Remodelistas! Laundry room/bathroom (update)

[Koolkat]

We have a laundry room/bathroom that I'd like to spruce up. It is a rectangular room with a washer/dryer at one end (long end with door at other end) that have 2 cabinets above. To the right as you walk in is a sink/cabinet and then a toilet and then dryer/washer (white). The cabinet/vanity are a medium brown/oak (think 70s). The floor is dark brown tile, ~6 inch hexagons (more 70's)! It currently has a nice quality stripe flower wall paper in tones of pale brown/salmonish/green. It's quite pretty, but it's very dated and I'd like to try something completely different in there. The "useable space" is about 6 x 3. So I'm thinking about stripping the wallpaper, painting the walls off white, putting in a mirror with a lightish, rough finished wood frame mirror and this mural on the long wall. There will be enough additional paper to cover the foot or so of exposed wall above the washer/dry and below the cabinets if that is not too dark. Otherwise, it will just be the long wall. I'm wondering if 3 feet (for instance if you are facing it sitting down. . . ) is too close for this type of wall treatment. What say you? I would also add that we are both avid naturalists and like "quirky". I just don't want to overdo it! There are some actual pictures on walls in the reviews.

The kangaroo part would be lost behind the washer which is OK. A little dark compared to the other 2, which is OK, as long as it works.
https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/tree ... &color=029

Other options, but not first choice for one reason or another, but what do you think?
I think this is spectacular, but would have to trim quite a bit. Which is a waste, particularly given the price:
https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/great-meadow-mural

We'd have to buy 2 of these to cover, a little pricey. . . but I like the pattern and the lighter effect.
https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/bird ... &color=090

[Josette]

Well I certainly love your taste in wall paper! I tend to like the forest Whisper mural for the bathroom. I agree the kangaroo doesn't seem like he belongs there. I love the bird sanctuary but I'm thinking for a bright sun room like in the picture. What ever you decide they are really nice picks.

[Canyon]

I love flowers, so I love the meadow pattern!

For that kind of $, I wonder if you could find a local (starving) artist to paint a mural on you wall.

[PaulaO]

I like the third one, the birds, but blanch at the cost. I do agree thatbthe space is small for those patterns. Maybe do a painted effect?

[boots-aregard]

I like the tree one, because the colors are more muted.

[heddylamar]

All are great and loud. I like loud walls. << Take that how you will

[TeresaA]

I love the trees. The birds are nice too.

[Josette]

I keep looking at these wallpapers because they are so pretty!

This might work nice too as I noticed some hidden animals and not dark. https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/moss ... &color=008

The lake migration is quirky too. https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/lake ... &color=046

[texsuze]

How 'bout some "before" pics so we can really put our thinking caps on

Perhaps perk up the cabinets by doing some type of wash/antiquing/distressing finish, then change hardware.

Then, instead of expensive wallpaper, either (a) remove existing wallpaper and texture/paint walls with a warm, light neutral color, or (b) remove existing wallpaper and replace with a solid, warm pallet, textured wallpaper. Finish the look with framed wildlife artwork (Audubon prints, your own photos, paintings, etc). That way you can change out the artwork from time to time and won't have the permanence of pricey wallpaper.

[Moutaineer]

I love the birds, so pretty! But I'm having a hard time visualizing the space. We need pictures to fully unleash our creativity on you!

[piedmontfields]

I am not a wall paper person, but the Whisper Forest print is really interesting and pretty.

If you want a more nature-type theme, my suggestion will be to consider cork flooring. It is very comfortable and suits that type of style well. This is what we have in a 1/2 bath:

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Source: http://www.duro-design.com/index.cfm/du ... -flooring/

[Koolkat]

I guess I should put some context here - we have 2 other full baths that are going to be a full redo (something you can really get your teeth into!). For me, at least, this room could be left alone (relative to resale, although we will be here for a few more years), but I was really charmed by the paper options. I was looking at wallpaper for one of the other baths originally, and found this, but it would not work for the 2 more formal rooms. However, it could be cute in here. . . . I think. . . if the room can carry it. I sure don't want to put something in that is going to be something that has to be "fixed" at some point. I hope I'm expressing this clearly. It's a bit of a mudroom also, in the sense that there is tile flooring to 2 exterior doors, so if we have to come up from the barn for whatever reason, this is a room where the floor can be scrubbed.

It would go on the long wall, that brown box (fan control in adjoining room - go figure) would be gone, and the towel rack will have to get lost also.
There's some color distortion, the dryer is white. There is enough wall paper to wrap around behind the appliances, not sure if that would be too dark and should have the off white paint there. The curtains are "inherited", I would probably put something visually simpler there.

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[Josette]

I think if the cabinets were painted white to match W/D then that woodland wallpaper would look lovely and not dark in this space. The brown counter top on the sink would be a pop of color - match floor and wallpaper.

[Koolkat]

We're almost done! I can't believe how long this "simple" job has taken, remodeling newbie here. We left cabinets and vanity (matching) alone due to "mystery" of tile floor under vanity (or not) and I wasn't comfortable with taking a paint brush to them. Hopefully this wasn't a mistake. Our goal was to lighten room up (see above pics) and I think that has worked. The forest mural in the original post didn't work, an electric outlet was an unfortunate addition to the fox's personal anatomy (um....excuse me) and maybe just a little overpowering for the small space. I was holding my breath when this went up, but it's not too busy after all (I hope!). The shutter window was a surprise, I thought there would be an additional slat at top and bottom so it ended up being a bit heavy looking, but it is extremely functional for privacy (this window opens to a back porch where we socialize) and it helps insulate the room in the winter. It also totally swings open and back like a door, so the light can really get in if need be. Can't wait to get the farm style/aged brass faucet in as soon as the small counter top (quartz composite) snafu gets fixed (yet another speed bump). What do you think?

