Paper Illusions: New Homeowner's Dream

A New Homeowner’s Dream: The Paper Illusions Faux Finish Kit

Palmyra, VA October 2, 2008 -- Moving residences is considered one of the most stressful activities we Americans endure in our lifetimes, right up there with public speaking and, well, death. So after house-hunting and moving to a new home, we want to love all four walls of our new homes. Instead, we’re usually faced with damaged walls, decrepit paneling, peeling paint or worse. What to do?

Paper Illusions is the answer to a new homeowner’s prayers. For every new kid on the block disheartened with the shape of her walls, Paper Illusions has a beautiful faux finish that turns awful walls into awesome walls. Here’s how it works:

• Paper Illusions comes in rolls that you rip into random shapes, dip in warm water, and apply to the wall. A smoother or sponge removes excess water and paste, and eases the paper around corners. No other tools are needed.
• There is no way to make a mess with Paper Illusions, or to mess up its installation! This beautiful, easy wallpaper is completely foolproof.
• No trimming, pasting or cutting is necessary. Nor are drop cloths, brushes or any special tools.

According to Carrie Wigal, owner of Wallpaper Illusions, ‘Paper Illusions transforms a room so fast you can complete an entire room in less time than it would take to paint it. And the impact is far more dramatic: From a distance, Paper Illusions gives you the look of marble so authentic you have to touch it to believe. Up close, it looks spectacularly hand-painted.’

Because you don’t need to be an expert to get expert results, new homeowners everywhere have saved time, money and spared themselves aggravation with Paper Illusions. Best of all, you can use Paper Illusions on almost any surface, including paneling (it hides the grooves) and stucco walls. ‘It looks great on backsplashes, fireplace surrounds, ceilings, lampshades, toy chests, waste baskets and, with a few layers of polyurethane, even floors,’ says Wigal.

So relax…. Paper Illusions puts you one step closer to making your new house a true home. Visit http://www.wallpaperillusions.com/ to browse the complete line of Paper Illusions products, including boxes, cases, mini-rolls, samples, sample books and do-it-yourself information.

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Why the move? For many reasons, but the number one reason is to be able to offer you more...more pictures, more content, and easier navigation (easier to find what you're looking for).

Anyway, if you like what you've read here, then hop on over to our new location and grab the latest home decorating tips and trends in wall home decor!

See ya over there. ;)

Selling Wallpaper...Doesn't Anybody Do It?

At first glance it appears that wallpaper (borders, more specifically) is a saturated market, but you know, I’m having second thoughts. Nobody really sells the stuff. They just slap up an ecommerce store and show pretty pictures with prices, but nobody is really talking about the benefits and features of wallpaper in general, let alone trying to sell to people who aren’t already actively looking for a particular pattern.

That’s what I like about what we’re doing here. We’re not just offering the latest wall paper decor for purchase, but we’re telling you why you need or would want a particular product. We’re not just offering “how to install” information, although very helpful and deserves attention, we’re going a step further with tips and tricks from professional paperhangers.

And we’re also about giving decorating tips and ideas to the do-it-yourself decorator. Paint is not the only way to go, although it certainly has its place.

Does the general public even know about self-adhesive border and removable wall decals? What about rippable wallpaper and the like? We’re going to assume you don’t know and tell you about it. There is an easy solution to covering wall paneling…and it doesn’t require paint, spackle or wall liners…and the results are stunning. You as a consumer have a right to know stuff like this.

This is our central mission here, and we’re just getting started. With over 20 years experience around the wallpaper industry, as well as a fresh new look here recently, we have the information and resources, and we’re ready to tell all.

If you haven’t done so already, subscribe to our newsletter (in the upper right margin of this page) and stay on top of all the latest decorating tips and trends in wall home decor. We’ll deliver what you need to make educated choices in your home decor, I promise.

Wallpaper Calculators: Consider this first...

Determining the number of rolls of wallpaper you need to complete a project may seem like an easy task. In fact many wallpaper places provide some sort of wallpaper calculator to plop in a few dimensions and out comes the answer. However, the answer may not always be so cut and dry.

