall paper from HomeGoods…not sure what to do with it…Hum?!

  33. 4.23.13
    Michelle said:

    That looks so great! And I’m totally jealous of your new floor! Your landlord should be paying you to live there.

    I go visit that wallpaper on the website about once a week & was so excited when they came out with the temporary option. I’m thinking about using the pink triangles in mini-makeover of one of my bathrooms.

    • 4.23.13
      Daniel said:

      The pink is SO cute. Do it!

  34. 4.23.13
    Kelly said:

    This is amazeballs. Is it wipeable? I have no backsplash in my kitchen (groosss) but I’m not painting, tiling, or generally messing with the room until I can save up enough $$$ to do everything at once. I would love to use this as a temporary backsplash if its easy to wipe.

    • 4.23.13
      Daniel said:

      I don’t really have the paper in an area where it would get wet, so I’m not totally sure. I think it would probably stand up to some gentle cleaning, but to be honest there are probably better materials out there. I accidentally thought wiping a seam with a magic eraser would be a good idea, but the color came off, too! Nothing a little fine-point sharpie couldn’t disguise, but yeah…lesson learned. If you really wanted to do it, you might be better off covering with a layer of thin plexi or acetate.

  35. 4.23.13
    Dawn said:

    Oh my, I just died. So gorgeous!! In LOOOVE!

  36. 4.23.13
    Shannon said:

    This is awesome!!! I love this!!! I like to use exclamation points when I am happy!!!
    Seriously though, looks great! And of course your picked the best pattern. :)

    I need some of this stuff in my house!

  37. 4.23.13
    Rachel said:

    I have been eyeing that exact wallpaper for a while. So, I’m glad to here it isn’t too hard to use! P.S. How comfortable are those chairs?

  38. 4.23.13
    susan said:

    What an amazing transformation. You really need to do a before and after shot of the view from the insane hallway. I always get so excited when I see you have a new post!

    • 4.23.13
      Daniel said:

      I don’t think I have before pictures from that angle! But I’ll do a full before and after post when everything is done. It’s dramatic, for sure!

  39. 4.23.13
    nicolezh said:

    Wow- what a change, I agree with you and all the other comments: this wallpaper totally makes the room! My cats are scratchers, so wallpaper is not an option for my place but I envy our new dining nook.

  40. 4.23.13
    Amber said:

    it’s just perfect! certainly brings the whole space together.

  41. 4.23.13
    Ros said:

    I love it. It really works with the floors, and looks fantastic from the hallway! Nice!

    How are you finding the rectangular-table-against-the-wall set-up for eating? I ask because we had that in a previous apartment, and we basically found that if we were going to sit next to each other facing a wall, we’d continually eat on the couch in the living room instead. How does that work for you guys?

    • 4.23.13
      Daniel said:

      Thanks!
      We rarely actually eat there, but when we do, we just pull the table out a bit and have a chair on each side.

      If I had it my way, we would have just extended the cabinets the full length of the kitchen, right up to this window wall. Our apartment is SO strapped for storage space that it would be really helpful to have been able to install more cabinets. But I felt like I needed to maintain the “eat-in” part of the “eat-in kitchen” so as not to piss off my landlords when we move! Now that it looks so adorable, though, I think we’ll be eating at the table much more. :)

  42. 4.23.13
    Yvonne Cornell said:

    Hi Daniel! You totally transformed your kitchen in the most amazing way. And then, you let us peek down the hallway and I eyed that wool tribal carpet on your hall wall. Please share how and exactly what pins you used to masterfully hang that lovely piece (are those pins along the top too?) because I need to duplicate this with a small Navajo rug and have never thought how to do it without punching holes in the weaving. Thank you for your off-the-wall’paper’ help with hanging a rug. Yvonne :)

    • 4.23.13
      Daniel said:

      Thanks! They’re just carpet tacks (vintage, picked up at a junk shop, but I’m sure you could find something similar) we had around that I nailed through the weaving every foot or so to keep it affixed to the wall. It didn’t damage the weaving just to put some pins through it! They’re just like thumb-tacks, but cuter. I tried to get away with just letting it hang from the top, but it bottom flapped around and the edges curled and it drove me crazy.

    • 5.3.13

      You clever dawg. I have indeed found some vintage carpet tacks and I’m well into the project. Thank you so much!! YC :)

  43. 4.23.13
    Lena said:

    Looks adorable! Can I ask in what way the new table is more practical than the old one? Because I thought the old one was very cute & more inviting to sit down for a meal- though the new one does look nice with the wallpaper & chairs.

    • 4.23.13
      Daniel said:

      The old one was just way too big! Having a 38″ (I think that’s how big it was…) round table in a space that’s less than 4.5′ deep (from the fridge to the wall, 7.5′ across) is just kind of a mess. I like this table because we can tuck it against the wall when it’s not in use (as it’s shown here) or pull it out a couple feet (it’s really light) and throw a chair on either side for a more normal dining set-up. It’s also a lot more stable—the floor is really uneven here, so a pedestal table never worked very well.

  44. 4.23.13
    KATIE said:

    Wow! What an amazing job!! I’m totally inspired!! Out of curiosity, how many tiles are in a roll? Just one?

    • 4.23.13
      Daniel said:

      Yes, one!