This was initial wallpaper hope:
https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/tree ... &color=029

This is what we used:

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This is room almost done:

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[PaulaO]

Love the wallpaper!

[Josette]

Excellent choice! I think this pick works much better than 1st choice where most of the animal details were at the bottom. Much brighter room now with white sink too.

[Hayburner]

I think you made a good choice, it's muted and not busy.

I am really struggling to find a classy walllpaper for my powder room. It's small, so I'm thinking of going large scale and to also wallpaper the ceiling, or paint the ceiling with some sparkles thrown in to the paint. I'm a bling kind of girl

[Moutaineer]

Looks very nice! I like your sink/countertop, and I love the wallpaper!

Hayburner, the great thing about a powder room is that it's small enough to go wild, and if you hate it/get tired of it/put the house on the market, it's not overwhelming to make a change.

[piedmontfields]

I think it looks very nice! I agree with Mountaineer's comments: Not that big of deal to change if you sell.

[Koolkat]

Thanks everyone for your comments!

Piedmont, I really like your sink style, but I was a little concerned about a Pandora's Box under the vanity relative to the tile, so we kept the lid tamped down! Would have loved to put something in along those lines.

Hayburner, I went through Wallpaper Direct and really liked them. They have a slew of wonderful wallpapers, lots of instructional information/videos on their website, and amazing customer service. They are located in Tennessee but carry a lot of brands of wallpaper from England. I called them with a question at one point and the woman spoke with told me they were flown to England for a 3-day course in wallpaper hanging for "customer service training"! Not a bad company perk! Anyway, I am on their mailing list now and received an email from them notifying of new brands/wallpapers that are in. I thought of your bling thing when I received this yesterday with the metallic ink in it which gives it a shimmer in the light - Some 1000 watt colors, too.

https://www.wallpaperdirect.com/us/prod ... cia/145500

Timorous Beasties also has outrageous paper:

http://www.timorousbeasties.com/shop/wallcoverings/

And check out the furniture if you like bling!

[Koolkat]

At long last! Got the faucet in, plain mirror, and tweaked the vanity light. It was a very inexpensive light (I was starting to flip about how much $$ spent in here) and since at least (and most generously) you could say it was ignorable, it was going to be ignored. Unfortunately (dressage mindset at work here. . . ), it was a detail that could not be overlooked. The posts that held the light in place had white plastic caps. I measured the screws and found an on-line store (Antique Lighting Supply) that had antique brass lamp finials that would fit the screws. So for $2.00 each (+ $5 shipping - more to ship than buy, ), voila! a light that looks "tied in". I DO love a cheap fix! We also replaced the hanging pendant over the machines with a can light, it opens the room up more. On to the kitchen/nook!

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[Rockabilly]

Well, it's a beautiful space and I love the wallpaper, but I thought wallpaper went out of style. Watching too many House Hunters who want to rip everything out of a house I guess. Anyway, I have wallpaper in my house in the bedrooms and I love it, I guess I'm admitting I'm old-fashioned.

[Sunshine2Me]

I have wallpaper in my upstairs bathroom, and while we took down a lot of wallpaper, that is staying, because I like it.

Your bathroom is beautiful! I really like the plantation shutter on the window. I love plantation shutters!

[PaulaO]

I'm so 80s. I love wallpaper!

[Hayburner]

Thanks for the links - your room came out very nice! I too love plantation shutters, I have café style ones in my kitchen, dining, laundry and master bath. They are super easy to clean!

Your post has me now more inspired to get busy finding a wallpaper for my powder and laundry room. Everyone boo-hoo's my wanting wallpaper - but, I love it!!

[Koolkat]

Well, it's a beautiful space and I love the wallpaper, but I thought wallpaper went out of style. Watching too many House Hunters who want to rip everything out of a house I guess. Anyway, I have wallpaper in my house in the bedrooms and I love it, I guess I'm admitting I'm old-fashioned.

Well Houzz says wallpaper is coming back in style, so you all are ahead of the curve!

The room was a lot of work and time, figuring out how to do it and then getting it done, but we are really enjoying it now. It's amazing how much fun it can be to change the furniture around. Definitely something this sister needs to work on more often. #getmeoutofmyrut

[awa]

Great redo! Would you be willing to share the wallpaper brand/pattern? Thanks.

[Koolkat]

I'll be happy to do so! I used the Scion/Kelda paper (biscuit). I can tell you that Wallpaper Direct is wonderful to deal with, particularly in regards to questions about the actual hanging. This paper doesn't need to "soak", you can wet and go (=paste the wall). I also added a couple of other similar papers that I've looked at. Have fun!!!

And thanks to all for comments.

https://www.wallpaperdirect.com/us/prod ... lda/124321

https://www.stjudesfabrics.co.uk/collec ... -wallpaper

https://www.finestwallpaper.com/store/p ... paper.html

[Tuffytown]

So, what style is the house?