If you’ve been reading A Beautiful Mess for very long, then you might remember back when we first moved into our studio house and we were planning how we wanted to decorate everything. One dream we had was to add some color or pattern to our entryway staircase. But our big hesitation was we didn’t know if we wanted to permanently alter our old (probably original) staircase. The pressure was on for sure!
Recently we decided that before we move, we just had to pull the trigger, but with an update that wasn’t permanent. We realized this is also a great opportunity to talk about removable wallpaper because it’s a super useful home decor element for those who are looking for a temporary change or for rentals. So we thought this would be a great post to work with Rent.com, as they are a great source for anyone looking to move (and rent) this year. Several of our friends have used the site when hunting down a rental because it’s a trustworthy resource–the reviews are verified as written by actual residents, and the 3D floor plans make it easier to inspect the rental.
Here you can see the before and after. Not a completely different staircase, but man does that pop of pattern add so much personality! Our only regret is that we didn’t do this sooner!!! Here are our tips for hanging removable wallpaper in your space.
Our house is, like I said, an older house (over 100 years old!), which means that most features aren’t exact, like the walls don’t have exact angles and the stairs are not all exactly the same size. Don’t assume, be sure to measure. For us this meant finding the largest stair and cutting out all our papers to that size first.
We bought five panels from Chasing Paper in order to cover our entire staircase, with some scraps left over.
Then we held the wallpaper up to the stair and folded it if it was too big. This is an easy way to identify your trim line and get your wallpaper to fit exactly as you need on each stair front.
Once you have your wallpaper trimmed to size, remove a strip of the back down the center.
Line up your wallpaper and press down in the center. Then remove one side at a time and press in place. Starting in the center gives you more control over the placement than if you start on an edge.
I’m SO happy we finally took the plunge and updated our entryway staircase. Hooray! And it’s even better that I know we can easily remove this update someday if we choose. Double hooray! Do you have any stairs, bookcases, or built-ins that you plan to add removable wallpaper to this year? xo. Emm
I know this post is really old and you moved out, but how did this hold up? I’m debating if I should add some protective layer (like varnish?) over the wallpaper to prevent scuffing… thoughts?!
Hi! If you get a hearty wallpaper (like chasing paper) you can wipe it down and there is no need to varnish!
I love this. And love the shoes! Where did you get them ❤️
Very cool! I recently did the same thing using fabric, which can be a lot cheaper than wallpaper — I paid $23 for all the fabric I needed. I used mod podge which isn’t removable, but I think it could easily be done with starch to make it removable. (my process is here, if helpful for anyone! http://www.plasteranddisaster.com/stairwell-makeover/)
What a wonderful idea! It totally brightens up the space! Also, loving your shoes 🙂
Colour Me In Blog
This is awesome! Sometimes it really doesn’t take much-just a brill idea 🙂
Such a great idea!
I love that it’s not permanent too! (I tend to get tired of things quickly!)
Let’s Mingle Blog
Love the stairs, and love your clogs ?
Great personality. I love it (now if only I could get this ugly carpet off my rental stairs…. it’s like a mottled red with brown accents hahaha)
Am I the only one swooning over those clogs? Super cute! I have to know, what brand are they?
Love the stairs, but I really wanna know more about the shoes!
This idea sounds really good. I have an old staircase. I thought i will paint it with funny colors but for the moment it could be great to put removable paper. I will search where i can find that kind of products here in France.
Thank you for your wonderful blog !
What a great idea. It totally gave the stairs a face-lift!
Where is your crocheted tank top from? Love it!!
The pattern that you chose is so delightful! It looks great!
Very cool! I recently did the same thing using fabric, which can be a lot cheaper than wallpaper — I paid $23 for all the fabric I needed. I used mod podge which isn’t removable, but I think it could easily be done with starch to make it removable. (my process is here, if helpful for anyone! http://www.plasteranddisaster.com/stairwell-makeover/)
Ahhh this is such a cute idea I love it! Gutted I live in a one floor flat with no stairs haha.
Wonderful idea , wish I can do that with my stairs but stuck with fitted carpets unfortunately , will save this idea for the next place
This makes a staircase so much better!
This is beautiful!! Thanks for sharing. Would love to try this, it looks so classy and elegant.
That looks pretty. What a simple way to jazz up a flight of stairs!