Tinted Wallpaper? Here’s How to Do It + Renovation News!

Hi Guys,

In addition to my mom’s expression, “It’s like a marshmallow in the snow,” another even more popular saying she had was, “busier than a one-armed paper hanger.”

I’m sure that’s politically incorrect; no offense is meant.

However, that’s me. Fortunately, all of my body parts are currently in good working order and intact. However, there is so much that does not normally happen, and I’m only three people. So, something has to give.  That is why I’m a little off my schedule.

Before we get into the little-known topic of tinted wallpaper…

Last night, around 8:00 PM, I was so sleepy that I could’ve nodded off, but then I received a notification. I had a delivery outside my front door.

Okaaaaay, I better go and fetch it.

You have got to be forking kidding me!

BUT, it’s the new marble floor. Me have to bring inside. No one was there to help me.

Me have to suck it up and do this.

WHAT??? I’m a little old lady. Don’t they know that?

Fortunately, only one box weighed this much. The rest, except for one, were a mere 37 pounds.

Wait, you got that inside, Laurel? How on earth did you pick up 55 pounds?

I didn’t. I rolled it in. just behind the first locked door. Brendan and Eugene are back this week and brought it inside for me today.

Okay, before I get into the topic of tinted wallpaper, a few words about the mural I’m hoping to do.

While the vast majority of you left darling, supportive comments, my snarkometer was smoking.

Please understand that my home is not a museum.

It is normal and expected to have furniture in front of a mural. And that includes pieces much larger than my antique bookcase.

Murals are typically broken up, with huge swaths missing due to furniture, windows, doors, fireplace mantels, mirrors, art, cabinetry, lighting, slanted ceilings, wainscoting, and more. In a room used for living, it’s unavoidable.

In addition, the niche across from my bed is the only place for my antique bookcase to go. I held my breath for over a year, not knowing if it would fit. (It does with one inch to spare!) The fact that some of the mural is covered up by furniture is a non-issue for me.

Many of the panels will be unobstructed, but most will have some obstruction. Again, this is typical.

Lovely Iksel mural in the dining room of Steve Cordony

So, would another mural be better than this one?

That’s subjective. However, I feel that the tone-on-tone English Parks Grisaille mural by the Mural Source makes for a more soothing, less busy, and sophisticated backdrop for furniture.

However… There IS a problem with the mural.

I mean, it’s a problem for me. The mural is exquisite.

It’s the color. What I did in the rendering is not what it is.

It’s what I want it to be.

Yes, it’s gray, but like black and white, not all grays are alike. This one is overall a warm gray with a red undertone. At night, the color looks so brown that I thought it might’ve been mismarked as the Brunaille colorway of English Parks.

No, this is the grisaille colorway.

But, during the day, most of the mural has a slight, passive purple undertone. It doesn’t always pop out, but compared to my other colors, it does in my room.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with this color. I’m sure that some of you will adore it. I like it too, just not for my bedroom.

I would prefer not to see any purple undertones and I don’t want it to look as brown at night.

So, in my ideal situation, what color would I like to see?

I’d like it to be a cooler gray, one with a slight blue-green undertone—not so much that it will read as teal, but it will complement the greens and teals in my color scheme.

Above is how the mural looks most of the time.

Below, with the magic of Picmonkey, I virtually tinted the mural sample.

Yes, it’s subtle. It’s subtle because it has to be.

Wait, Laurel. Is it okay to do this? Can’t you ask The Mural Source to tweak the color?

Yes, I could, but it isn’t easy to accomplish. Plus, it might not work, and I don’t want to trouble them. Besides, I would like to show you how to do a tinted wallpaper or mural. There is always an element of experimentation involved. However, it is possible to tweak the color of a wallpaper if it otherwise is perfect for you.

You could also antique the wallpaper or mural.

I spoke to Chris about my idea and he got right to it.

(Although, this is something I’d like to do on my own.)

First, he sealed about a 9″ square corner of the paper. Then, about four hours later, he applied a transparent green-tinted glaze.

The tint is in the upper right corner. I wasn’t present when Chris did this, but I would’ve had him make it a speck more blue and a touch less color. So, tomorrow, he’ll try again, and then he’s taking a few days off. So, I hope he can leave the products, and I will play with them over the weekend.

Hooray, he was successful in changing the color. Please note that it was still wet here.

When we get it sorted out, I will give you the recipe and products used.

Okay, a few things to know about tinted wallpaper.

You can either make an image lighter or slightly darker. However, if you make it lighter, you will begin to lose some of the design. Sometimes, that might be the effect you want; however, I don’t want to do that for this mural

Therefore, unless you’re trying to make the design more murky, it is best to use a transparent tint, like a universal tint, not a pigmented paint.

Above is a detail of the tinted mural with a thin border of the untinted mural on the left and bottom. You can see a bit of the color he used. It’s a good start, but I think it will be perfect if we can make it a little more blue and a touch less color, perhaps. We’ll have to see after it’s fully dry.

We will also experiment to see if the paper requires sealing first. If so, then that is an important first step before applying any tinted glaze.

In other color-related news, Chris made a bunch of large samples on poster board for me.

I told him he could do either Chappel Green by Farrow & Ball or Grenadier Pond by Benjamin Moore.

He did the former.

We still have the sucky lights, but this gives a good idea of how fantastic this beautiful jade green color will look juxtaposed behind the black staircase railing.

I’m closing with a shot of the painters at work early this afternoon. As you can see, the floor is now fully covered.

They plan to do as much of the painting as possible before moving me back to my bedroom on the 30th or 31st. Incidentally, this view is the focal point of the bedroom and I don’t plan to have any furniture covering it up. Or at least nothing large.

And finally, the bathroom tile installation is set to begin this coming Tuesday.

However, I’m going to see if it can begin on Monday. In any case, I will be back in my bedroom by the end of this month.

It has been a Godsend to hang out at my neighbor’s unit while she’s on vacation. After nearly eight months, a respite from the construction is most welcome.

There’s more news, but I’ll save it for the weekend.

Note after publishing. Some of you can’t let go of this non-issue. omg! Please, no more words about the rendering, the size of the bookcase, the placement of the mural, etc. I have been trying to explain that the rendering, as all of them are, is conceptual, not necessarily what it will end up being.

These renderings take forever, and I only do them as a demonstration of the concept. And, in this case, so you wouldn’t crap all over me over the floor, yet you found something else to crap all over me about. Please think very carefully about why you have the need to be so critical. It’s not helpful. It’s like a fly buzzing around my head.

Yes, I could spend another three hours fixing it so you won’t be bothered, but if possible, I would rather spend that time sleeping.

I love you all!

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