You don’t have to do a total makeover to breathe new life into your home. Consider a snappy wallpaper frieze to add an inexpensive touch of inspiration to a painted room. It’s a fun, too!
Choosing a Frieze
Today’s prepasted vinyls come in a huge variety. Just be sure to check for matching dye lots. The batch number is printed on the label.
Getting Ready
Gather your equipment, shown in the photo. You will also need:
- a school pencil
- shallow plastic tub about half full of water
- new large, soft, damp sponge (as for washing cars)
Clear furnishings and clutter away. Prep the wall. Vacuum up cobwebs. Spackle or sand raised blemishes; the frieze will not hide these. Wiping the entire wall with a damp sponge is recommended (see below).
Planning the Layout
The frieze will attract attention, so it must be planned carefully. Once it’s up, it’s up.
Will you be placing the frieze right at the ceiling or slightly below the ceiling line? With a painted wall, a thin band of solid color just above the frieze has a very pleasing effect. It also sidesteps the problem of uneven ceilings.
Uneven ceilings are a paperhanger’s nightmare. Check the bubble in your carpenter’s level at several points. If the ceiling is uneven, you will be using the level to pencil in a baseline along the entire length of the wall. As you put up the frieze, the bottom edge will sit exactly on this baseline.
Trimming around Woodwork
Sometimes the frieze can just slide in behind the woodwork. If not, make a template to guide your cut. Put sticky-notes onto the wall to outline the woodwork profile, and tape them to each other, then lay them down on the frieze and transfer the profile to the frieze.
Planning the Seams
To counteract possible shrinkage, overlap the seams by about 1/8”. The overlapping edge will pick up light or cast a shadow, so place the seam in an inconspicuous spot if possible.
The seam should not come at a corner or bend in the wall. Pin the dry frieze to the wall and plan seams halfway along the straight distances. If you want the frieze to stop at an outer corner, leave a tag end, to be trimmed when the paste has set.
Making the Cut
Cut lengths no longer than the distance between your outstretched hands. Make your cut where the seam will be least noticeable.
To cut a right angle, attach a sticky-note to the frieze where you want to cut, then either pencil a line or make the cut, following the edge of the sticky-note. A slightly crooked angle is not a tragedy, as long as you can still achieve a match with the previous piece.
Mounting the Frieze
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Stand at a comfortable distance from the wall so you can reach easily without having to lean back to see what you’re doing.
Raise the dripping frieze to the wall and, starting with one end, gently smooth the frieze with your hand, sliding the piece into place. Keep checking placement. If a bubble or wrinkle develops, make a tiny cut and gently press it out.
Wipe down the wall beneath with the damp sponge right away. If the wall is clean, the runoff won’t leave a mark.
Sound a little intimidating? It’s not hard, once you get started. You’ll be pleased and proud of the results. It might be all you can do, not to put up a frieze in every room!
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