In most cases you determine the correct amount needed by taking the total square footage of the wall space you’re covering and dividing it by the square footage of a double roll. This will tell you how many double rolls you need. Easy enough…however these other factors should be part of the equation as well:

1. Windows, doors, cabinets, tubs, and other fixtures
2. Random, Straight or Drop Match
3. Pattern Repeat
4. Mistakes & Mishaps
5. Future Repairs

Windows, doors, cabinets, tubs, and other fixtures

If you’re wallpapering a bathroom, you don’t want to just measure the length of all the walls and multiply by the height to get your total square footage…especially if you have a shower/tub surround, cabinets, window and linen closet. You’ll end up with way too much. You need to deduct for the doors and fixtures to get a more accurate figure.

Random, Straight or Drop Match

The pattern match needs to be considered. Is it a “random match”, “straight match” or “drop match”? “Random match” means there’s no matching of any patterns when you hang one strip next to another. An example of this would be a solid or vertical stripe pattern. In this case, this would not effect your calculation.

However a “straight match” means the pattern has to line up vertically from strip to strip. And a “drop match” means the pattern has to line up diagonally from strip to strip. Needless to say, you’re going to have some waste when you’re working with straight & drop matches…it’s just a matter of how much.

Pattern Repeat

If the pattern is a solid or stripe, there is no repeat to be concerned about. Otherwise the length of the repeat tells you how much you may possibly lose when trying to match the pattern from strip to strip.

If it’s a real small print, you’ll probably be okay if you don’t deduct for windows or doors when calculating your total square footage. But if the repeat is greater than 5-10″, you may have a sizeable amount of waste. It will also depend on the room you’re doing. You may be able to piece the “waste” in a smaller area (i.e. a kitchen soffit). But more than likely you won’t be able to use the excess on any of your walls.

Mistakes & Mishaps

Let’s face it, we all make mistakes. Sometimes a strip is cut wrong…it happens, and it’s a real pain when you’re working with “just enough” paper to do the project. Also, mishaps happen…something tears, or gets hung upside down, or any number of scenarios. Again, it’s no fun when you have no room to fudge. Expect to make a mistake or have a mishap…give yourself an allowance for this…order an extra roll.

Future Repairs

Although wallpaper is much more durable than paint, it’s not perfect. Someone takes a permanent marker and decides to create their own little masterpiece, a piece of heavy furniture rips into the wall when it gets moved haphazardly, somebody drops a bottle of red wine and it splashes all over the wall…you get the idea. Do you tear it all down, live with the blunder or repair it?

If you’ve got an extra roll tucked away somewhere, then there’s no problem (unless you’re a smoker or live with one…the paper on the wall is going to be yellowed over time and won’t match the unused portion from the original purchase). But if you need to order more, you may be hating life when you realize how hard that pattern may be to find.

The first concern is dye lots. Wallpaper is made in batches/runs. The mill prints out a whole bunch of a particular pattern in a batch. Then they change their rollers and colors to print out another pattern in a big batch. When they run out of the first batch of patterns, they use the same rollers and colors for the first pattern, however when they mix the colors it may not be exactly the same hue as the original batch. Sometimes, you can hardly tell a difference in different dye lots. But sometimes you can…especially if you are hanging it in the middle of a wall.

The next concern, which is the granddaddy of them all, is the paper being discontinued. This means the manufacturer isn’t making it anymore. If the pattern has only been recently discontinued, you still may find some supplier/warehouse who has some left in stock. However, if it’s more than a year old, the chances are slim of finding it again. It will be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. And it will be the most miserable search of your life, trust me.

So, when it comes down to it, my suggestion is to always order more than you think you need.

Financially speaking, you need to think of the big picture when decorating with wallpaper. Wall paper is made to last a long time…so rather than thinking how little to spend, think future worth. This is an investment that will last 5-7 years not merely an expense that needs to be redone in a year or two. Consider the savings in the long run when this project is done right and you are prepared for all the factors listed above. You’ll be glad you didn’t skimp.

How to Find Discontinued Wallpaper

Finding Discontinued Wallpaper has got to be one of the most frustrating quests known to man. This guide will show you who the best source for finding discontinued wallpaper is and outlines the steps to take to find it.

How Can I Find Discontinued Wallpaper?

By: Carrie Wigal
Copyright (c) 2006 WiggleWigal LC.
All Rights Reserved.

Your best source for finding discontinued wallpaper is the dealer from whom you originally purchased the pattern. This is where ordering from your local Mom & Pop Wallpaper Shop pays off…customer service is at its best from places like these. However, regardless of whether you purchased it originally from a physical store or an e-commerce site, this is your BEST source for finding the discontinued pattern.