  45. 4.23.13

    I love these removable wallpaper tiles. I have been seeing them all over the place recently, but I haven’t been so sure about the styles. I checked out Hygge and West, and I love the look of these. And from your post, it doesn’t look too hard. I may have to find an OCD friend for help. Thank you so much for posting!!

  46. 4.24.13
    Jodi said:

    it looks AMAZING.

  47. 4.24.13
    Louise said:

    WALLPAPER *looks at it adoringly*

  48. 4.25.13
    Cassandra said:

    Maybe it’s just me, and maybe I’m a bit nutty, but I’m really actually loving the natural wood color of the unfinished baseboards! I’m loving them with the white, I’m loving them with the butcher block, I’m loving them with the new so cute dining table, I’m loving them with the black, I’m loving that it’s unexpected but natural, I’m loving them with the pops of yellow in the new wallpaper. I could go on… ♥ So when you say you’re going to paint it my heart breaks a little, but I’m sure it will be fabulous as you have wonderful taste and most of what you do turns out great!

    Also, big ups on the faux-paper! Love that too! Lots to love in your too cute kitchen! You’ve done a wonderful job can’t wait to see what else you come up with!*

    *apparently I’m a super-fan of the exclamation mark”¦ or have had too much coffee and am overly excited. My apologies. YAY!

  49. 4.25.13
    Michelle said:

    Looks sooooo great! Love. Love.

  50. 4.25.13
    Michelle said:

    How is it that you make the plainest Ikea items look awesome? It might be the knack of combining it with designer chairs and wallpaper… The kitchen is really looking quite awesome.

  51. 4.26.13
    Linda said:

    Daniel, I’m starting to get stressed that your projects are almost finished. I know I await anxiously for your next post.
    Love the new wallpaper tiles. It adds so much to the kitchen. Will be checking out that web site.

  52. 4.27.13
    Chicko said:

    Looks great. I have the black triangles in my bathroom. The design really does transform a space.

  53. 4.27.13

    Hi Daniel, that just looks awesome. I love it. The best thing I loved is that it goes perfectly with the floor…exactly so! Great job!

  54. 5.2.13
    Samantha said:

    This wallpaper looks great in your place. I love Lisa’s stuff, too–such a brilliant designer! I think you’ve just pushed me down the rabbit hole that is picking a wallpaper design for my library (read=spare room, but more books and less bed). I just bought 5 different samples from Hygge & West! Exciting!!

  55. 5.6.13
    elizabeth said:

    I actually just pinned that first picture to my Pinterest with a little note saying I love the unpainted baseboards and would never have thought to do that. I love how they look with the wallpaper.

  56. 5.16.13
    mia0909 said:

    All you need now is a SMEG and your kitchen would be perfect!!!

    • 5.16.13
      Daniel said:

      HAHAHA, I wish! We actually got a new fridge not that long ago——ours broke, so we were able to work with our landlord to pick out a super cheap (but new, working, and full-sized!) fridge to replace it. It’s the most boring fridge ever, but after living with a terrible leaky one for over a year, I’m SO happy to have it!

  57. 6.22.13
    vandegee said:

    I’ve been eyeing this wallpaper ever since I first heard about it… we’re in a rental (not too far from you… I think) and I’m wondering about how the fact that the tiles are 1 repeat affects how much you use. We have sloped ceilings where I want to use it and I feel like we would end up with a lot of waste (i.e. = $$$$ which makes it out of the question). Was matching it up hard? Did you feel like you had a lot of waste because of the 1 repeat?

    Our other thought was stenciling a bold pattern on the 2 walls (14 x 8.5 at the highest point for the big wall…) but not relishing the man hours involved in that option (wait, can you tell we have small children by that thought?)

    So curious also about the rubber sheet for kitchen floor… we have ugly brown cracked nasty tiles in our kitchen. WOuld love a simple look. It doesn’t wrinkly or curl up?

    Thanks a million for indulging my questions,

    V

    • 6.23.13
      Daniel said:

      Matching up the wallpaper tiles was pretty easy, as was the whole installation. If you plan really well beforehand, you can definitely minimize the amount of waste (for example, I used the left side of the sheet on the right side of the wall, and then was able to use the leftover right side of the sheet on the left side of the wall…if that makes any sense!), so it reallllly just depends on the dimensions of the space you’re trying to cover. I did have a fair amount of waste and off-cut (which I kept for future projects, and was largely due to the window). I’d definitely recommend measuring and trying to figure out what you’d need–it might be helpful to diagram it on graph paper first!

      Stenciling is a great alternative, of course, but just remember that aside from being time consuming, it also takes a toll on the walls. You’ll need to sand it all off before repainting or you (or future tenants!) will see that pattern forever.

    • 6.23.13
      Daniel said:

      Oh, also, re: the floor! It’s pretty weighty, but it does kind of curl a bit at the edges. I haven’t put that much effort into securing it, but the manufacturer recommends double-sided carpet tape (which didn’t stick well to my ceramic tiles, but I’d guess would work much better on linoleum!), but you could always use other types of adhesive or even Velcro. Overall, I’m VERY happy with it!

    • 6.23.13
      vandegee said:

      this is all very helpful, thank you!

      love the kingston house. those doors!