Believe it or not, not every DIY goes to plan. In fact, I find most do not. And even when you feel confident in your planning or taste or choices, sometimes they just don’t work out. This is such a tale.

I bought this great Ruggable rug for my kitchen with a fantastic William Morris pattern, Blackthorn in Forest Green. I loved the pattern and immediately started thinking about what else we could do with it.

Meanwhilst, I was working on painting and planning decor for our master bedroom. In our last house, Ryan graciously allowed me to paint the walls a lovely cameo pink. And while I still love that color, I thought it might be his turn to have a favorite color, green, grace the walls. We chose a Magnolia color, 1905 Green. Their website describes it as “a slightly jeweled forest green.” I would say that is totally accurate. We both absolutely love the deep moody color. Our room gets a lot of natural light so the dark color works well. Home decor bloggers would tell you to pick your inspiration words for a space, mine were moody, romantic, and elegant. I tell you, waking up to this room drenched in sunlight, is just lovely.

Ok, so back to the rug pattern, I found the William Morris Blackthorn pattern available at Spoonflower and immediately started obsessing over just the right pattern and color to choose. (If you don’t know, Spoonflower has nearly an infinite number of patterns in just as many variations and options.) It’s dizzying to try to find just the right thing.

FULL STOP: This is where I should have ordered samples. But didn’t. Mistake. Always, always, always order samples of wallpaper. Did you hear me? Always order samples, no exceptions, no buts, no what ifs, always order samples. Please, learn from me.

I showed Ryan (who trusts me on these things) the wallpaper, and feeling slightly impulsive, ordered the wallpaper. It was impulsive and a mistake. I knew better, but just didn’t want to wait. It arrived and I didn’t love it. But I tried to convince myself I did love it. I tried so hard, I told myself if we put it on the wall I would love it more. Yes, just put it on the wall, that’s the solution.

So, we put it up on the wall, the whole wall. I did not love it, the colors weren’t right, and the pattern felt too “cartoony” compared to the inspiration rug. I also did not love Spoonflower’s Peel-n-Stick. It was easy to put up, but started unsticking almost immediately. Weeks turned into months and I still did not love the wallpaper. And, it started coming up in several more places. I thought shamefully about the hasty, impulsive decision, completely my fault. And then, I remembered the wallpaper I originally wanted from Rifle Paper Co. I had decided it was too expensive, but it was the wallpaper I really loved.

ANOTHER STOP: It is worth it to wait for something you love, and invest a bit more money than to settle for something you don’t love and end up paying even more for it in the end. Which is what I did. Paid twice for wallpaper. Twice.

The more I looked at the wallpaper on the wall, the more certain I was that it wasn’t right and had to come down. I waited until Rifle Paper Co. was having a sale and splurged on the beautiful, dreamy, perfect wallpaper. AFTER I sampled several of their wallpapers in the room. The choice was unanimous, the Hawthorne wallpaper is gorgeous! Confusing right, Blackthorn vs. Hawthorne. Ha!!

When I hung the right wallpaper, even though I had to add paste to it and it was much more challenging, it felt right. Every strip and every swipe of glue was worth the effort for this beautiful paper. When it’s right you know. And when it isn’t, the same is true. Trust your gut. Listen to it on creative projects (I can’t speak for it on bigger stakes, but on DIYs, yes ;-)). Ryan added trim to the windows, and we added trim along the bottom edge of the wallpaper for a finished look. (We always have little helpers hanging around, especially if there is a ladder involved, like a moth to the flame.)

We are so very pleased with the outcome of our room makeover. We included some fun Facebook Marketplace finds along the way, like a four-poster bed and a brass chandelier. I found artwork that coordinated well at Target, Hobby Lobby, and Etsy. And of course, pillows and bedding (Pottery Barn, sadly, they don’t have this quilt anymore).

And for those who love good before and after:

All this to say, not all DIYs go the way you want them to. In fact, in my experience, most do not. Maybe patience is the lesson? Maybe sometimes admitting defeat and starting over? Maybe you don’t have to be a DIY genius every time? Maybe always sample wallpaper? Or maybe just don’t get discouraged if it isn’t Pinterest-Perfect or Insta-worthy, trust what you love.

XO,
h

SOURCES:
Target
Portrait
Floral
Floral with gold frame
White leopard pillow
Green embroidered pillow (which gave me the idea for my next DIY, stay tuned…)
Sheets

Hobby Lobby artwork
Floral
Bow (actually in our bathroom, but too cute not to share)

P.S. The kids may be loving this makeover too. 😉