When inquiring about finding more of your discontinued wallpaper, suggest the following scenarios outlined below. Keep in mind that more than likely your dealer is so accustomed to saying, “We don’t have discontinued wallpaper” that they may not realize they actually might still have access to the pattern since they sold it to you in the first place. But please go easy on them…they get requests like these ALL the time. However, 99% of the time they are unable to help the customer and their efforts prove to be a waste of their time…so be appreciative of any effort they make on your behalf.

1. Ask them to check their inventory records. The dealer may have stocked the pattern and still might have a few on hand. Explain to them you purchased it from them before and give a date as to how long ago it was purchased.
2. Ask them to check their stock orders at the time of your original purchase. If the dealer didn’t have this pattern in stock at the time of your initial order, they may have ordered a whole case of the pattern to get a better price from their distributor…if so, they would have sold a certain quantity to a customer and kept the remainder on hand until someone else bought it.
3. Ask if they have returned merchandise lying around. If the dealer initially sold this pattern to you out of their stock, it’s possible they sold the same pattern to someone else. If that’s the case, then it’s also possible the other customer(s) returned a portion as overage. Discontinued patterns are not returnable to the distributor, so if the pattern was discontinued at the time of the return, the dealer would have been stuck with the merchandise.
4. Ask to see if they have opened rolls lying around. If the dealer brough that pattern into stock at their location, they may have an opened roll of the pattern. Sometimes a dealer will offer samples of in-stock merchandise to help move the pattern off the shelf. However, once the roll is opened they do not usually offer it for sale. (That’s assuming you don’t care if the roll has been opened.) If they have opened rolls, it may not be listed in their inventory.
5. Ask the dealer to call their distributor for you to see if there is any stock left in the distributor’s warehouse. (More than likely this is how you found out the item was discontinued in the first place.) If no stock is available,
   

• Sometimes distributors will sell off the last of their inventory to a third party…and sometimes it’s the same third party every time. It certainly doesn’t hurt to ask. Many times when a dealer discovers a popular pattern is being discontinued, they snatch up as much as they can with hopes to sell it at a premium price to people like you who are desperate to have more. Have your dealer ask the distributor what other dealers may have purchased the last of the inventory for that pattern.
• Not every manufacturer has more than one distributor for their product, but some do. The dealer should automatically check this anyway, but just in case, ask the dealer if they have an alternate distributor for that pattern. If so, ask them to check their stock as well.
  

In the event your dealer is unable to help you, be sure to thank them profusely for any help they did give and request the name(s) of the distributor who supplied them with this product. As you continue to search the ends of the earth, you’ll want to skip asking dealers who only get this paper through these same sources. It’s a complete waste of your precious time.

The World Wide Web:
The Greatest Source of Information Available

When you have exhausted your efforts with your original retailer, its time to check online. Don’t even bother trying to look further in your local area…at least not yet, unless you have nothing better to do. Cast your net into the BIG Sea before fishing for this rare breed in your backyard pond. Try these sites specifically:

When you have exhausted your efforts with your original retailer, its time to check online. Don’t even bother trying to look further in your local area…at least not yet, unless you have nothing better to do. Cast your net into the BIG Sea before fishing for this rare breed in your backyard pond. Try these sites specifically:

You Can Find It On Ebay! …Maybe

Ordinary people buy & sell personal merchandise all the time. Oftentimes people will try to sell leftover wallpaper because either the place they bought it from will not take it back (due to being too old or having been opened), they were lazy, or they thought they could get more for it on eBay.

Ordinary people buy & sell personal merchandise all the time. Oftentimes people will try to sell leftover wallpaper because either the place they bought it from will not take it back (due to being too old or having been opened), they were lazy, or they thought they could get more for it on eBay.

• When searching for the item, be sure to search by pattern #, pattern name, manufacturer, book name if you know it and pattern description. The person listing the item for sale may not know the pattern # or book name, so they will give a pattern description.
• Check the eBay stores as well as auctions. Auctions usually only last 5-10 days, whereas store listings last month-to-month.
• Be sure to check the box for “in titles and description” when doing your search, this way it will look up your search terms in the body of the ad as well as in the title.
• Ebay also has a feature called “Post to Want it Now” for buyers to indicate what they are looking to buy. Indicate here what you are looking for…give a lot of details…include colors and pattern description. Ebay will contact you if a seller responds.
  

Discontinued Wallpaper Forum at ThriftyFun.com

Although you’ll need to wade through oodles and oodles of posts to see if you find your pattern, this is the best forum I’ve found for discontinued wallpaper.

