This week’s paper includes our spring Home Improvement special section. We always have fun putting it together. Whenever our home improvement issue comes around—in the spring and the fall—I stop and think about the projects that have been done by my family. Not by me. I will do just about anything to get out of any form of construction and I really hate painting. To me, hanging a picture on the wall is a complicated undertaking.
My daughters-in-law, however, love to tackle home improvement projects. And daughter-in-law Michele likes to surprise people with wonderful home makeovers. I have been the happy recipient of two such endeavors. A few years ago for a Christmas present, Michele and her mom, Annie, sponge-painted our guest bathroom a lovely blue with white cloud-like texture. I still smile when I use that room.
The second makeover was a complete surprise. While Chuck and I went on vacation, Michele and her sister, Billi, painted my living room—moving heavy furniture around, relocating my computer, selecting a warm mocha color for the walls, and making my house a more welcoming place.
So, when Michele said she was going to re-do my other daughter-in-law, Sara’s bathroom while she was on vacation, I felt that I should help. I wanted to repay Michele at least a little for the work she had done at my house.
So that is how I found myself in a sauna-like bathroom recently, operating a scary wallpaper stripping steamer, swearing I would never, ever, wallpaper another room. It is amazing how small a room can feel when it is filled with water vapor and wet, slimy, piles of soggy paper.
The wallpaper steamer is a wonderful invention, I will admit. I can only imagine how horrible the enterprise would have been without it. I was afraid of the steamer at first and I was the designated scraper. However, as the project moved along and Michele needed to dismantle light fixtures and cabinets, I took over the comparatively simple steamer task.
It wasn’t as scary as I thought, once I got over being startled by the occasional gurgling sounds from the water canister. After I got the hang of it, it was actually fairly easy. And it was fun to spend the day with Michele. But it was still a slimy and sticky job.
We worked late into the night steaming, scraping, and scrubbing, getting ready for paint. We made good progress and when we left that night, Michele assured me she would be able to complete the project on her own. I felt guilty that I had to work and she would be stuck finishing on her own.
I was amazed when I stopped by the next day at lunch to see clean walls, ready for primer. And by that night, the first coat was complete. What was really fun though, was seeing the end result. Michele finished the project off with a “bag” texture. Over the light beige base color she took a crumpled bag and squished it into green paint and pressed it on the wall, creating a marbled pattern. Much nicer than wallpaper!
And best of all, it is something that can be easily painted over if Sara changes her mind.
I have decided that I will never, ever, wallpaper a room in my house. If it is that hard to take down, I can only imagine how difficultit is to put up.
I have some wallpaper in my house. I didn’t hang it. It was put up by others when my house was brand-new. The wallpaper is almost 15 years old now and I was starting to think it’s outdated. I was getting tired of the tiny baskets filled with peach-colored flowers. But that was before the wallpaper removal weekend. Now I think it’s just fine.
A comfortable house is a great
source of happiness. It ranks
immediately after health and
a good conscience.
Sydney Smith
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