Dramatic Bedroom Mural

Our guest bedroom got a new look with a photo mural.  

We updated the room because our son's best friend, Kai,

 is coming to live with us while they start their college freshman year

together at our home, because of the Coronavirus situation. 

 The boys will be taking over the second floor of the house, 

which will serve as their college dorm!

I wanted the room to have a completely new look for the guys.

These murals are actually photos that are blown up and made into wallpaper strips

 to fit the exact dimension of the wall you want to cover.  I was excited to

collaborate with this Swedish company, PhotoWall, and selected a rustic brick

arch wall called "Arch Ruin" as the backdrop for our guest room

 from the thousands of images they stock. 

Look for my 25% discount code at the end

of this blog post for your own order from Photowall!

The wallpaper mural comes with a package of powdered wallpaper paste. 

Mixed up with a gallon of water in a bucket, it was ready to use in  5 minutes.

  I also ordered the $18 wallpaper tool kit so that I would be all set 

when it was time to rock and roll. 

I have hung a ton of wallpaper in my life yet this set up from PhotoWall is a little bit 

different than anything I had seen before.  The roll of wallpaper is continuous, yet has 

each strip numbered, and you cut it with scissors when you are moving on to the next strip.

Simply cut along the dotted line....

You apply the paste on the wall where the strip will go first, 

so I measured out 18" and made a small pencil mark to give 

me a rough guideline for the paste.

                     Apply the paste with the brush to the section of wall next to the strip you just hung.

                        The paste has some globs in it but they brush right out with the wallpaper brush.

This wallpaper was the easiest paper I had ever hung, 

and I was finished with the wall in just two hours. 

Now it was time to style the room....

First I decided to put the bed on the angle so

we could take in the dramatic backdrop of the wall mural.

But wait....do you remember what it use to look like?

When last used this room it had the dollhouse  as well as the pastoral murals

I had painted on the walls giving the room a feminine romantic artistic effect.

It was very pretty, but wouldn't work for a college guy.

So, before I began my wallpapering I painted 

 over the lilac stripe at the top of the room as well as the murals so 

they wouldn't show any trace of pattern through the wallpaper mural.

And two hours later I had a whole new wall of brick!!!

Everyone loves the new look! 

I was able to reuse many of the things we already had in our home, 

including lamps with burlap shades, some Ralph Lauren beige linen pillow covers

my modern office desk chair, and the grey and white checked curtains from Ballards.

Piper gives it a thumbs up too!

Use  Photowall if you want to create a dramatic new look with ease.

All my readers can get 25% off any order of Photowall products

 until the end of August 2020 by using the promo code

amymaisondecor25 for your discount. 

With everyone at home more than ever now because of the coronavirus,

this is an awesome way to improve everyday spaces in your home.

I am already planning my next mural!

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European Woodland Lodge Decor

 I've been having a ton of fun with a bit of decorating, shifting the style from French Country

to what I call European Woodland Lodge.  Its a bunch of neutrals mixed together, with 

velvets, fur, burlap and linen textures in shades of beige and grey, with a hint of white.

After I slipcovered the lilac colored sofa to protect it from the dogs, the ball got rolling.
A bleached drop cloth in the biggest size was used to create the slipcover.  A German stencil
was used on some scraps to create a grain sack pillow accent for the European lodge look.

After I took down the mirror that has always been over the sofa, a deer mount took its place.

 A big grapevine wreath was made up from a rambling grapevine in the backyard.

I wanted to frame the deer and add some greenery for Thanksgiving.

 Wintery touches of trees and white lights were added on the tabletops.

 A Black Forest tree, the tall skinny trees with 

downswept branches, was added to the dining room.

 Gilded accessories are in the mix, and I love the overall effect of the gold 

with the natural colors and textures. Husband is a big fan, saying the house

has never looked better. Hahaha!! Code for no more French stuff please!

 For a long time I have hunted for a small coffee table and found 

this marble topped Eastlake antique in a local antique shop.

 At night the room sparkles and we love it.

 When the troops come home, there are candles and twinkle lights turned on in every room.

Its just magical!  I haven't put up our big tree yet, and this adding of decor, bit by bit has been

the most enjoyable process.

 After Thanksgiving, I added French Country bows in a silk check to either side of the large grapevine wreath and filled the branches with evergreens, and a strand of twinkle lights.

The deer got a dressy necklace of vintage mercury bead garland and a bobble garland

in green and gold that I used to sell at my old shop, Maison Decor.

 The mantle got a garland with grapevine branches sticking out and some new fur stockings

from Arhaus are for the three dogs, each fur to match their own.

We had a marvelous Thanksgiving at home, and got everyone to pose for a family portrait.

As always we include the dogs, which is the biggest challenge of all.

Now we are ready to enjoy the Christmas holidays, and hope you are finding the spirit of the season for your own families and yourselves. 

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Country French Winter Decorating

In the weeks before Thanksgiving I start adding what I call "Winter Decor". 

 It sets the mood for the holiday season, but stays away 

from too much of a Christmas feel.

So I like to add lights and some greenery with ribbons.

I switched out the summery white curtains for grey ruffled sheers.

And candles in the windows. Love those candles.

Old silver trays and accents look pretty with the grey and white theme.

Its simple and elegant and rustic.  

Layer silver plates and trays on top of each other.

Sprinkle faux snow or add more greenery or pinecones.

A vintage chicken wire urn gets a simple

treatment with a bunch of faux iced branches with pinecones.

Later on I will switch the centerpiece for something more Christmassy.

 In the living room there is greenery, lights and ribbon on the mantle.

Because I had my granddaughter over I pulled out a tiny tree.  

Undecorated it has a winter woodland effect. 

Later on after Thanksgiving, or close to it, I will embellish things with 

ornaments and make it more, more, more!!  I select ribbon based upon 

fabrics and colors in the room for a serene look.  My father, however,

 would be saying put on some RED ribbon!! He is a traditionalist.

 The small battery operated twinkle lights can give anything a magical feel.

A garden topiary form with grapevine that I found antiquing in Maine with my sister

was scooped up and brought home and put on my petite French desk.  Take a second look

at your garden accessories and bring them indoors and wrap them with lights! 

 There was one exception to the early Christmas, 

and its this tinsel tree with pink pearl garland

that is sitting on my gilded Florentine chest of drawers.  

Little pink velvet pumpkins nestled underneath will hang around 'til Thanksgiving. 

 Pink bottle brush stars with pearls ornament the drawers, 

all in an effort to enchant my little one.

 Reeve is now almost two and a half, and she is obsessed with all things Frozen.

Particularly Elsa!  We both love it, its the cutest movie, and now Frozen 2 is coming

out.  I love the Scandinavian clothes and set designs in the castle, its inspiring!

Hope this inspires you to get decorating your home so that when Thanksgiving is over,

you are ahead of the game and can enjoy decorating at a leisurely pace.

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