Although you’ll need to wade through oodles and oodles of posts to see if you find your pattern, this is the best forum I’ve found for discontinued wallpaper.

• Search for your pattern by pattern # or book name & manufacturer using the search box. You may find a match right away.
• You can try a search by description, but your best bet may be to wade through each and every post to find the descriptions that most closely fit your pattern. Unlike Ebay, this forum doesn’t have pictures to scan through quickly, so searching for it this way can be very labor intensive.
• Post your request. Be sure to include contact information…an email preferably. I recommend posting it as “yourname at domain.com” instead of “yourname@domain.com”. This will eliminate the likelihood of spam.
  

Last Ditch Effort

If after all of this you are unable to locate the pattern and you STILL want to keep looking, I suggest checking with any retailer who has physical stock of product. Remember not to waste your time searching places that only order from the distributor of the product.

If after all of this you are unable to locate the pattern and you STILL want to keep looking, I suggest checking with any retailer who has physical stock of product. Remember not to waste your time searching places that only order from the distributor of the product.When checking other sources specifically state, “I know this pattern is discontinued and there is no stock available with [name of distributor given to you from your original retailer], but do you have this pattern in your physical inventory?”

Understand that continuing like this will truly be like going on a treasure hunt, however this is your last ditch effort to finding that discontinued wallpaper. If it’s worth that much to find this pattern, press on.

When You Have Finally Reached a Dead End, It’s Time to Move On

As much as it may pain you, selecting another pattern may end up being your ultimate fate. But don’t worry there’s hundreds of thousands of CURRENT patterns to choose from. Next time however, be sure to ORDER EXTRA…because you certainly don’t want to have to start a quest like this again to finding discontinued wallpapers.

Resources included in this guide:
eBay, ThriftyFun.com

Copyright (c) 2006 WiggleWigal LC. All Rights Reserved.

Extra Rolls of Wallpaper?

Do you have extra rolls of wallpaper and don’t know what to do with it? Whether you ordered too much or decided not to use it, there is still value in your purchase. Before you decide to throw it away, consider these options…

• Return it! Most places will take back wallpaper purchased from them within 30 days provided it’s not opened and it’s not discontinued, however there’s usually a 25% restocking charge. (Keep in mind, if you bought it online, you’ll need to pay the return shipping costs as well.) So if you don’t want it, this is a great way to recoup a portion of your investment.

• Keep it! It may be good to keep it on hand in case of future damage to the paper already hung on your walls. Wallpaper is very durable and lasts anywhere from 5-7 years, but tears and dings happen. Unfortunately many times patterns don’t last that long in production. It is very common to have a pattern you love and buy today become discontinued with no stock available tomorrow. Having extra on hand is ALWAYS a good idea.

• Use it! Being as durable as it is, wall paper is a great commodity with multiple uses.
• Line your shelves with it. Besides being a more durable alternative to shelf liner, it’s a shoe-in to further enhance your decor because it coordinates so well with your walls.
• Dress up your pictures. You can cover mattes for picture frames or use it to cover a photo album or scrapbook. Not only will you enhance your room decor with coordinating pieces, but also you’ll have an excuse to leave your “brag books” lying around. (NOTE: If the wallpaper is prepasted, be sure to not expose the backing to your precious photos…you don’t want to risk damaging them if the glue is activated by moisture.)
• Cover text books. If you have any children required to cover their books for school, wallpaper makes a great bookcover…and it’s a lot prettier than brown paper bags.
  
• Get crafty. Wallpaper makes a great ingredient for craft projects. Whether it’s covering a lampshade, creating gift cards/tags, or embellishing other furnishings, the creative uses are endless…let your imagination soar.

• Sell it! You can put it out at your next garage sale or better yet, attempt to sell it on eBay. You may not be so crafty, but there are plenty of people who are and many of them shop eBay for their craft materials. You may not make very much on it, but something is better than nothing if you truly want to get rid of it.
  

BIG TIP: Before selling it, do a quick search on Google or Yahoo! for the pattern number & manufacturer (if known). If it’s a discontinued pattern, you may find someone is looking for that same particular pattern to finish their job or do a repair…and they would be willing to pay a premium price, since they can’t get it anywhere else. ;)

If you have an idea or experience you’d like to share regarding extra rolls of wall paper, tell us about it…we want to know! Share your comments below.

