Oh my gosh - we set out to brighten up our little kitchen and look what we did!! A pink lemon statement wall? Yes please!
Even if you rent an apartment like we do - you can make a big statement with temporary peel + stick wallpaper. I am here to answer questions and share more about the process - this was our second go (our first adventure was our laundry room!) and share tips if you’re thinking of putting up some peel + stick wallpaper in your home!
Where did you get your wallpaper?
This pink lemon wallpaper is from tempaper, and it’s designed by my favorite home blogger Brooke Christen at Nesting with Grace. I love Brooke and her home, she was the first Home blogger I ever started to follow! Big fan over here, lol! I knew I wanted a bright, cheery print to add some life to this big, blank wall - and wow, did this deliver!
Will it mess up the wall? Can I use it on textured walls?
No! Peel + stick won’t hurt your wall. We rent, so this was really important for us! We ordered a sample so we could test it on our walls and it goes on, and comes off, easily.
Our walls are slightly textured, and most places will say that peel + stick wallpaper is only recommended for smooth walls. Maybe we’re rebels, but the sample seemed to stick just fine to our slightly textured walls so we went for it! There was only one instance where our laundry room wall paper started to come off the wall, and it was when we first started turning the heat on in the winter. We put it back and it hasn’t moved since. I’d say it’s definitely worth it to get a sample and see if it works on your wall!
Is it easy to apply?
I definitely wouldn’t say applying is easy peasy at first, but once you get the hang of it, it gets easier as you go! For the first time, Dale and I worked together and this time around - Dale actually took it over and told me to sit down, haha!! Here are a few tips for applying
Go in knowing your walls aren’t straight, and it won’t be perfect! Leave some extra wallpaper at the top, the sides and the bottom. You can cut it more precisely if you have the extra! You can smooth out air bubbles as you go (because you’ll definitely get some) and if you find any creases, you can always lift the paper up and try the section again. I’ve seen some people use a little tool to smooth it out, but we just use our hands!
Overlap the design. When it’s time for another sheet, overlap a little so you avoid the wall peeking through. Although if you find that halfway down the wall, it’s not straight and you have a little strip of wall coming through - you can always patch it up separately. Again, embrace that walls aren’t straight and it’s not going to be perfect! When you take a step back, you won’t notice the discrepancy!
A box cutter is a very handy tool to have for trimming your wallpaper, and popping air bubbles! For any stubborn bubbles, simply pop them with the razor and smooth them out.
It took us a full afternoon to put our wallpaper up (about 3 hours) and it was a perfect weekend project!
Styling the open shelf was fun - made a few changes and opted for more neutrals, haha!
I am so inspired by Brooke, she has this wallpaper in her kitchen and also has a photo ledge on the wall. I would have thought this was maybe too busy for styled shelving, and maybe some people may think so - but this wall turns our kitchen into a playful, fun space to connect and prepare our food now. The shelf not only holds decor like plants (all faux, we don’t get enough light back here!) and frames - but things we use everyday! Like our latte bowls, and Charlie’s greenies. You don’t need fancy things for styling shelves - use what you have, and try including different textures and colors!
If you’re on the fence with temporary wallpaper - I definitely say go for it! Try a sample and see if it works on your walls. It's an easy and fun way to make a big impact on your space :)
You can shop our wallpaper, and some of our kitchen favs below! Simply click on the picture. These are affiliate links - thank you for supporting Kristen At Home!