Removing Wallpaper Can Be Easy

Do You Want to Have an Easy Wallpaper Removal Experience?

Chesapeake Wallcoverings introduces their solution to creating an easy wallpaper application and even easier removal experience. The following article demonstrates the hottest new trend in wallpaper design. If you’ve ever had a hard time removing wallpaper or cringe at the thought of messing with putting it up let alone taking it down, read on and view the live demo of how easy wallpaper removal can be. Chesapeake Wallcoverings introduces their solution to creating an easy wallpaper application and even easier removal experience. The following article demonstrates the hottest new trend in wallpaper design. If you’ve ever had a hard time removing wallpaper or cringe at the thought of messing with putting it up let alone taking it down, read on and view the live demo of how easy wallpaper removal can be.

Easy-on, Easy-off Wallpaper is Hottest New Trend

(ARA) - Want to change the look of your living room or update your kitchen with new wall coverings but aren’t sure you can do it yourself? Think again. Home improvement projects are getting a lot simpler thanks to new easy-to-install, easy-to-remove products.

“In the past, the perception of wallpaper has been that it’s difficult to install and nearly impossible to remove,” says Tim Quinn, president of Chesapeake Wallcoverings. “We know that 90 percent of consumers are doing their own installation and removal. Now, wallpapering an average sized room is an afternoon project, and removal can be accomplished in as little as 15 minutes.”

Home decorating programs are increasingly showing designs that incorporate wall coverings. And the faux painting fad seems to be ending, perhaps because consumers have discovered the process is not always as easy as it looks on TV. The time is ripe for wallpaper’s resurgence.

Products like Chesapeake’s pioneering Easy-Walls collections virtually eliminate the negative issues associated with wallpaper: involved wall preparation; difficult installation including booking; seam separation; peeling; and the deal-breaking difficulty of removal.

Historically, preparing a wall for wallpaper has involved sanding, cleaning solvents, and multiple coats of primer and wallpaper sizing. Easy-Walls requires no preparation other than simply cleaning the wall. The product is designed to adhere to a wall that has been covered with at least two coats of paint, preferably one of primer and one flat latex, Quinn says.

Wallpaper can tear, crease and rip during installation. And if you fail to book it, the seams will separate once it dries on the wall. Because the product is a non-woven mix of natural and synthetic fibers, booking is no longer necessary; it’s made to be put on the wall immediately after wetting.

“This removable paper is much more forgiving than typical wallpaper,” Quinn notes. “With traditional installation, the paste has to have enough ’slip’ to allow you to realign it and move it around on the wall. This paper moves very easily on the wall and you can even take down an entire sheet and put it back on in a new position.” Mistakes are easily corrected: simply smooth it with your hands and reapply it to the wall.

Failure to book traditional wallpaper can result in seam separation and peeling. Improper wall preparation in a humid spot like a bathroom can lead to mold growth behind the paper. Because there is no vinyl in non-woven wallpaper, vapor lock, which traps moisture behind the paper, is unlikely to occur. The product is totally breathable, making it ideal for use in high-humidity areas like the bath and kitchen.

Forget the hours of scratching, wetting and scraping or steaming and harsh chemicals associated with removing wallpaper. You can take down removable wallpaper in a matter of minutes, Quinn says. Simply start at a corner and pull, and the entire sheet will come off in one piece. “This product is perfect for anyone who wants to be able to quickly and easily change a look of a room in the future - parents decorating a nursery who know they will need to redecorate as soon as the child grows, or renters who will need quick, clean, easy removal when they move out.”

Easy-Walls is currently available from most wallcovering retailers and large home centers. Six design collections, each with 120 or more patterns, are currently available. The per-roll cost of the product is usually $1 to $2 more than regular wallpaper, but is offset by reduced preparation and installation costs. For more information or to see a live demo, visit http://www.easy-walls.com/livedemo.htm.

Courtesy of ARA Content

EDITOR’S NOTE: Easy-Walls is a registered trademark of Chesapeake Wallcoverings of Maryland.

The following is a list of books available from Chesapeake using this easy-to-remove technology:

* Family & Friends II (Book ID: CS1310)
* Growing Up with Chesapeake (Book ID: CS1309)
* K & B Essentials (Book ID: FS0004)
* Livin’ Lodge (Book ID: FS0041)
* Open Spaces (Book ID: FS0034)
* Angels & Ivy II (Book ID: FS0073)